--- title: "Romans 4 - Study King James Bible with cokes commentary on the holy bible" description: "Read Romans 4 with cokes commentary on the holy bible commentary. 1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glo" image: "/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg" url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/romans/4" --- [ Read](/kjv/romans/4)[ Commentary](/study/romans/4)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/romans/4) Audio 1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath *whereof* to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 *Saying*, Blessed *are* they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed *is* the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. 9 *Cometh* this blessedness then upon the circumcision *only*, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which *he had yet* being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which *he had* being *yet* uncircumcised. 13 For the promise, that he should 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 they which are of the law *be* heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, *there is* no transgression. 16 Therefore *it is* of faith, that *it might be* by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, *even* God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. [Romans 3](/study/romans/3) [Romans 5](/study/romans/5) ## Commentary To verse 1 ***[Romans 4:1](/kjv/romans/4/1)*****.*****What shall we then say*****—** In the foregoing chapter the Apostle has proved, that neitherJews nor Gentiles have a right to the blessings of God's peculiar kingdom, otherwise than by grace, which is free to the one, as well as the other. In this chapter he advances to a new argument, admirably adapted to convince the Jew; to shew the believingGentile in a clear light the high value of the mercies freelybestowed upon him in the Gospel, and at the same time to display the wondrous plans of the providence and grace of God. His argument is taken from Abraham's case. Abraham was the father and head of the Jewish nation. God pardoned him through faith, and took him and his seed into his especial covenant, and bestowed upon them many extraordinary blessings above the rest of the world. Thus he was *justified*through faith; and it is evident he was justified not upon the footing of obedience to law, or the rule of right action, but in the only way a sinner can be justified,—by the favour of the Law-giver. Now this is the very same way in which the Gospel saves the believing Gentiles, and gives them a part in the blessings of God's covenant. Why then should the Jews so violently oppose the Gentiles being interested in those blessings?—Especially if it be farther observed, that the believing Gentiles are actually included in the promise made to Abraham, and the covenant established with him; for at the time God entered into covenant with Abraham, he considered him as the head, not of one nation only, but of many nations ([Genesis 17:4](/kjv/genesis/17/4).). *As for me, behold my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be,*with regard to this my covenant, *the father of many,*or *a multitude of nations;*consequently, the covenant being made with Abraham, as the head or father of many nations, all in any nation, who should stand upon the *same religious principle*with him, were his seed, and with him interested in the covenant that God made with him: but *he*stood only upon the footing of *faith*in the mercy of God through the seed of the woman, pardoning his sins and graciously bestowing extraordinary blessings; and upon this footing also the believing Gentiles stand in the Gospel; therefore they are the seed of Abraham, and included in the covenant of promise made to him. Now to all this the Apostle knew very well it would be objected, that it was not *faith alone*which gave Abraham a right to the blessings of the covenant; but his *obedience*to the law of circumcision; which, being peculiar to the Jewish nation, gave *them*also, and them alone, an interest in the Abrahamic covenant: consequently, whoever among the Gentiles would be interested in that covenant, ought to embrace Judaism, and, as the only ground of their right, perform obedience to the law of circumcision, and so come under the obligations to the whole law. With this objection the Apostle introduces his argument, ver. l, 2.; shews that, according to the Scripture account, Abraham was justified by faith, [Romans 4:3-5](/kjv/romans/4/3-5).; explains the nature of that justification by a quotation out of the Psalms, [Romans 4:6-9](/kjv/romans/4/6-9).; proves that Abraham was justified long before he was circumcised, [Romans 4:9-11](/kjv/romans/4/9-11).; that the believing Gentiles are his seed, to whom the promise belongs, as well as to the believing Jews, [Romans 4:12-17](/kjv/romans/4/12-17).; and describes Abraham's faith, in order to explain the faith of the Gospel; Rom 4:17 to the end. See Locke. ***Abraham our father*****—** *Father*is of an extensive and emphatical signification in the Hebrew: amongst other things, it signifies a person who is first in the invention, use, or enjoyment of any thing, with regard to those who imitate him, or derive from him any particular custom or advantage. [Genesis 4:20-21](/kjv/genesis/4/20-21). *Jabal*was the *father of shepherds; Jubal*was the *father of all such as handle the harp and organ.*Abraham is the *father of all them that believe,*Rom 4:11 and the *father of us all,*[Romans 4:16](/kjv/romans/4/16).: namely, as he was the first to whom the grant or promise of extraordinary blessings was made upon his faith, and as all that believe are included in that promise, and are justified in the same way that he was. In this sense the Jew here calls Abraham *our father;*meaning, not only as the Jews were naturally descended, but as they heldall their privileges from him, were included in the promises made to him, and must be justified as he was. Thus we must understand *our father,*to give the Jew's argument its proper sense and force; and this he meant according to his own narrow notion, as if Abraham, in this respect, was father to the Jews only, and to no other people. But the Apostle proves that he was, in this respect,—namely as the head and pattern of justification,—the father of all them that believe, whether Heathens or Jews. The expression, *as pertaining to the flesh,*or *with respect to the flesh,*evidently relates to circumcision, and the obligation it laid upon the Jews: for *in the flesh,—after the flesh,*—or *appertaining to the flesh,*are thus frequently used;—[Galatians 6:12](/kjv/galatians/6/12). [1 Corinthians 10:18](/kjv/1-corinthians/10/18). 2Co 5:16; [2 Corinthians 11:18](/kjv/2-corinthians/11/18). [Philippians 3:3](/kjv/philippians/3/3). This was the Jew's *glorying in the flesh,*and is sufficient to point out the sense of Abraham's *finding*or obtaining, as appertaining to or after the flesh, that whereof he had καυχημα, *to glory.*See chap. Rom 3:27 and on [Romans 2:17](/kjv/romans/2/17). It is what the Jews suppose he procured from God, for his obedience to the law of circumcision, and for answering the peculiar obligations he was thereby brought under; as farther appears from Rom 4:9-12 where, arguing against the Jew's objection started here in the first and second verses, he asks, *How was faith reckoned to Abraham?—when he was in circumcision or uncircumcision?—Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision,*&c. Now as this reason is undoubtedly full to the purpose of the Jew's objection, it confirms, or rather makes necessary, the sense we have given of the phrase before us. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/romans/4#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","width":672,"height":448,"caption":"Real Bible Believers"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/romans/4#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/romans/4","name":"Romans 4 - Study King James Bible with cokes commentary on the holy bible","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/romans/4#primaryimage"},"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"Read Romans 4 with cokes commentary on the holy bible commentary. 1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glo","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/romans/4#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/romans/4"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/romans/4#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","name":"Study Bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible","name":"cokes commentary on the holy bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/romans","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/romans","name":"Romans"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/romans/4","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/cokes-commentary-on-the-holy-bible/romans/4","name":"4"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]} ```