65 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Romans 4 The apostle having, in the preceding chapters, proved that there is no justification before God by the works of the law, partly from the depraved state and condition that all men are in by nature, both Jews and Gentiles; and partly from the nature of the law itself, which discovers sin, arraigns men for it, and convicts of...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
What shall we say then,.... The apostle having proved that there is no justification by the works of the law; to make this appear more clear and evident to the Jews, he instances in the greatest person of their nation, and for whom they had the greatest value and esteem, Abraham, our father; who was not a righteous and good man, but the head of...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
The great gospel doctrine of justification by faith without the works of the law was so very contrary to the notions the Jews had learnt from those that sat in Moses' chair, that it would hardly go down with them; and therefore the apostle insists very largely upon it, and labours much in the confirmation and illustration of it. He had before...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. He stands as the great Father of believers, and this is the charter given to...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt....
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
What shall we say then that Abraham our father as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? What blessings did really come to Abraham, the father of the faithful? What is the nature of that covenant of grace which God made with him?
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For if Abraham were justified by works,.... That Abraham was not, and could not be justified by works, is clear from hence, that if this was his case, he hath whereof to glory; which will be allowed him before men, on account of his pious life and conversation: but not before God; who saw all the iniquity of his heart, and was privy to all his...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. Certainly, before God, Abraham neither gloried nor yet was justified by his works.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
For what saith the Scripture?.... This answers to דכתיב מאי, "what is that which is written" (c)? or what does the Scripture say? which is a way of speaking used by the Jews, when anything is proposed, which seems contrary to Scripture, as here justification by works does. A testimony from Scripture is here produced, proving that Abraham was...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
For what saith the scripture? That is the question for us always to ask, “What saith the Scripture?” Rom_4:3. Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. There is no doubt about that point, for in Gen_15:6 we read, “He believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now to him that worketh,.... The apostle illustrates the former case by two sorts of persons in this and the next verse, who have different things accounted to them, and in a different manner. The one is represented as working, the other not. By the worker is meant, not one that works from, and upon principles of grace. The regenerate man is...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. That is to say, to him who hopes to be saved by his works, to whom salvation is of merit. He has worked for the reward. He has earned it. Do not talk about grace in that case.
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. He gets what he earns, what he deserves to have, what he receives is “not reckoned of grace, but of debt.”
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
But to him that worketh not,.... Not that the believer does not work at all, but not from such principles, and with such views as the other; he does not work in order to obtain life and salvation; he does not seek for justification by his doings: but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly: or that ungodly one: particular reference is had to...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. This is the man who does not go upon the line of works — who does not rest in his works at all, or bring them as a price to God. “His faith is counted for righteousness.” It is a very wonderful thing that faith should stand in the...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man,.... the apostle having instanced in Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, cites some passages from David, king of Israel, a person of great note and esteem among the Jews, in favour of the doctrine he is establishing; who in a very proper and lively manner describes the happiness of...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works. Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Instead of being a worker, this man had been an offender — a sinner. God did not impute it to him....
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Saying, blessed are they,.... These words are cited from Psalms 32:1, and contain the proof of the happiness of justified persons. In this citation the singular number is changed into the plural, to take in all sorts of men, Jews and Gentiles, and very agreeably to the sense of the original; for the word אשרי may be rendered "blessed are they",...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. As he does not to those whom he justifies in Christ, and by his righteousness; for the sins of such he has imputed to his Son, as their surety; and he has bore them, took them away, having made full satisfaction for them; so that these persons will never be charged with them: they now appear...