Romans 4 Questions

1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin."

Observation:

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

2. For what does the Scripture say?

3. How does the wages of our work counted?

4. What makes a person accounted for righteousness?

5. How David describes about his salvation/justification?

Interpretation:

1. How does Abraham justified/saved? or Does Abraham justified/saved by works or faith?

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

   • For what does the Scripture say?

     • What is impute, reckon, accounted, counted means?

2. How does the wages of our work counted? or Does the wages of our work counted as gift or grace?

3. What makes a person accounted for righteousness? or How God justifies?

4. Why then James says "a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" in James 2:24?

   • Does James' teaching contradicting with Paul's teaching? Does these verses contradict each other?

     • When did God promise Abraham to bless with a child?

     • When did Abraham believe God's promise and he was accounted to be righteous?

     • When did God fulfill His promise by blessing a child Isaac to Abraham and Sarah?

     • When did God ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac?

     • How long later God requested Abraham to sacrifice Isaac from the time Abraham believed and God accounted to be righteous?

     • Did Abraham obey God's request?

     • Did Abraham justify or account to be righteous only after he obeyed God's request to sacrifice Isaac?

     • What is James teaching about works based on overall context in James 2:14-26?

5. Application: How to test our salvation?

   • How the genuine faith produce works/fruits?

6. How David describes the blessedness of the man?

   • What two important points David was pointing out in this Psalm 32:1-2?

   • What these two important points refers to? or How does David justified/saved? or Does David justified/saved by works or faith?

7. Application: Are you experiencing like David?

Abraham Justified before Circumcision:
9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

Observation:

1. 9a Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also?

   1. How Abraham was accounted for righteousness?

   2. 10a How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised?

2. What did Abraham receive?

3. When did Abraham receive the sign of circumcision, and the seal of the righteousness of the faith?

4. What does this "justification before circumcision" made Abraham to be?

5. Does not Abraham the father of circumcised?

6. In what basis anyone can join the Abraham's family (Israelites) or descendent of Abraham?

Interpretation:

1. What this blessedness Paul is talking about?

2. Is this justification only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? or 9a Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also?

   • Who are these circumcised and uncircumcised represent?

   • How Abraham was accounted for righteousness?

   • Does Abraham justified while he was circumcised or uncircumcised? or 10a How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised?

3. What did Abraham receive?

   • What is the sign of  circumcision?

   • What is seal of the righteousness of the faith?

4. 
   

5. When did God justify and request Abraham to circumcise? or When did Abraham receive the sign of circumcision, and the seal of the righteousness of the faith?

   • Did God justify Abraham before He requested him to circumcise?

6. What does this "justification before circumcision" made Abraham to be?

7. Does not Abraham the father of circumcised?

8. In what basis circumcised become descendent of Abraham?

9. Why Paul was emphasizing this justification while Abraham was uncircumcised?

10. Summary:

Application:

1. Is this circumcision still applicable or necessary now?

2. Why circumcision is not necessary now?

3. Is there anything similar to circumcision exist in Christianity?

4. What you learn from the sign and the seal that Abraham received?

All those (both circumcised and uncircumcised) who have faith like Abraham will inherit all Abraham's promises when they have faith in God:
13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

Observation:

1. To whom the promise "he would be the heir of the world" was given?

2. What happens if those who keep the law inherit this world? or What happens if those who are of the law become heirs of the world?

3. Why those who keep the law cannot obtain the promise "he would be the heir of the world"? or Why those who keep the law cannot inherit this world?

4. How to obtain the promise "he would be the heir of the world"?

Interpretation:

1. To whom the promise "he would be the heir of the world" was given?

   • What is heir?

   • What does "heir of the world" mean?

   • From where Paul is quoting this promise?

   • Did Abraham receive this promise by keeping the Law?

     • Did Abraham justify before the law was given?

     • Did Abraham receive this promise before the law was given?

     • Did Abraham receive this promise before he was justified?

     • Is this a conditional promise?

     • What happens if those who keep the law inherit this world? or What happens if those who are of the law become heirs of the world?

       1. Why faith made void?

       2. Why promise made of no effect?

2. Why those who keep the law cannot obtain the promise "he would be the heir of the world"? or Why those who keep the law cannot inherit this world?

   • What is transgression?

   • Why the law brings wrath?

   • What it means "where there is no law there is no transgression"?

   • Does Paul teaching lawlessness?

   • Why then Paul say, where there is no law there is no transgression?

3. Didn't God give this world to Adam and asked him to subdue it? Is it not belong to us already? Why then God promised us this again through Abraham?

4. How to obtain the promise "he would be the heir of the world"?

5. How to fulfill the promise "he would be the heir of the world"? or How to inherit this world?

Application:

Abraham's Faith demonstrated:
17 (as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed--God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be." 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness." 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

Observation:

1. Who has made Abraham the father of many nations?

2. In what basis did Abraham become the father of many nations? or How did Abraham become the father of many nations?

3. What kind of God did Abraham believe in?

4. How did Abraham demonstrate this saving faith (nature of faith) in his life?

5. What does such a faith do to Abraham?

6. Is this imputed/accounted righteousness limited to Abraham alone?

7. What did God really want us to put our faith in?

Interpretation:

1. Who has made Abraham the father of many nations?

2. In what basis did Abraham become the father of many nations? or How did Abraham become the father of many nations?

   1. What does "contrary to hope, in hope believed" mean?

   2. What did Abraham believe in?

3. What kind of faith did Abraham have that accounts Abraham for righteousness?

4. How did Abraham demonstrate this saving faith (nature of faith) in his life?

   1.  

      • Why did God delay to fulfill His promise to Abraham?

      • Is Isaac's birth the same as Jesus birth?

   2.  

      • What does waver mean?

      • What causes this waver?

      • What did God say about this waver?

      • How will God helps us?

   3.  

      • What does strengthened in faith mean?

        • Does this mean that we initially start with 30% faith and eventually we grow/strengthened in faith to reach 100% faith?

      • How do we need to be strengthened in faith?

      • Does Paul also mean Strengthened by faith?

      • What is strengthened by faith means?

      • How we need to be strengthened in faith?

   4.  

      • Is your God too small?

5. Did Abraham's faith produced fruits/works?

6. Did Abraham fulfill the promise by putting his efforts as a result of his faith? or Does this mean that Abraham fulfilled the promise by putting his efforts?

7. How will God fulfill the promise that He gave to us?

8. Application:

   1. Do you have faith like Abraham?

   2. Compare your faith with Abraham's faith.

1. What does such a faith do to Abraham?

2. Is this imputed/accounted righteousness limited to Abraham alone?

3. What did God really want us to put our faith in?

   • Is Jesus resurrection is as important as His death on the cross?

   • Why Jesus resurrection is so important?

4. What kind of faith does God never acknowledge?

5. Who imputes/declares God's righteousness to those who put their faith in the almighty God?

6. What kind of God did Abraham believe in?

   • What does "gives life to the dead" mean?

     • What attribute of God this "gives life to the dead" refers to?

     • Whom are all God gives life from the dead? or What are all the ways God gives life to the dead?

   • What does "calls those things which do not exist as though they did" mean?

     • What attribute of God this "calls those things which do not exist as though they did" refers to?

Application:

• What are all the ways God gives life to the dead?