Verse:
Romans 4:5
But to him that worketh not, but believeth ( faith / pisteuo ) on him that justifieth ( justify / dikaioo ) the ungodly, his faith ( faith / pistis ) is counted for righteousness ( justify / dikaiosune ).
Commentary by Adam Clarke
But to him that worketh not Source
Which was the case with Abraham, for he was called when he was ungodly, i.e. an idolater; and, on his believing, was freely justified: and, as all men have sinned, none can be justified by works; and, therefore, justification, if it take place at all, must take place in behalf of the ungodly, forasmuch as all mankind are such. Now, as Abraham's state and mode in which he was justified, are the plan and rule according to which God purposes to save men; and as his state was ungodly, and the mode of his justification was by faith in the goodness and mercy of God; and this is precisely the state of Jews and Gentiles at present; there can be no other mode of justification than by faith in that Christ who is Abraham's seed, and in whom, according to the promise, all the nations of the earth are to be blessed.
It is necessary to observe here, in order to prevent confusion and misapprehension, that although the verb ______ has a variety of senses in the New Testament, yet here it is to be taken as implying the pardon of sin; receiving a person into the favour of God. See these different acceptations cited in Clarke's note on "Ro 1:17", and particularly under No. 7. It is also necessary to observe, that our translators render the verb ______ differently in different parts of this chapter. It is rendered counted, Romans 4:3,5; reckoned, Romans 4:4,9,10 ; imputed, Romans 4:6,8,11,22-24. Reckoned is probably the best sense in all these places.
Romans 4:3,5 Romans 4:4,9,10
3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.Romans 4:6,8,11,22-24
4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.
9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.
10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
8 Blessed is the man11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."
23 The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone,
24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
Commentary by Bible Study Forum
John 6:29 Source
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."
Hymn by Charles Wesley
LOVERS of pleasure more than God, Misers, for you his life he paid,
For you he suffered pain;
Swearers, for you he spilt his blood;
And shall he bleed in vain?
The God of love, to earth he came,
Your basest crime he bore:
Drunkards, your sins on him were laid,
That you might sin no more.
Believe in him that died for thee,
That you might come to heaven;
Believe, believe in Jesu's name,
And all your sin's forgiven.
Source
And, sure as he hath died,
Thy debt is paid, thy soul is free,
And thou art justified.
Commentary by Coffman
Romans 4:5 Worketh not ...
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. Believeth on him that justifieth ...
is a reference to one who rests from any thought that he could merit salvation by keeping the law of Moses. It is not a reference to one who will not obey the gospel of Christ. Worketh ... worketh not ...
is a reference to obedient faith, the kind exemplified by Abraham and discussed at length under Rom. 4:3; the fact of obedience not being mentioned is not significant, "believeth" being another example of the synecdoche, in which one of a related group of actions stands for all of them. What is significant is the omission of "only" or "alone" as a qualifier. To him that worketh not ...
in this verse and Rom. 4:4, are terms Paul used to describe "keeping the law perfectly," and "resting from the notion that any such thing is possible." Neither of these terms has any reference to obeying the gospel, and the primary steps of obedience such as repentance and baptism. To understand Paul's teaching, a comparison with James 2 is necessary. Paul was affirming that works cannot justify apart from faith in Jesus Christ; and James was stressing that faith in Jesus Christ cannot save without works. To fail to believe, to exclude either faith, or the work of faith, is to fail of justification. Both James and Paul referred to the example of Abraham to corroborate their teaching. Paul pointed out that Abraham was not justified by the works of the law but by faith. James pointed out that Abraham was not justified by faith only but by the work of faith, a far different thing from works of the law; and the teachings of those two inspired writers harmonize perfectly, as a careful attention to what they REALLY wrote easily shows.
A study of the kinds of works mentioned in the scriptures was made under Rom. 2:6; but the two different classes of works mentioned by Paul and James, to the effect that Abraham was "not justified by works" and "was justified by works" are more plainly separated thus: the forms and ceremonies of the law of Moses are the works of which Paul said a man is not justified by doing them; and the conditions of salvation given through Jesus Christ and the apostles constitute "the work of faith" (2 Thessalonians 1:3), concerning which James said a man is justified by them and not by faith only.Source
is thus a reference to that person who knows that he is not capable of living a life of sufficient holiness to merit eternal life, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ; but who believes in Christ, obeys the gospel, his faith "in Christ" (faith manifested as a member of Christ's body) thereupon being accounted to him as righteousness.
