Romans 4:9-12
4:10 a God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised! Paul’s point is simple: God’s declaration of Abraham’s righteousness in Gen 15:6 b could not have been based on his circumcision, which happened later (Gen 17 c). This point further demonstrates that God’s acceptance and blessing is a free gift and not earned by works.Summary for Rom 4:11-12: 4:11-12 d When God instituted circumcision, he called it “a sign of the covenant” between himself and Abraham (Gen 17:11 e). The covenant was already in place (Gen 12:1-3 f; 15:1-21 g; 17:1-8 h) even before Abraham was circumcised (Gen 17:9-14 i). This shows that the covenant was based on faith, not circumcision. So Abraham is the spiritual father of all people, whether circumcised (Jews) or uncircumcised (Gentiles), who have the same kind of faith Abraham had—that is, faith in God’s promises (Rom 4:13-25 j).
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