Romans 4
| Romans 4 | |
|---|---|
|
Fragment c to h containing parts of the Epistle to the Romans in Papyrus 40, written about AD 250. | |
| Book | Epistle to the Romans |
| Bible part | New Testament |
| Order in the Bible part | 6 |
| Category | Pauline epistles |
Romans 4 is the fourth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle, but written by an amanuensis, Tertius of Iconium, while Paul was in Corinth, in winter of AD 57-58.[1] Paul wrote to the Roman Christians in order to give them a substantial resume of his theology.[2] The focus of this chapter is on Abraham, whose faith "was accounted (or imputed) to him for righteousness".[3] The Geneva Bible's chapter summary states that "ten times in the chapter [Paul] beateth upon this word, Imputation.[4]
Text
- The original text is written in Koine Greek.
- Some most ancient manuscripts containing this chapter are:
- Papyrus 40 (ca. AD 250; extant: 1-8)
- Codex Vaticanus (AD 325-350)
- Codex Sinaiticus (AD 330-360)
- Codex Alexandrinus (ca. AD 400-440)
- Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (ca. AD 450; complete)
- This chapter is divided into 25 verses.
Structure
The New King James Version organises this chapter as follows:
- Romans 4:1-4 = Abraham Justified by Faith
- Romans 4:5-8 = David Celebrates the Same Truth
- Romans 4:9-12 = Abraham Justified Before Circumcision
- Romans 4:13-25 = The Promise Granted Through Faith
The New International Version has a single sub-heading for the whole chapter: "Abraham Justified by Faith"
Theologian Heinrich Meyer argues that this chapter should have begun with Romans 3:31 "since that verse contains the theme of the following discussion".[5]
Cross references
- Romans 4:3 = Genesis 15:6
- Romans 4:8 = Psalm 32:1-2
- Romans 4:17 = Genesis 17:5
- Romans 4:18 = Genesis 15:5
- Romans 4:22 = Genesis 15:6
Abraham's Faith
- For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”[6]
Heinrich Meyer explains that "the passage quoted is Genesis 15:6, according to the Septuagint (LXX), which renders the active Hebrew: וְיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ (he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness) [7] by the passive Greek: και ελογισθη, kai elogisthe).[8] Paul quotes the same verse in Galatians 3:6. Protestant theologian Leopold Immanuel Rückert argued that Paul "made an unwarrantable use of the passage for his purpose".[9]
See also
- Abraham
- David
- Other related Bible parts: Genesis 12, Genesis 15, Genesis 17, Genesis 22, Psalm 32, Isaiah 53, Galatians 3, Hebrews 11
References
- ↑ Halley, Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook: an Abbreviated Bible Commentary. 23rd edition. Zondervan Publishing House. 1962.
- ↑ Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012.
- ↑ Romans 4:3
- ↑ Geneva Bible, Romans 4, Introduction
- ↑ Meyer's NT Commentary on Romans 3, accessed 10 September 2016
- ↑ Romans 4:3
- ↑ Genesis 15:6 Mechon-Mamre version
- ↑ Meyer's NT Commentary on Romans 4, accessed 10 September 2016
- ↑ Rückert, L. I., Commentary on Romans, 1831, referred to by Meyer in his NT Commentary on Romans 4, accessed 10 September 2016