Romans 4 1

Romans 4:1 kjv

What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

Romans 4:1 nkjv

What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?

Romans 4:1 niv

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter?

Romans 4:1 esv

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?

Romans 4:1 nlt

Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God?

Romans 4 verses

Romans 4 1 Meaning

Romans 4:1 poses a foundational question concerning the patriarch Abraham: "What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?" Paul, in this rhetorical query, anticipates and directly addresses the potential objection or perspective of those, particularly Jewish believers, who might have understood Abraham's righteousness as being a result of his human effort, works, or lineage ("according to the flesh"). He sets the stage to demonstrate conclusively that Abraham's justification was solely by faith, thereby dismantling any claim of merit-based salvation.

Romans 4 1 Context

Romans 4:1 acts as a pivotal transition point in Paul's letter. In Romans 3, Paul meticulously argues that all humanity, both Jews and Gentiles, are "under sin" (Rom 3:9) and stand in need of God's righteousness. He concludes that justification—being declared righteous before God—comes "through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe" and "apart from works of the law" (Rom 3:22, 28). Having established this universal theological truth, Paul immediately anticipates the objection from those, particularly Jews, who would uphold the Law and circumcision as paths to righteousness or believe that their ancestor, Abraham, achieved his standing with God through such means or through some inherent merit.

Chapter 4, therefore, serves as the ultimate Old Testament proof-text for Paul's argument for justification by faith alone. By taking Abraham, the revered father of Israel, Paul intends to demonstrate that even he, who lived centuries before the Law of Moses and whose life included the rite of circumcision, was declared righteous before circumcision, based solely on his faith. This disarms the core of the Jewish objection and provides an unassailable biblical precedent for salvation through faith for all, regardless of ethnicity or adherence to Mosaic law. The historical and cultural context is one where Jewish identity was deeply intertwined with ancestry, covenant signs like circumcision, and adherence to the Torah, all of which some understood as means of achieving righteous standing before God. Paul directly counters this understanding by revisiting their shared spiritual heritage in Abraham.

Romans 4 1 Word analysis

• What then: This Greek phrase, Ti oun (τί οὖν), frequently appears in Paul's writings, often signaling a transition or introducing a logical consequence or a rhetorical question that anticipates an objection or further line of reasoning. Here, it clearly marks a move from general theological declaration to specific biblical demonstration.
• shall we say: Reflects Paul engaging in a discourse or debate with an imagined objector. It sets a dialogical tone for the argument that follows.
• Abraham: The paramount figure in Jewish history and theology. As the "father" of the Jewish people and the recipient of God's covenant promises, his standing before God was central to understanding divine-human relationship and national identity. Paul deliberately chooses Abraham to prove his point because Abraham was revered by all Jews; if Paul could demonstrate Abraham's righteousness was by faith, his argument gained immense authority.
• our father: The Greek, ton patera hēmōn (τὸν πατέρα ἡμῶν), emphasizes Abraham's communal and theological significance, particularly to the Jewish audience, who viewed him as the physical and spiritual progenitor of Israel. Paul, however, later broadens this "our father" to include all believers, both Jew and Gentile, in chapter 4, highlighting spiritual lineage over physical.
• has found: From the Greek verb heurēkenai (εὑρηκέναι), a perfect infinitive of heurisko meaning "to find," "to discover," "to obtain," or "to acquire." The perfect tense implies a settled, established state or condition. The question here is not about a physical discovery, but what Abraham obtained or established for himself regarding his righteous standing with God. Did he "find" justification through his own efforts, works, or lineage?
• according to the flesh: The critical phrase, kata sarka (κατὰ σάρκα), meaning "according to the flesh" or "in terms of the flesh." This phrase, frequently used by Paul, carries significant theological weight. It generally denotes:
  • Human nature/ability: That which proceeds from human effort, power, or achievement, independent of divine grace or enablement.
  • External performance: Adherence to outward religious rituals, laws, or lineage, such as circumcision, descent from Abraham, or Mosaic Law-keeping.
  • Worldly standards/wisdom: Ways of living or thinking not guided by the Spirit of God.
  • In the context of Romans 4:1, kata sarka specifically refers to any claims Abraham might have had based on his own works, merits, or status within his natural human existence, especially concerning his ethnic lineage or performance of religious acts. It implicitly stands in contrast to justification "by faith" or "by grace."

Romans 4 1 Bonus section

The polemic in Romans 4:1 is sharp. For Paul's Jewish audience (and Jewish-Christian objectors), Abraham represented the pinnacle of righteous living and the very foundation of their covenant identity. To suggest that his standing before God was not due to his active obedience or their ancestral connection would have been revolutionary, even scandalous. Paul’s genius lies in using their revered ancestor to dismantle their reliance on works-based righteousness and uphold the universal principle of grace through faith. He flips the traditional understanding, showing that Abraham exemplifies faith-righteousness and not works-righteousness, thereby becoming the spiritual father to all—both circumcised and uncircumcised—who believe, just as he believed. This reframing of Abraham's legacy is central to unifying Jews and Gentiles in Christ and underscoring that no one, not even the patriarch of Israel, can boast of their own "fleshly" achievements before God for justification.

Romans 4 1 Commentary

Romans 4:1 initiates Paul's rigorous defense of justification by faith alone by turning to the most authoritative example in Jewish tradition: Abraham. The verse poses a probing rhetorical question: What did Abraham achieve or find regarding his relationship with God on the basis of his fleshly efforts or attributes? This question is loaded, directly challenging the prevailing view among many Jews that Abraham's revered status and righteousness stemmed from his exemplary works, his obedience to God's commands (including pre-Mosaic ones), or simply his physical lineage as the covenant father.

Paul's method is brilliant. Instead of continuing with abstract theological arguments, he grounds his teaching in shared biblical history, showing that the gospel truth about justification by faith is not new but is consistent with God's dealings even with Abraham, long before the Law. The core of his argument, which he will unpack in the following verses, is that Abraham was justified when he simply "believed God" (Gen 15:6), before he was circumcised (Gen 17), and centuries before the giving of the Law. Therefore, his righteousness could not have been "according to the flesh"—it wasn't earned through works of the Law, ritual performance like circumcision, or his physical ancestry. It was purely a matter of divine imputation based on his faith. This powerful opening question prepares the reader for a deep dive into the biblical narrative, demonstrating that Abraham is truly "our father" in faith, not in fleshly performance.