Romans Chapter 4 Vs. 10

 

Abraham Justified by Faith

How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. Rom 4:10

The chronology of Genesis proves Paul’s case as Abraham was 86 when Ishmael was born. Abraham was 99 when he was circumcised. But God declared him righteous before Ishmael had even been conceived, at least 14 years before Abraham’s circumcision.

All Paul is saying is that Abraham’s faith before he was circumcised was counted as righteousness to him.

1 John 5:1 “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.”

1 John 5:12 “He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

We find in both these Scriptures that it is not whether you are Jew or Gentile, but where you have put your faith (in the Son of God).

Paul asked here whether Abraham’s justification occurred before or after he was circumcised. Answering his own question, Paul stated, It was not after, but before! (The Gr. has lit., “not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.”) Abraham’s age when he was declared righteous (Gen. 15:6) is not stated. But later when Hagar bore him Ishmael, he was 86 (Gen. 16:16). After that, God instructed Abraham to perform the rite of circumcision on all his male descendants as a sign of God’s covenant with him; this was done when Abraham was 99 (Gen. 17:24). Therefore the circumcision of Abraham followed his justification by faith by more than 13 years.