Ministry of Grace Church

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

Truth to Learn

The Old Testament has examples of justification by faith.

Behind the Words

“What then shall we say” is a rhetorical question that Paul uses often in this letter to the Roman Christians (Romans 4:1; Romans 6:1; Romans 7:7; Romans 8:31; Romans 9:14; Romans 9:30). He uses this question when he anticipates an objection from his readers or when he is proposing a truth to be understood by the reader.

The Greek word translated “father” differs depending on which manuscript we look at. Some manuscripts have this as patēr, meaning “father,” though it is often used to indicate “ancestor.” Other manuscripts use the word propatōr, which is made up of pro, meaning “before, in time or position,” and a form of patēr, meaning “father.” Hence, propatōr means “forefather.”

“Has found” is the translation of the verb heuriskō, meaning “to find something.” It is expressed here in the Greek perfect tense, indicating a past completed action with an ongoing effect, with the emphasis on the ongoing effect. One form of this word, heureka, is what Archimedes is supposed to have exclaimed when, after a lengthy search, he discovered a method of detecting the amount of alloy mixed with the gold in the crown of the king of Syracuse. Subsequently, when prospectors in the Western US found the gold for which they had been diligently seeking, they often exclaimed “Eureka!”

Meaning Explained

Paul is now going to use Abraham, the father of all the Jews, to show how justification has always been by faith. Since Abraham lived before the giving of the Law, Paul will lead his readers to see that he was justified by faith, not by obedience to the Law. This becomes a particularly potent argument since all Jews trace back their ancestral lineage, as well as their spiritual heritage, to Abraham.

The main object of this chapter is to demonstrate that the doctrine of justification by faith, which the apostle Paul is defending, was taught in the Old Testament. The argument is addressed to the Jewish Christians in Rome, but it would apply to any Jew. The argument is derived from the fact that Abraham was justified by faith rather than works, as we will see in Romans 4:1-5. It was not the merit of his works but his faith (Abraham believed God). Then, in this same chapter, Paul will show that even David, the greatest of all Jewish kings, declared that righteousness results from faith rather than works, as we will see in Romans 4:6-8.

The expression “according to the flesh” which is found at the end of this verse has been much debated over the centuries. It could mean that Abraham was the father of the Jews according to flesh. The other interpretation of this expression is that it refers to what Abraham has found. If such is the case, then “flesh” could refer to external privileges and advantages, or to his own strength and power, or possibly to circumcision itself. The last of these seems the most reasonable interpretation; that Paul is referring to what Abraham has found as pertaining to circumcision since this is what much of this chapter is about.

Application

Christians are often prone to ignore the Old Testament teachings because “they only apply to the Jews.” As we will see from Romans chapter four, there is much common teaching between the Old and New Testaments.