The Meaning of Romans 4:16 Explained

Romans 4:16

KJV: Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

YLT: Because of this it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, for the promise being sure to all the seed, not to that which is of the law only, but also to that which is of the faith of Abraham,

Darby: Therefore it is on the principle of faith, that it might be according to grace, in order to the promise being sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of Abraham's faith, who is father of us all,

ASV: For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore  [it is] of  faith,  that  [it might be] by  grace;  to the end  the promise  might be  sure  to all  the seed;  not  to that only  which is of  the law,  but  to that also  which is of  the faith  of Abraham;  who  is  the father  of us  all, 

What does Romans 4:16 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This verse summarizes the thought of Romans 4:13-15. God gave His promise to make Abraham the father of many nations ( Romans 4:13) unconditionally ("in accordance with grace") after the patriarch stood justified. Abraham obtained the promise simply by believing it (i.e, by faith), not by keeping the law. This is the only way that the realization of what God had promised could be certain. This part of Paul"s argument therefore further exalts faith as the only method of justification. [1]
"Faith is helplessness reaching out in total dependence upon God." [2]

Context Summary

Romans 4:16-25 - Following Abraham In Faith In God
Notice the remarkable alteration made by the r.v. in Romans 4:19. The a.v. suggests that Abraham refused to consider the physical disabilities which seemed to make the fulfillment of God's promise impossible; the r.v. says that he looked them all quietly in the face, as though taking into account all their significance and force. Then he looked to the promise; and after balancing one against the other, he decided absolutely and confidently that the Word of God must stand, however great and forbidding the difficulties in the way. He was fully persuaded that what God had promised he was able to perform.
Let us remember, then, that from the time we trust Christ-whatever may have been our present frailties and temptations-we are reckoned as righteous in the sight of God. Yes, and in addition, we may count on absolute deliverance from the power of sin. Do not look down, brooding over your weakness! Do not look back upon your past, strewn with failure! Look up to the living Christ! All the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ Jesus, 2 Corinthians 1:20. [source]

Chapter Summary: Romans 4

1  Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness;
10  before he was circumcised
13  By faith only he and his seed received the promise
16  Abraham is the father of all who believe
24  Our faith also shall be credited to us as righteousness

Greek Commentary for Romans 4:16

Of faith [εκ πιστεως]
As the source. [source]
According to grace [κατα χαριν]
As the pattern. To the end that (εις το ειναι — eis to einai). Purpose again as in Romans 4:11. Sure Stable, fast, firm. Old adjective from βαινω — bainō to walk. Not to that only which is of the law (ου τωι εκ του νομου μονον — ou tōi ek tou nomou monon). Another instance where μονον — monon (see Romans 4:12) seems in the wrong place. Normally the order would be, ου μονον τωι εκ του νομου αλλα και κτλ — ou monon tōi ek tou nomouclass="translit"> alla kai ktl f0). [source]
To the end that [εις το ειναι]
Purpose again as in Romans 4:11. [source]
Sure [βεβαιαν]
Stable, fast, firm. Old adjective from βαινω — bainō to walk. Not to that only which is of the law (ου τωι εκ του νομου μονον — ou tōi ek tou nomou monon). Another instance where μονον — monon (see Romans 4:12) seems in the wrong place. Normally the order would be, ου μονον τωι εκ του νομου αλλα και κτλ — ou monon tōi ek tou nomouclass="translit"> alla kai ktl f0). [source]
Not to that only which is of the law [ου τωι εκ του νομου μονον]
Another instance where μονον — monon (see Romans 4:12) seems in the wrong place. Normally the order would be, ου μονον τωι εκ του νομου αλλα και κτλ — ou monon tōi ek tou nomouclass="translit"> alla kai ktl f0). [source]
Sure [βεβαίαν]
Stable, valid, something realized, the opposite of made of none effect, Romans 4:14. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 4:16

