Romans 4 | |
---|---|
Book | Epistle to the Romans |
Category | Pauline epistles |
Christian Bible part | New Testament |
Order in the Christian part | 6 |
Romans 4 is the fourth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle, while he was in Corinth in the mid-50s AD,[1] with the help of an amanuensis (secretary), Tertius, who adds his own greeting in Romans 16:22.[2] The focus of this chapter is on Abraham, whose faith "was accounted (or imputed) to him for righteousness" (Romans 4:3). The Geneva Bible's chapter summary states that "ten times in the chapter [Paul] beateth upon this word, Imputation.[3]
The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 25 verses.
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness."
— Romans 4:3, English Standard Version[6]
Heinrich Meyer explains that the citation from Genesis 15:6[7] ("he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness") is quoted according to the Septuagint (LXX), which renders the active וְיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ, wa-yaḥ-shə-ḇe-hā, 'and he counted it'[8][9] by the passive και ελογισθη, kai elogisthe, 'and it was accounted'.[10] Paul quotes the same verse in the same way in Galatians 3:6. Meyer also disputes the charge from theologian Leopold Immanuel Rückert that Paul "made an unwarrantable use of the passage for his purpose",[11] because here Paul definitely understood δικαιοσύνη[12] "in the dogmatic sense", justifiable in doing so, since "the imputation of faith as צְדָקָה, tsə-ḏā-qāh, 'for righteousness'[9] was essentially the same judicial act which takes place at the justification of Christians".[10]