And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, so that he would become the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised, that they too could have righteousness credited to them. And he is also the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised.
Romans 4:11-12 NET
Abraham is a key figure in the story of redemption. God called him to leave his home and family and make his home in a new land (Gen. 12:1-5). And Abraham went. God made several promises to him, including offspring as countless as the stars (Gen. 15:5). Abraham believed the promises God made to him, and his belief was credited to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6).
Who were these offspring promised to Abraham? Throughout the Old Testament, they are largely considered his physical descendants through his grandson Jacob. And Paul, before encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus, would have agreed. But no longer.
Abraham Is the Father of All Who Believe
In this fourth chapter of Romans, Paul argues that Abraham is the father of all who follow his example of faith. He also identifies two groups of people who can claim him as their father. The first are the Gentiles—the uncircumcised—who have believed in the Lord Jesus.
The second group who can rightly claim Abraham as their father are the Jews, those who have been circumcised. But not all of them. He is the father only of those who walk in his footsteps of faith—those who have believed in the Lord Jesus.
Paul’s argument here is that since Abraham was credited with righteousness before he was circumcised, then circumcision is not needed to be considered righteous. What is required is faith. And all who have faith, whether Jew or Gentile, are regarded as heirs of Abraham and the promises made to him (Rom. 4:13).
Paul is not trying to say that the Jews, Abraham’s physical descendants, have no further part to play in God’s redemptive plan for humanity. But he is telling us that the righteousness that God gives is through faith. It does not matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile. Only through faith in the Lord Jesus will you be justified and experience the Lord’s salvation.
