The Promise Sure to All the Seed Through the Faith of Abraham (Romans 4:14–19)

Rom. 4:14. For if it is the adherents of the Law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and void, and the promise is rendered void.

This can be understood in two ways: both in relation to the giving of the promise, and in relation to its fulfillment. In the first relation, thus: the promise was given to faith; faith, therefore, is so connected with the promise that, as soon as anyone removes faith, he destroys the promise itself. If now, according to you, all power is in the Law; then you do away with faith, nullify its power and significance. But by nullifying its power, you thereby destroy the promise, which after this will remain without foundation.

In the second relation, thus: the promise was given to faith; by faith also must its fulfillment be conditioned. The substance of the promise consists in this: that through the Seed that came forth from the loins of Abraham blessing would be poured out upon all peoples who would believe in this Seed. The condition of participation in this blessing is faith. It makes heirs of the blessings promised to Abraham. But if you make the condition of this participation in the blessing, instead of faith, the Law, then you cut off the possibility of such participation in the blessing. For blessing is the fruit of good pleasure; where there is no good pleasure, there blessing is impossible. But the Law produces wrath, and consequently removes blessing; if it removes blessing, it destroys the promise. Under the Law the promise is unfulfillable. See what comes from your zeal for the Law! By nullifying faith, you destroy the promise.

Rom. 4:15. For the Law brings wrath; but where there is no Law, neither is there transgression.

Where the Law is, there is transgression; where transgression is, there is retributive wrath; where there is retributive wrath, blessing is cut off; and the cutting off of blessing destroys the promise. Consequently, by doing away with faith and setting forth the Law, you destroy the promise. If those under the Law are to be heirs, “faith is null, and the promise is void.”

Such reasoning is clear and definite; but it is not entirely clear how the Law produces wrath, when, in giving the Law, God testified that if the people would be faithful to Him, they would receive blessing and enjoy an abundance of goods, both temporal and eternal. The holy Apostle, although he laid as a foundation to this proposition that where there is no Law, there is no transgression, or that transgression is bound up with the Law, whether it merely occasions it or is its direct cause, giving to understand that where there is transgression, there is wrath; but even this—that the Law occasions or leads to transgression—is not entirely clear. For the Law was given so that all might see how they ought to act, so that they would act righteously and consequently be free from transgression, not so as to lead into transgression.

Saint Paul resolves this arising confusion below, by saying that it is not the Law that is the cause, but our weakness. The Law itself is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good; but I am sold into sin, sin dwells in me, drawing me toward transgression. I see what the Law requires, and I strive to fulfill it, but sinful arousal comes and draws me to transgression of the Law. Therefore, the Law is a poor helper to me. It only more vividly exposes my sinfulness and transgression. Had I not known the Law, even had I sinned, these would have been sins of ignorance. But here you see and sin. And if it were only once or twice a month or week, but it is every day and hour: it is rare when a matter passes without wrong. The result is that the Law only encumbers you with sins, so that you do not know what to do with them and how to cast off the oppressive burden of them. “Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me?” (7:24).

But what then is to be done? It would be so if God had left us forever with the Law alone. Deeper and deeper would man sink into the consciousness of his sinfulness and, because of this, into the sense of God’s wrath—and that is all; but he would find in the Law no way to remedy the situation. — It is this consciousness of the hopelessness of one’s condition with the Law alone that the Apostle intends to inculcate every time he discusses the relation of Law and faith. He has the same intention here. He speaks as it were: remain with the Law alone—and you will be always in sinfulness and under wrath. Through this you will cut off blessing, will not give the promise of Abraham opportunity to come to fulfillment over you, will destroy this promise. Do you wish that the promise given to Abraham be fulfilled over you? Receive faith. The promise is given to faith; under the condition of faith it comes into fulfillment. Faith brings forgiveness for transgressions in relation to the Law, gives power to fulfill the Law—and thus introduces into righteousness, on which blessing rests: and thus the promise is fulfilled.

Rom. 4:16. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the Law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of us all).

Above he said and proved that whoever holds that “those under the Law are to be heirs” (4:14) destroys the promise. Now he concludes: if the Law does not allow the promise to be fulfilled, then it is necessary to turn to faith. “Therefore, it depends on faith”—that is, those from faith are heirs. — The conclusion from the preceding proposition—that under the Law it is impossible for the promise to be fulfilled—is thereby fully determined. If, he says, it is so, then it is self-evident that only those of faith are heirs. But the holy Paul, wishing to inculcate this more deeply, further presents how certain the fulfillment of the promise is through faith. Under the Law there is not even the appearance of the possibility of this fulfillment, while under faith even a small doubt about this fulfillment seems inadmissible. Under it the promise is sure—that is, it will certainly be fulfilled exactly as spoken.

