Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the descendants; not to those only who are of the law, but to those also who are of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
All Commentaries on Romans 4:16 Go To Romans 4
Thomas Aquinas
AD 1274
After showing that the promise made to Abraham and his seed was not to be fulfilled through the Law [n. 354], the Apostle now shows that it is to be fulfilled through faith. In regard to this he does three things: first, he shows through what such a promise is to be fulfilled; secondly, in whom it is to be fulfilled, there [v. 16b; n. 361] at to all the seed; 185 thirdly, by whom it is to be fulfilled, there [v. 17b; n. 364] at who gives life to the dead. 360. First, therefore, he concludes to his proposition, as it were by division. For it seems necessary that the promise be fulfilled either by faith or by the Law; but not by the Law, because the promise would be abolished. Hence, he concludes, that is why it depends on faith, if we are to attain the promise of being heirs of the world: "This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith" (1 Jn 5:4). Then he confirms this with a middle term contrary to the one he used above. For it was stated that if justice were from the Law, the promise would be abolished; but if it be from faith, the promise remains solid in virtue of the power of divine grace justifying man through faith. And that is what he says, in order that the promise may be guaranteed and rest not on actions, which can fall short, but on grace, which is infallible: "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Cor 12:9); "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him," namely, Christ, i.e., they are true (2 Cor 1:20). 361. Then when he says to all the seed (v.16b) he shows in whom this promise is fulfilled. First, he proposes what he intends and says that this promise, which is to be thus fulfilled through faith, is guaranteed by grace to all the seed, i.e., to every man who would be in any way descended from Abraham: "Their prosperity will remain with their descendants, and their inheritance to their children’s children" (Si 44:11). 362. Secondly, at not only, he explains what be meant by all the seed. For there is a bodily descendant, as is referred to in Jn (8:33): "We are the descendants of Abraham," and there is a spiritual descendant, as is referred to in Mt (3:9): 186 "God is able from these stones," i.e., from the Gentiles, "to raise up children to Abraham." Only the bodily descendants of Abraham kept the Law, but the spiritual descendants also imitate his faith. Thus, if the promise were solely through the Law, it would be fulfilled not in all the descendants but only in the bodily ones. But because it is fulfilled through faith, which is common to all, it is plain that it is fulfilled in all his descendants. 363. Thirdly, at he is the father, he proves something he had presupposed, namely, that the descendants of Abraham are not only the children of the Law but also the children of faith. He proves this with a text from Scripture. First, he gives its sense, saying, he, name1y, Abraham, is the father of us all, i.e., of all believers, Jew or Gentile: "The purpose was to make him father of all who believe" (Rom 4:11); "Look to Abraham, your father" (Is 51:2). Secondly, he cites the text, saying, as it is written (Gen 17:4), ‘I have made you the father of many nations,’ Another version has, I have appointed you. But it does not change the sense. "Abraham was the great father of a multitude of nations" (Si 44:19). Thirdly, at in the presence of God, he explains what he had said. For "I have made you" seems to imply that something destined to be fulfilled in the distant future had already come to pass. However, things that are future in themselves are present in God’s providence: "Before the universe was created, it was known to him; so it was also after it was finished" (Si 23:20). Accordingly, the Apostle says that the statement, I have made you, should be understood in the presence of God, i.e., in his presence in whom he believed. For Abraham had believed God promising things to come as if he saw them 187 present, because, as is stated in Heb (11:1); "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." 364. Then when he says who gives life to the dead (v. 17b) he shows by whom this promise is to be fulfilled, saying, who, namely, God, gives life to the dead, i.e., the Jews, who were dead in sin for acting against the Law; he vivifies with faith and grace to enable them to rea1ize the promise to Abraham: "As the father raises the dead and gives them life so the Son gives life to whom he will" (Jn 5:21). And calls the things that are not, i.e., he calls the Gentiles to grace as those that are, i.e., as the Jews: "Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people’" (Rom 9:25). He refers to the Gentiles as those that are not, because they were completely estranged from God, and it is stated in 1 Cor (13:2): "If I do not have charity, I am nothing." Consequently, through this call the promise to Abraham is fulfilled even in the Gentiles. 