A great deal of the exegesis on this chapter is devoted to a single end, that of removing Christian baptism as a valid precondition of redemption in Christ. The sacred ordinance is belittled and set at naught on the grounds that it is a work of human righteousness, in no way related to salvation. Of course, baptism is, in one sense, a work of faith, a thing commanded by the Head of our holy religion; but in another sense, it is a work of Christ himself. Jesus "made and baptized more disciples than John" (John 4:1); and yet the same passage reveals that it was not Jesus, but his disciples, who were physically baptizing people. The same is true today; Christ baptizes those persons who faithfully submit to the ordinance, even though the physical administration of the ordinance is accomplished by other disciples of the Lord. Thus, any notion that baptism is purely a work of human righteousness is false.Strangely, some who would make a sinner's baptism to be "works," and thus exclude it as a precondition of salvation, are strong to insist that faith is not "works" and the sole condition of salvation; but faith itself is a work of faith, in exactly the same sense as baptism. No less a scholar than Charles Hodge pointed that out. He wrote:
But faith considered as an act, is as much a work as prayer, repentance, almsgiving, or anything of the kind. And it is as much an act of obedience to the law, as the performance of any other duty.
Therefore, if obeying the gospel and being baptized should be classed as "works" in any derogatory sense, then the same thing applies to faith, Christ himself making it a "work." He said, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent" (John 6:29). Thus, of both baptism and faith, the scriptures teach that they are "works" in the sense of being things people must do in order to be saved; and both are, in a higher sense, "the work of God," having originated with God and being commanded of him. Faith and baptism are, therefore, absolute coordinates, a fact that made it possible for Jesus to say, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). All of the apostles so recognized them, as in Hebrews, where faith and baptism are named together as coordinates, each of them being a part of the foundation doctrine of Christianity (Hebrews 6:1-3). In the light of truth, it seems incredible that people should seriously advocate the possibility of being saved by faith only.
Of all the preconditions of entering a covenant relationship with God, these being faith, repentance, confession, baptism (obedience to these conditions bringing the believer into Christ), baptism is less of a work than any of the others. Lipscomb discoursed on that, as follows:
Baptism has fewer of the qualities of a work than either faith or repentance. Faith is an act of the heart, the soul, the inner man - something the man does. It is a work. ... So of repentance. "Believe" and "repent" are both active - both done by the subject. The person baptized gives himself up into the hands of the administrator, and is buried out of self, to be raised up in Christ, and, as a servant of God, to "walk in the light as he is in the light" (1 John 1:7). When a man dies, and his friends take his body and bury it, no one would call it a work of the man buried. This is the true type of him who is baptized. Baptism is a work of God performed upon the man baptized through God's servant to bring him dead in trespasses and sins into the state of life with God. The life is imparted through faith, turns from sin in repentance, and puts off the body of sin in baptism. F5
Further attention to the position of this sacred ordinance in God's scheme of redemption will be given in Romans 6; but here it may be noted that one of the best examples shedding light on this question is that of the man born blind, who was commanded by Jesus to "Go wash in the pool of Siloam" (John 9:7). The blind man obeyed, receiving his eyesight in his act of obedience; and it may be viewed as certain that if he had refused or neglected to obey Jesus' command, he would have died as blind as he was born. The blind man received his eyesight in the pool, but there was no efficacy in the water; and in exactly the same manner, the believer receives forgiveness of sins in his act of being baptized, with no efficacy whatever attributed to the water. Salvation from alien sins is promised upon the word of Jesus thirst in the New Testament thus: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16), instructions that are as simple as "Go wash in the pool of Siloam"; why should people have any trouble understanding either? Why all the allegations of people who should know better that if one accepts the Lord's proposition, he is thereby nullifying salvation by faith? Why all the arrogant assertions that "water cannot save anyone"? There has positively not been anyone born in the current century so stupid as to believe that water washes away sins, or that water saves anybody. If it can be understood that the blind man was given his sight in the pool, with the water having nothing to do with it, it should also be as easily understood that the sinner is saved in the baptismal font, not by the water, but by Jesus Christ our Lord. Such a view as this is the only interpretation that harmonizes with what the scriptures say of Paul's own baptism. The inspired preacher, Ananias, spoke to Paul thus:Also, the blind man did not "earn" his eyesight, any more than the baptized believer "earns" salvation by being baptized.
"Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).
Commentary by Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly
--who, despairing of acceptance with God by "working" for it the work of obedience, does not attempt it. his faith, &c.--
--casts himself upon the mercy of Him that justifieth those who deserve only condemnation.
Source
Commentary by John Gill
Romans 4:5
But to him that worketh not? but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly:
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: his faith is counted for righteousness;
or that ungodly one: particular reference is had to Abraham, who in his state of unregeneracy was an ungodly person; as all God's elect are in a state of nature, and are such when God justifies them, being without a righteousness of their own; wherefore he imputes the righteousness of another, even that of his own Son, unto them: and though he justifies the ungodly, he does not justify their ungodliness, but them from it; nor will he, nor does he leave them to live and die in it; now to him that worketh not, that is perfect righteousness; or has no opportunity of working at all; or what he does, he does not do, that he might be justified by it; but exercises faith on God as justifying persons, who, like himself, are sinners, ungodly and destitute of a righteousness: Source
not the act, but the object of it; which was Abraham's case, and therefore was not justified by works. The Vulgate Latin version here adds, "according to the purpose of the grace of God".