Romans 15:9 And that the Gentiles might praise [τα δε ετνη δοχασαι]
Coordinate with βεβαιωσαι — bebaiōsai and εις το — eis to to be repeated with τα ετνη — ta ethnē the accusative of general reference and τον τεον — ton theon the object of δοχασαι — doxasai Thus the Gentiles were called through the promise to the Jews in the covenant with Abraham (Romans 4:11., Romans 4:16.). Salvation is of the Jews. Paul proves his position by a chain of quotations from the O.T., the one in Romans 15:9 from Psalm 18:50. For εχομολογεω — exomologeō see note on Romans 14:11. [source]
Galatians 5:4 Ye are fallen from grace [τῆς χἁριτος ἐξεπέσατε]
For a similar phrase see 2 Peter 3:17. Having put yourselves under the economy of salvation by law, you have fallen out of the economy of salvation by the grace of Christ. Paul's declarations are aimed at the Judaisers, who taught that the Christian economy was to be joined with the legal. His point is that the two are mutually exclusive. Comp. Romans 4:4, Romans 4:5, Romans 4:14, Romans 4:16. The verb ἐκπίπτειν tofall out, in the literal sense, Acts 12:7; James 1:11. In Class. of seamen thrown ashore, banishment, deprivation of an office, degeneration, of actors being hissed off the stage. [source]
Galatians 3:7 They which are of faith [οἱ ἐκ πίστεως]
Ἑκ πίστεως fromor out of faith, is found with the verb to justify (Romans 3:26, Romans 3:30; Romans 5:1): with other verbs, as live (Romans 1:17); eat (Romans 14:23): with the noun δικαιοσύνη righteousness(Romans 1:17; Romans 9:30; Romans 10:6): with other nouns, as promise (Galatians 3:22), law (Galatians 3:12). For parallels to the phrase οἱ ἐκ πίστεως , see Romans 3:26; Romans 4:16; Romans 14:23; Galatians 3:9. It denotes believers as sprung from, or receiving their spiritual condition from that which specially characterizes them. Comp. οἱ ἐξ ἐριθίας theywho are of faction, Romans 2:8; οἱ ἐκ νόμου theywho are of the law, Romans 4:14; ὁ ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας hewho is of the truth, John 18:37. [source]
Galatians 3:29 Abraham's seed []
As being one with Christ. See Galatians 3:7, Galatians 3:16. In Romans 4Paul shows that Abraham was justified by faith, and was thus constituted the spiritual father of all believers in Christ, whether circumcised or uncircumcised. The purpose of God in making the inheritance of the promise dependent on faith was that the promise might be sure to all the seed. Abraham, he says, is “the father of us all ” (Romans 4:16). This spiritual paternity does away with the current Jewish notion of physical paternity. Physical relationship with Abraham is of no significance in the economy of salvation. The apostle “discovers the basis of Christian universalism in the very life of him in whose person theocratic particularism was founded. He has demonstrated the existence of a time when he represented Gentilism, or, to speak more properly, mankind in general; and it was during this period, when he was not yet a Jew, but simply a man, that he received salvation” (Godet). [source]
Galatians 3:7 The same are sons of Abraham [ουτοι υιοι εισιν Αβρααμ]
“These are.” This is Paul‘s astounding doctrine to Jews that the real sons of Abraham are those who believe as he did, “they which be of faith” (οι εκ πιστεως — hoi ek pisteōs), a common idiom with Paul for this idea (Galatians 3:9; Romans 3:26; Romans 4:16; Romans 14:23), those whose spiritual sonship springs out of (εκ — ek) faith, not out of blood. John the Baptist denounced the Pharisees and Sadducees as vipers though descendants of Abraham (Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7) and Jesus termed the Pharisees children of the devil and not spiritual children of Abraham (not children of God) in John 8:37-44. [source]

What do the individual words in Romans 4:16 mean?

Therefore it [is] of faith that [it may be] according to grace for - to be sure the promise to all the seed not to that the law only but also of [the] of Abraham who is [the] father of all of us
Διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ πίστεως ἵνα κατὰ χάριν εἰς τὸ εἶναι βεβαίαν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν παντὶ τῷ σπέρματι οὐ τῷ τοῦ νόμου μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ Ἀβραάμ ὅς ἐστιν πατὴρ πάντων ἡμῶν

τοῦτο  it  [is] 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
πίστεως  faith 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: πίστις  
Sense: conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it.
ἵνα  that  [it  may  be] 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
κατὰ  according  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: κατά 
Sense: down from, through out.
χάριν  grace 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: χάρις  
Sense: grace.
τὸ  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
εἶναι  to  be 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
βεβαίαν  sure 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: βέβαιος  
Sense: stable, fast, firm.
ἐπαγγελίαν  promise 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἐπαγγελία  
Sense: announcement.
παντὶ  to  all 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
σπέρματι  seed 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: σπέρμα  
Sense: from which a plant germinates.
τῷ  to  that 
Parse: Article, Dative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
νόμου  law 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: νόμος  
Sense: anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command.
μόνον  only 
Parse: Adverb
Root: μόνον  
Sense: only, alone, but.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
ἐκ  of  [the] 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
Ἀβραάμ  of  Abraham 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Ἀβραάμ  
Sense: the son of Terah and the founder of the Jewish nation.
πατὴρ  [the]  father 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: προπάτωρ 
Sense: generator or male ancestor.
πάντων  of  all 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
ἡμῶν  of  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.