The holy Paul reaches this affirmation through the concept of grace, which is inseparable from the concept of faith. — “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace.” If it is from faith, then by grace; and as soon as it is by grace, there is no reason to doubt in the fulfillment of the promise: it is certain. Faith opens the treasures of grace; and what can hinder grace in its outpouring when there is faith? Nothing can hinder it. Consequently, no obstacle is seen to the fulfillment of the promise. When the condition of fulfillment of the promise is made the Law or faithfulness to it, then there are so many hindrances. The whole support here rests on human efforts. What can one reliably expect from man? And these efforts are mostly lacking; but when they do exist, then both within and without, man encounters so many difficulties in doing a work of the Law that it is barely possible to find even one work in his whole life that has been perfectly accomplished. How can confidence in the fulfillment of the promise be established under such circumstances—any confidence, let alone a sure and certain one? But when the condition of this fulfillment is made faith and grace flowing from faith, then all depends upon the goodness of the One who bestows grace, who depends on no one and nothing, but does all according to the will of His goodness and benevolence. You merely believe and by faith cling to the Benefactor; and at once you will enter the realm defined by the promise. Faith “in Him who justifies the ungodly” presents nothing to attract mercy except faith in mercy itself, and thereby compels mercy to show mercy. Joining inseparably with mercy itself, it becomes the channel through which mercy flows. And so, if it is from faith, then by mercy or grace; and nothing can hinder mercy or grace when there is faith. Such is the order which God has established for the course of things toward our spiritual life, “so that the promise may be guaranteed.”

With this the promise of God is sure both in itself, as explained above, and in its application to men; for only with this can it extend to all men, not only those under the Law, but also those not under the Law—only let both those under the Law and those in lawlessness, leaving all their past behind, believe. — “That the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants.” With this the promise is secured for all the seed. By seed must be meant here not the natural offspring of Abraham who are under the Law, but all who believe. — “To his descendants not only adherents of the Law but also those who share the faith of Abraham.” Faith unites all and makes of all a single seed or offspring of Abraham, breathing one spirit of faith with Abraham. As a result, he is “the father of us all,” that is, of all believing Christians.

Rom. 4:17. As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

Thus also in the promise is it said: thus, therefore, the promise is fulfilled that Abraham became the father of many nations. Look, the Apostle says as it were, there he is the father of many nations, when he is father to all of us—believers. For do you see who we are: Romans and Greeks and barbarians of various names. Saint Chrysostom says: “Having said ‘to all his descendants,’ the Apostle then determines to which descendants, and says: those of faith; thereby showing both Abraham’s kinship with the Gentiles, and that those not having such faith as Abraham had cannot boast of him. Behold the fruit of faith! It strengthened the family bond with the righteous man and made him the forefather of the most numerous offspring. Therefore the Apostle called him not merely Abraham, but the father of us all, believers, confirming these words also with special testimony: ‘as it is written: I have made you the father of many nations.’ Do you see that this was predetermined long before?” — This predestination was spoken to Abraham by God Himself: “I am your God… and here is my covenant with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations” (Gen. 17:1, 4).

The Apostle cited this passage to show that in calling Abraham the father of all believers, he did not invent this name himself, but borrowed it from God’s word. He then continues the discourse interrupted by these introductory words: “in the presence of the God”—that is: “he who is the father of us all—in the presence of God, in whom he believed”.

“In the presence of God”—can mean either: in accordance with God’s intention, according to God’s design and determination, according to His plans of providence (in part Photius in Oecumenius); or: before God’s face—to judge by how God judges kinship. But God judges kinship by resemblance in convictions, feelings, and character, as the Saviour showed, calling for those Jews who resisted Him the devil as their father, and calling believers who kept His word His brethren (Jn. 8:44; Lk. 8:21). By your judgment, Abraham is the father only of the Jews, the other nations are strangers to him; but by God’s judgment it is not so, but all believers, like Abraham, are his children. Or “in the presence of God”—like God. Saint Chrysostom says: “the meaning of these words is thus: as God is not a partial God, but the Father of all, so is Abraham. And again: as God is our Father—not by natural kinship, but by the bond of faith, so is Abraham, for obedience makes him father to all of us. And since the Jews paid no attention to this kinship, holding fast to the crude natural one, the Apostle through the comparison of Abraham with God proves that kinship through faith is far more important. And thereby he opens up also that this was given to Abraham as a reward for faith. For tell me, what is wonderful in being father to those who came forth from him? This is common to every man. On the contrary, it is wonderful that those who were his children by nature became his children by the gift of God.”