365. Or he calls those that are not refers not to one’s temporal calling but to the call of eternal predestination, because even those who are not, are called and chosen as if they were: "He chose us in him before the foundation of the world" (Eph 1:4). Concerning this call it is stated below (9:11): "Not because of works but because of his call she was told, ‘The elder will serve the younger.’" Or he is calling God’s simple knowledge a call, or the knowledge by which he knows the future as present. This is the way it is taken in Ps 147 (v.4): "He calls the stars by their names." According to this sense, what is said here is mentioned on account of an earlier statement (v.17): in the presence of God in whom he believed. 188 Two things seem to militate against what was said: I have made you the father of many nations. One of these was that Abraham was as good as dead from old age. Against this he says, who gives life to the dead. The other is that those many nations did not exist yet. Against this he says: He calls into existence the things that do not exist. 367. Then [v.18; cf. n. 323] he commends Abraham’s faith. First, he shows the greatness of his faith; secondly, its efficacy or fruit, there [v. 22; n. 377] at This is why it was reckoned. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he shows the greatness of Abraham’s faith as far as the promise of multiplying his descendants is concerned; secondly, in regard to the promise to exalt his descendants, there [v. 20; n. 374] at No distrust made him waver. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he shows that his faith was great; secondly, that it was solid, there [v. 19; n. 370] at He was not weak in faith. 368. In regard to the first he does two things: first, he mentions the greatness of Abraham’s faith, saying, In hope he, namely, Abraham, believed that he should become the father of many nations, but against another hope. Here it should be noted that hope implies a certain expectation of a future good, the certainty being based sometimes on a human or natural cause as in 1 Cor (9:10): "The plowman should plow in hope," or on a divine cause as in Ps 31 (v.1): "In thee, 0 Lord, have I hoped." 189 Therefore, in regard to this good of becoming the father of many nations Abraham had certainty on the part of God promising, but the contrary appeared on the part of natural or human causes. Hence, he says, against the hope of natural and human causes he believed in hope of the divine promise. 369. Secondly, this promise is set out when he says, as he had been told, namely, in Gen (22:17): So shall your descendants be as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the seashore. Both of these are mentioned, because they suggest an uncountable multitude. For as to the stars it is stated in Dt (1:10): "The Lord your God has multiplied you, and you are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude"; as to the grains of sand it is stated in 1kg (4:20): "Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea." Yet a difference between the two can be noted, if the just, who were of Abraham’s seed, be compared to the stars: "Those who turn many to righteousness are like the stars forever and ever" (Dan 12:3) and sinners be compared to the grains of sand, because they are overcome by the waves of the world as of a sea: "I placed the sand as the bound for the sea" (Jer 5:22). 370. Then when he says, he did not weaken, he shows Abraham’s firmness. For as temperance is shown not to be weak, because it is not overcome by strong temptations, so faith is shown not to be weak but strong, because it is not overcome by great difficulties: "Resist him, firm in your faith" (1 Pt 5:9). 371. Secondly (v.19b), he mentions the difficulties from which it is shown that his faith was not weak. 190 First, on the part of Abraham himself when he says, Neither did he consider, namely, to question the promise, his own body, now dead, namely, because the reproductive power in it was slack on account of old age; hence he says, because he was about 100 years old. For "Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born to him" (Gen 21:15) and it was the year before that a son had been promised him: "The Lord said, ‘I will surely return to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife shall have a son’" (Gen l8:l0). 372. But it seems that his body was dead as far as the reproductive power was concerned, because even after Sarah died he took another wife, Keturah, who bore him a number of sons, as is recorded in Gen (25:1). Some answer that the reproductive power in him was dead as far as reproducing from an old woman was concerned, but not as far as reproducing from a young woman. For old men are wont to beget offspring from the young but not from old women, who are less fit for conception. However, it seems better to say that Abraham’s reproductive power was miraculously restored both in regard to Sarah and to all women. 