Romans 4 - In Depth Bible Commentaries

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393(...continued)and took a javelin in his hand; 25.8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrustboth of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague wasstopped among the children of Israel. 9 And those who died in the plague were twenty-fourthousand.10 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 11 "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the sonof Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he waszealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal.12 "Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; 13 'and it shall be to him andhis descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealousfor his God, and made atonement [rPEßk;y>w:, “and he covered over”; kai. evxila,sato, “and heappeased”] for the children of Israel.' "14 Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the Midianitewoman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father's house among the Simeonites. 15And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur; he washead of the people of a father's house in Midian.16 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 17 "Harass the Midianites, and attackthem; 18 "for they harassed you with their schemes by which they seduced you in the matterof Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who waskilled in the day of the plague because of Peor."Compare Ben Sirach 45:23-24, which states that “Phineas the son of Eleazar...waszealous in the fear of the Lord, and stood fast, when the people turned away; in the readygoodness of his soul, and made atonement for Israel. Therefore a covenant of peace wasestablished with him, that he should be leader of the sanctuary and of his people...”Abraham’s believing God’s promise, trusting that God would fulfill what he hadpromised, was a right-relationship with God. But so was Phinehas’s “zeal,” as he was filledwith courage to stand up against the evil that was destroying Israel, and bring it to a halt byputting an adulterous couple to death.Traditional theologians (such as Moo) are reluctant to put these two biblical examplestogether, since doing so undermines their contention that “faith alone” is considered a rightrelationship.But the two passages belong side-by-side, since they are talking about the samething. It is a “right-relationship” with God to believe God’s word, and to build one’s future uponit; but it is also a “right-relationship” with God to take God’s opposition to immorality seriously,and be willing to stand up for it in the midst of society, against arrogant evil that is destroyingGod’s people.Both of these–Abraham’s trust, or belief, and Phinehas’ zeal, or courageous actionagainst evil, are considered by God, counted by God, to be “right-relationship” (with God).What do you think?215(continued...)
394 3954.4 Now then, to the one who is working (for wages), the pay is not considered as393(...continued)If we understand the Reformation Theology correctly, such as is represented by Moo inthe present day, it is that Abraham was not in actuality “rightly-related.” It was only God’sgracious willingness to consider Abraham rightly-related, even though he was not, that liesbehind this statement.Moo admits that “The language could suggest that his faith is considered as the‘equivalent’ of righteousness–that God sees Abraham’s faith as itself a ‘righteous’ act, wellpleasing to him. But if we compare other verses in which the same grammatical constructionas is used in Genesis 15:6 occurs, we arrive at a different conclusion. These parallelssuggest that the ‘reckoning’ of Abraham’s faith as righteousness means ‘to account to him arighteousness that does not inherently belong to him.’ Abraham’s response to God’s promiseleads God to ‘reckon’ to him a ‘status’ of righteousness.” (P. 262)What are the other passages that Moo mentions? The first have to do with the offeringof sacrifices in the Levitical ritual, in which the sacrifice is “reckoned” or “counted” to a person’sbenefit. See Leviticus 7:18; Numbers 18:27, 30. What we see in these passages is notsome “legal fiction,” but real offerings–whether of animals, or grain, or money, for whichindividuals are “credited.” <strong>In</strong> a way, the tithe of the priests was a “legal fiction,” since it was tobe credited as grain from the threshing floor, or wine from the wine-press; but it was realmoney!Moo next mentions 2 Samuel 19:20, where Shimei, confessing his sin against David,asks that David consider, or “reckon,” or “regard” him in a different light–since he hasacknowledged his sin, and is asking for forgiveness. He is asking for the same kind of graceand forgiveness which David himself had received from YHWH.Moo mentions Psalm 106:31, but dismisses it saying “God’s ‘reckoning’ Phinehas asrighteous...is a declarative act, not an equivalent compensation or reward for merit.” Thispassage is the only real parallel to Genesis 15:6, and Moo’s dismissal of it simply does not dojustice to it. Phinehas’ action in standing bravely for Israel’s sexual integrity, thereby stoppingthe plague, is in fact declared by God to be “a right-relationship.” It is not a legal or religiousfiction! We simply cannot agree with Moo and the Reformers at this point.394Moo comments that “Verses 4-5, which appeal to the gracious nature of God’s dealingswith his people as support for justification by faith apart from works, are the heart of thisparagraph. <strong>In</strong> this sense, we may characterize 4:1-8 as a kind of ‘commentary’ on 3:27-28.”(P. 259)395The phrase is tw/ | de. evrgazome,nw|, literally “now then to the one working,” but we take thisto mean “now then to the one working (for wages),” since Paul obviously doesn’t mean thatAbraham or other believers do nothing, do not work at all. There are those who work freely,without the expectation of payment–such as parents of children, or those who donate their(continued...)216
Page 1 and 2: ABRAHAM: RIGHT RELATIONSHIP THROUGH
Page 3 and 4: 385 386 387has found? 4.2 For if Ab
Page 5 and 6: 389(...continued)The Book of Jubile
Page 7 and 8: for a right-relationship." 393391(.
Page 9: 393(...continued)he adopted, accord
Page 13 and 14: 398 399 400 401placing trust in the
Page 15 and 16: person whom the God considers (as b
Page 17 and 18: 4074.9 This pronouncement of happin
Page 19 and 20: 411in Abraham as a right-relationsh
Page 21 and 22: 417(...continued)Romans 4:11 (here,
Page 23 and 24: 422father of (those who are) circum
Page 25 and 26: BECOMING STRONG IN TRUST -- AGAINST
Page 27 and 28: 427(...continued)though there is no
Page 29 and 30: 429(...continued)"And YHWH said to
Page 31 and 32: 431 432 433relationship of trust. 4
Page 33 and 34: 434 435has been made worthless, and
Page 35 and 36: 439 440 4414.16 For this reason (it
Page 37 and 38: 450hope, trusted, so that he became
Page 39 and 40: 454 455he considered the body of hi
Page 41 and 42: 457(...continued)express joyful sho
Page 43 and 44: 458(...continued)to die in the dese
Page 45 and 46: 461 462 463is able also to accompli
Page 47 and 48: 468but rather, also for us, to whom
Page 49 and 50: 470(...continued)and he will divide

Romans 4 - In Depth Bible Commentaries

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