“In the presence of the God in whom he believed.” The holy Apostle has explained how the testimony about Abraham’s faith (Rom. 4:1–12) and the promise given to him (from verse 13 onward) prove that all power in the matter of justification before God belongs to faith. Now he begins to reveal the essential traits of Abraham’s faith, so that in it to show what our faith also ought to be. The main thing here is that the righteous Abraham believed, even though in himself and in the course of circumstances he saw much contrary to his faith, which could shake and even destroy it—he believed for the sole reason that God said so, without having any external supports for his faith. The word of the promise existed—that numerous offspring would come forth from him; meanwhile he himself and Sarah had already grown old. Yet despite this, Abraham did not doubt at all that it would be as God had said; and this is all the more wondrous because not immediately after the promise did Sarah have a son. But years passed, the end of life drew near, yet the righteous Abraham did not fail in faith that the word of the promise would be fulfilled. For he believed God—“who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.”

“Who gives life to the dead.” By these words faith in the resurrection of the dead is attributed to Abraham (Saint Chrysostom). And it lay at the foundation of his faith in the promise concerning offspring from him. He believed that if God is able to give life to the dead, how can he not believe that He will give life to my dead flesh and Sarah’s? (Ambrosiaster). Blessed Theophylact writes: “Abraham believed that God could not only quicken dead flesh, such as his was, but also make it fruitful.”

“And calls into existence the things that do not exist.” These words express Abraham’s faith either in God’s omniscience or in His almightiness. In the first case the thought will be thus: God even speaks of what does not yet exist as if it existed. The future is before His eyes as the present is before our eyes. Therefore, Abraham believed, if God says that offspring will come from me, He says so because it is before the eyes of His omniscience. If so, I cannot help but believe that it will be in its time. In the second—the thought will be thus: God’s almightiness is boundless. Whatever He wishes, He accomplishes and brings into being. And this not by exertion of power and labor, but by a word alone. He speaks, and all comes into being. “As easy as it is for us to name something that exists, so easy, even far easier, is it for God to bring into being something that does not exist” (Saint Chrysostom). If so, believed Abraham, how can I doubt that God will bring forth numerous offspring from my loins?

Rom. 4:18. He believed, hoping against hope, that he should become the father of many nations according to what was said, So numerous shall your descendants be.

He believed in hope, that is, he believed in the fulfillment of what God had promised, that it would certainly come to pass; but he believed “hoping against hope”—means: he believed when circumstances were against it, not only did not support hope, but on the contrary, destroyed it. “How did he believe beyond hope with hope? Beyond human hope with God’s hope? What was contradictory to each other was reconciled by faith” (Saint Chrysostom).

What then did he believe beyond hope? That he would become the father of many nations. Abraham, having grown old and having no children, wished to make Eliezer of Damascus his heir. But God appeared to him and said: he will not be your heir, but from you yourself will come offspring, and offspring many in number. Look at how many stars are in the sky! So shall your descendants be (Gen. 15:1–5). Abraham believed—and this faith was beyond hope. “He had no hope that anything would be born to him from Sarah, but he believed God that it would be born, conceiving hope beyond hope; for he knew that for God all things are possible. He believed that which, by the course of affairs in the world, seemed impossible. For it was not according to nature that in such deep old age they could bear and give beginning to such numerous offspring that they could not even be counted. Therefore faith is of great value, because it believes in the fulfillment of what is contrary to all that is known and seen. On such faith Abraham rested, because the Promiser was God, in whom one should place trust more than in whatever is accessible to human weakness” (Ambrosiaster).

Rom. 4:19. He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.

“He did not weaken in faith”—did not allow his faith to weaken and become feeble. There was much that could have shaken, weakened, and destroyed his faith; but it was so strong, living, and powerful that it did not feel any crushing influence from external unfavorable circumstances. Why was it so? Because the righteous Abraham, receiving the promise from God’s own lips, did not look upon his mortified flesh or Sarah’s deadness, but upon the infallible word of the almighty God. If he had looked upon the withering of flesh and also remembered that there had never been a similar example before him (Saint Chrysostom), it would be no wonder that his faith failed, just as the faith of the holy Peter failed when, instead of the Lord commanding the winds and sea, he looked at the raging storm and the rising waves. But since he kept his eyes only on the one God, able to raise up children even from stones, he did not weaken in faith, despite the fact that he himself was already nearly a hundred years old, and Sarah not only was very old but also barren.