373. Secondly, he mentions difficulty on the part of the wife when he says, nor the dead womb of Sarah, i.e., he does not consider it so as to question the promise. He says, dead, on account of sterility as well as old age. For "it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women" (Gen 18:11). Hence in Is (51:2), where it is written: "Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you," the preceding passage says: "Look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were digged," in order to show the feebleness and frigidity of both. 191 374. Then when he says, concerning the promise of God, be commends Abraham’s faith in the repeated promise that his seed would be exalted. First he mentions the firmness of faith; secondly, the cause of the firmness, there [v. 20b; n. 376] at giving glory to God. 375. First, therefore, he says: concerning the [repeated] promise of God, i.e., the promise that his seed would be exalted or that it would be multiplied, which was repeated: "Look toward heaven and number the stars…So shall your descendants be." (Gen 15:5); "You shall be the father of a multitude of nations" (Gen 17:4); "I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven" (Gen 22:17). Or it can refer to the exaltation of his descendants, because when he had said: "I will multiply your descendants," he added at once: "And your descendants shall possess the gates of their enemies and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Concerning this promise of God no distrust made him waver, i.e., doubt the truth of the divine promise: "He who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind" (Jas 1:6); but he grew strong in his faith, i.e., clung firmly to his belief: "Resist him, firm in your faith" (1 Pt 5:9). 376. Then (v .20c) he gives the reason why Abraham’s faith was firm, for he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God by considering his omnipotence: "Great is his power" (Ps 147:5). Hence he continues: fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised: "Thou hast power to act whenever thou dost choose" (Wis 12:18). 192 From this it is clear that whoever is not firm in faith detracts from God’s glory either in regard to his veracity or his power. 377. Then (v.22b) he commends Abraham’s faith in regard to its effect. First, he mentions the effect it had in him, saying, that is why, namely, because Abraham believed this so firmly, it was reckoned to him as righteousness: "And it was reckoned to him as righteousness" (1 Macc 2:52). 378. Secondly, he shows the effect which his faith had on others. In regard to this he does three things. First, he shows the likeness between the effect it had in him and in others, saying, But the words, ‘It was reckoned to him,’ were written not for his sake alone, so as to make us think that for Abraham alone faith was reckoned as justice, but for ours also. It, name1y, faith, will be reckoned to us as justice: "Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction" (Rom 15:4). Therefore, it was written for him that he might be an example to us, and for us that he might raise our hope for righteousness. 379. Secondly, there at believing in him (v.24b), he shows a likeness in faith. For what was reckoned as justice was Abraham’s faith believing that his body, as good as dead, and the barren womb of Sarah could be vivified for procreating children. It will be reckoned also to us who believe in him that raised from the dead Jesus our Lord and in God the Father, to whom he says in Ps 41 (v.10): "But do thou, 0 lord, be gracious to me and raise me up." And because the power of the Father and of the Son is the same, he also rose by his own power. 193 That this faith justifies is shown below (10:9): "If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." 380. Thirdly, (v. 24c) he assigns the cause why faith in the resurrection of Christ justifies, saying, who, namely, Christ, was put to death [was delivered over] by God the Father: "He did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all" (Rom 8:32), by himself: "He gave himself up for us" (Eph 5:25), by Judas: "He who delivered me to you has the greater sin" (Jn 19:11) and by the Jews: "They will deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked" (Mt 20:19). And raised for our justification, i.e., to justify us by rising: "So that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Rom 6:4). That he was put to death for our sins seems plain from the fact that by his death he merited the remission of our sins, but he did not merit by rising, because in the risen state he was not a pilgrim but one who had arrived.
