For if Abraham were justified by works, he has something in which to boast; but not before God.
All Commentaries on Romans 4:2 Go To Romans 4
John Chrysostom
AD 407
For someone to be justified by faith if he had no works was unusual. But for one who had plenty of good works to delight in being justified not by works but by faith—that was something to cause amazement. It put the power of faith in a new light. What Paul is saying here is not plain, and so it is necessary to make it clearer. There are two kinds of boasting—one of works and one of faith…. Paul’s great strength is particularly displayed in this, that he turns the objection around and shows that what seemed to favor the idea of salvation by works (viz., boasting) belonged much more truly to salvation by faith. For the man who boasts in his works is boasting about himself, but the man who finds his honor in having faith in God has a much better reason for boasting, because he is boasting about God, not about himself. … To abstain from stealing or murder is a minor accomplishment compared to believing that God can do the impossible…. The believer boasts not only because he sincerely loves God but also because he has received great honor and love from him.
