Micah Tillman

^{[ Romans 1 | 2 | 3| 4: Intro, 1-8, 9-17, 18-25, Conclusion | 5 ]}

In Romans 4, Paul continues to introduce his audience to new ways of thinking that will help them see each other as equals and live in unity.

The division, you will remember, was between the Jewish and Gentile members of the Roman church.

The Jewish members, from the way Paul writes, saw themselves as being privileged over the Gentile members, being the inheritors of the Law.

Paul has been attempting to show that both the Jewish and Gentile members of the church are on equal footing before God.

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Having the Law, whether in inherited written form (the Jews), or written on the heart (the Gentiles), hasn’t saved people (on both sides) from falling into lives of complete sin in the past, and everyone is guilty of some sins at least.

Therefore, everyone becomes righteous only by accepting God’s gift of righteousness (i.e., by “trusting” or “having faith” that when God offers us righteousness through Jesus ["grace"], He’s serious about giving it to us, and not just pulling our legs).

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In Romans 4, Paul adds a new argument to the pile: To be a child of Abraham means (a) to be righteous like Abraham by (b) participating with Abraham in the act or attitude of acceptance (”faith”).

And since Abraham participated in this act or attitude before he received the Law (or, at least before he was circumcised), we can see that anyone, whether Jew or Gentile, can be a child of Abraham.

Thus, Paul continues to harp on the issue of church unity between Jews and Gentiles.

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^{[ Romans 1 | 2 | 3| 4: Intro, 1-8, 9-17, 18-25, Conclusion | 5 ]}

Tags: Church Unity, Faith, Paul, Romans, Romans 4