Answer: The context of Romans 4 is salvation by faith. In 4:17 Paul presents a characterization of God which he directly connects to our own lives in 4:23-25. It is a positive good, meaning that God does not only declare us innocent, but righteous. To call forth from nothing, Isaiah 41:4; 2 Kings 8:1. Passive. father of many nations by carnal generation in the sight of men, but by spiritual cognation in the sight of God. &c.] The passage referred to, is in ( Genesis 17:4 promises of God, and a dependence on him for the fulfilment or that is, he was so, either in the sight of God, who sees not as Romans 4:17New International Version (NIV) 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[a]He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives lifeto the dead and callsinto being things that were not. Footnotes: Romans 4:17Gen. the Jews speaking of the creation say F19. I regard it as having reference to the strong natural improbability of the fulfillment of the prophecy when it was given, arising from the age of Abraham and Sarah, Romans 4:19. (m) Before God, that is by membership in his spiritual family, which has a place before God, and makes us acceptable to God. all things are excluded out of it, as a chicken out of an egg;) and to that which is, and it is established, and to the world, and it is stretched out.''. Proud member
Run from such teaching that is contained the WoF Movement. What he was required to believe being above nature, his faith had to fasten upon God's power to surmount physical incapacity, and call into being what did not then exist. It is one of his prerogatives to give life to the dead (νεκρους nekrous), to raise up those who are in their graves; and a power similar to that, or strongly reminding of that, was manifested in fulfilling the promise to Abraham. What does this verse really mean? Romans 4:17 NLT That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. As it is written I have made thee a father of many nations, &c.] The passage referred to, is in ( Genesis 17:4 Genesis 17:5 ) ; which proves him to be a father not of the Jews only, since they cannot be called "many nations", but of the Gentiles also; and which must be understood in a spiritual sense, for Abraham was the father of them, 5. calleth those things which be not, as though they were; so he called Abraham the father of many nations, when he was not in fact, as if he really was; and the Gentiles his seed and offspring, before they were; and when he comes effectually to call them by his grace, they are represented as "things which are not", whom he called, "to bring to nought things that are", 1 Corinthians 1:28; they were not his people, nor his children, and he called them so, and by his grace made them so, and made them appear to be so; for as in creation so in regeneration, God calls and brings that into being which before was not: and the phrase seems to be an allusion to the creation of all things out of nothing; and it is a Rabbinical one, for so the Jews speaking of the creation say (s). Our study this week is on "How to become a promises believer". Even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were; Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. It contains many false doctrines. But God having made the promise, Abraham believed Him in spite of those obstacles. (1-3) Abraham was not justified by works, but declared righteous through faith. Romans 4:17-21, “As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed-the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Romans 4:17 NKJV (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did. The argument of the apostle is founded in part on the fact that the past tense is used - I have made thee - and that God spoke of a thing as already done, which he had promised or purposed to do. I was reading this verse in Romans, when the Holy Spirit used it to hit me upside the head with the force of baseball bat being swung by Babe Ruth! That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.”. in trespasses and sins; or rather the dead bodies of men at the Romans 4. only, since they cannot be called "many nations", but of the The verb is used in the following senses: 1. Romans 4:17 German Bible Alphabetical: as a and are As being believed calls dead does even exist father gives God have He Him I in into is it life made many nations not of our presence sight that the they things though to were which who whom written you you To summon, Matthew 4:21; Acts 4:18; Acts 24:2. consideration of which is sufficient to engage faith in the nations, 2 Therefore you have f no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. In the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God enacted such a divine characterization. Isaac, who was given up for dead; or the Gentiles, who were dead Romans 1:16(KJV) Verse Thoughts Paul, the servant of Christ Jesus, who was called and set apart to proclaim the gospel of God to Jew and gentile alike, was not ashamed to take the good news of the lowly carpenter, Who died for the sin of the world and rose again the third day - to the sophisticated capital of the Roman empire. Appointed or constituted. Paul uses the example of the patriarch Abraham to show how our relationship with God is based on faith and not the works of the Law. To invite, Matthew 22:3, Matthew 22:9; John 2:2; 1 Corinthians 10:27. before him whom he believed, even God; that is, he was so, either in the sight of God, who sees not as man sees; in his account, he was the father of many nations, long before he really in fact was; or "over against" or "like unto him", as the word may signify: as God was the Father of many nations, so was Abraham, though not in such a sense as he is; and as God is the Father of us all that believe, so was Abraham; there is some little likeness and resemblance in this between them, though not sameness. 2. of all things out of nothing; and it is a Rabbinical one, for so This is still further illustrated in what follows. regeneration, God calls and brings that into being which before He can't enjoy the benefits of … Compare Romans 9:7; Acts 7:5. 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