Romans 4:12

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10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.

11 And ^ahe received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that ^bhe might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also,

12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father ^aAbraham had while still uncircumcised.

The Promise Granted Through Faith

13 For the promise that he would be the ^aheir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14 For ^aif those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect,

15 because ^athe law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be ^aaccording to grace, ^bso that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, ^cwho is the father of us all

17 (as it is written, ^a“I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, ^bwho gives life to the dead and calls those ^cthings which do not exist as though they did;

18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, ^a“So shall your descendants be.”

Commentaries:

Adam Clarke

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Romans 4:12

And the father of circumcision - He is also the head and representative of all the circumcision of all the Jews who walk in the steps of that faith; who seek for justification by faith only, and not by the works of the law; for this was the faith that Abraham had before he received circumcision. For, the covenant being made with Abraham while he was a Gentile, he became the representative of the Gentiles, and they primarily were included in that covenant, and the Jews were brought in only consequentially; but salvation, implying justification by faith, originally belonged to the Gentiles; and, when the Gospel came, they laid hold on this as their original right, having been granted to them by the free mercy of God in their father and representative, Abraham. So that the Jews, to be saved, must come under that Abrahamic covenant, in which the Gentiles are included. This is an unanswerable conclusion, and must, on this point, for ever confound the Jews.

**Other Adam Clarke entries containing Romans 4:12:**

Romans 10:21
Galatians 3:8
Galatians 6:16

<< Romans 4:11

Romans 4:13 >>

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