Commentary by John Wesley
But to him that worketh not - It being impossible he should without faith. But believeth, his faith is imputed to him for righteousness - Therefore God's affirming of Abraham, that faith was imputed to him for righteousness, plainly shows that he worked not; or, in other words, that he was not justified by works, but by faith only. Hence we see plainly how groundless that opinion is, that holiness or sanctification is previous to our justification. For the sinner, being first convinced of his sin and danger by the Spirit of God, stands trembling before the awful tribunal of divine justice ; and has nothing to plead, but his own guilt, and the merits of a Mediator. Christ here interposes; justice is satisfied; the sin is remitted, and pardon is applied to the soul, by a divine faith wrought by the Holy Ghost, who then begins the great work of inward sanctification. Thus God justifies the ungodly, and yet remains just, and true to all his attributes! But let none hence presume to "continue in sin;" for to the impenitent, God "is a consuming fire." On him that justifieth the ungodly - If a man could possibly be made holy before he was justified, it would entirely set his justification aside; seeing he could not, in the very nature of the thing, be justified if he were not, at that very time, ungodly.
Source
Commentary by Matthew Henry
III. If he had been justified by faith, the reward would have been of debt, and not of grace, which is not to be imagined. This is his argument (v. 4, 5): Abraham's reward was God himself; so he had told him but just before (Gen 15:1), I am thy exceeding great reward. Now, if Abraham had merited this by the perfection of his obedience, it had not been an act of grace in God, but Abraham might have demanded it with as much confidence as ever any labourer in the vineyard demanded the penny he had earned. But this cannot be; it is impossible for man, much more guilty man, to make God a debtor to him, Rom 11:35. No, God will have free grace to have all the glory, grace for grace's sake, John 1:16. And therefore to him that worketh not--that can pretend to no such merit, nor show any worth or value in his work, which may answer such a reward, but disclaiming any such pretension casts himself wholly upon the free grace of God in Christ, by a lively, active, obedient faith--to such a one faith is counted for righteousness, is accepted of God as the qualification required in all those that shall be pardoned and saved. Him that justifieth the ungodly, that is, him that was before ungodly. His former ungodliness was no bar to his justification upon his believing: ton asebe--that ungodly one, that is, Abraham, who, before his conversion, it should seem, was carried down the stream of the Chaldean idolatry, Josh 24:2. No room therefore is left for despair; though God clears not the impenitent guilty, yet through Christ he justifies the ungodly.
IV. He further illustrates this by a passage out of the Psalms, where David speaks of the remission of sins, the prime branch of justification, as constituting the happiness and blessedness of a man, pronouncing blessed, not the man who has no sin, or none which deserved death (for then, while man is so sinful, and God so righteous, where would be the blessed man?) but the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin, who though he cannot plead, Not guilty, pleads the act of indemnity, and his plea is allowed. It is quoted from Psalm 32:1, 2, where observe,Scripture Reference
1. The nature of forgiveness. It is the remission of a debt or a crime; it is the covering of sin, as a filthy thing, as the nakedness and shame of the soul. God is said to cast sin behind his back, to hide his face from it, which, and the like expressions, imply that the ground of our blessedness is not our innocency, or our not having sinned (a thing is, and is filthy, though covered; justification does not make the sin not to have been, or not to have been sin), but God's not laying it to our charge, as it follows here: it is God's not imputing sin (v. 8), which makes it wholly a gracious act of God, not dealing with us in strict justice as we have deserved, not entering into judgment, not marking iniquities, all which being purely acts of grace, the acceptance and the reward cannot be expected as debts; and therefore Paul infers (v. 6) that it is the imputing of righteousness without works.
2. The blessedness of it: Blessed are they. When it is said, Blessed are the undefiled in the way, blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, &c., the design is to show the characters of those that are blessed; but when it is said, Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, the design is to show what that blessedness is, and what the ground and foundation of it. Pardoned people are the only blessed people. The sentiments of the world are, Those are happy that have a clear estate, and are out of debt to man; but the sentence of the word is, Those are happy that have their debts to God discharged. O how much therefore is it our interest to make it sure to ourselves that our sins are pardoned! For this is the foundation of all other benefits. So and so I will do for them; for I will be merciful, Heb 8:12.Source
Gen 15:1 John 1:16
1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:
"Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward. "
Rom 11:35
16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. Josh 24:2
35 "Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"Psalm 32:1, 2
2 Joshua said to all the people, "This is what the LORD , the God of Israel, says: 'Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River and worshiped other gods. Heb 8:12
1 Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the man
whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more."
That justifieth the ungodly (ton dikaiounta ton asebh). The impious, irreverent man. See Luke 1:25. A forensic figure (Shedd). The man is taken as he is and pardoned. "The whole Pauline gospel could be summed up in this one word-- God who justifies the ungodly" (Denney).
Luke 1:25Source
25 "The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."
About Commentary Authors
Prepared by William C. Barman for George Young Memorial United Methodist Church -- Palm Harbor, FL on 9/25/03; 5:23:03 PM