Romans 4:3 - Exposition

For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned Unto him for righteousness. This notable text ( Genesis 15:6 ), declaring the ground of Abraham's acceptance, is similarly quoted in the cognate passage, Galatians 3:6 . It has a peculiar cogency in the general argument from being in connection with, and with reference to, one of the Divine promises to Abraham of an unnumbered seed; so that it may be understood with an extended application to those who were to inherit the blessing, as well as to the "father of the faithful," and so declaring the principle of justification for all the "children of the promise." Further, it would be peculiarly telling as addressed to the Jews, who made such a point of their descent from Abraham as the root of all their position of privilege (cf. Psalms 105:6 ; Isaiah 41:8 ; Isaiah 51:2 ; Matthew 3:9 ; Luke 3:8 ; John 8:39 ). The two significant expressions in it are ἐπίστευσε (denoting faith, not works) and ἐλογίσθη εἰς The whole phrase, the apostle proceeds to say, implies that the reward spoken of was not earned, but granted.