https://youtu.be/E-H1dVvEovI
In our study of Romans last time we completed Rom 4:11; with the Expanded Translation "In fact he received the ritual mark of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness from the faith (exercised toward Christ) in the status of uncircumcision: that the same one (uncircumcised Abraham) might be a pattern to all who believe during uncircumcision; that God's righteousness might be credited to them."
This verse explains that circumcision is a ritual that memorializes the acquisition of capacity not only potential. The ritual: Abraham received circumcision as a Gentile and became a Jew.
Circumcised Abraham is the pattern for spiritual maturity, just as saved Abraham is the pattern for salvation.
Abraham's circumcision is the sign for his maturity adjustment to God's justice so Abraham is the pattern for salvation and maturity for all believers, Jew and Gentile.
Rom 4:12; "And the father of circumcision to them who are not only of the circumcision" the continuative use of the conjunctive particle "kai" (and), plus the accusative singular of general reference from "pater" (father or pattern) used as the subject then a descriptive genitive of "peritome"(circumcision), "And the father or pattern of circumcision." There is no verb in the Greek It is added in the English.
Plus the dative plural indirect object from the definite article "ho" (the) used as a demonstrative pronoun that emphasizes those believers who achieve maturity adjustment to God's justice.
Plus the negative "ouk" (not) with the prepositional phrase "ek" (from) plus the ablative of "peritome" (circumcision), and the adverb "monon" (only) "to those who are not only from the circumcision."
"but who also walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham, which had being yet uncircumcised." The adversative conjunction "alla" (but) used to set up a contrast between Jew and Gentile.
Plus the present active participle from "stoicheo" (march) "referring to those who advance in the ranks and rows." The definite article "ho" (in the) is the dative of indirect object as well as a dative of advantage.
It is advantageous to keep learning doctrine so we can keep advancing in ranks. Advancing in ranks means you are under authority. All doctrine is learned with positive volition to authority and must be learned from a person with authority.
This is a perfective present tense denoting the continuation of existing results from the consistent daily function of GASP. The active voice: believers who are consistently positive toward doctrine continue to produce the action by advancing.
The participle is circumstantial. It must be noted that this only applies to those who are consistently positive. The word for ranks here is the locative of "ichnos" (footprints or tracks) translated steps in the NASB.
The subject changes from salvation adjustment to God's justice for salvation to maturity adjustment to God's justice for capacity that is what ritual circumcision is a sign for.
The next phrase, "of the faith" is not correctly translated in most English versions. This is the singular ablative of source from the noun "pistis" (faith or doctrine).
The active meaning of "pistis" is (faith); the passive form that used here should be translated (doctrine). So the translation should be "to those who advance in the ranks from the source of doctrine."
Doctrine is the means of advancing. No doctrine means no spiritual advance. "Of our father Abraham" ablative of comparison, correctly translated "like our father Abraham."
"Pater" (father) plus the possessive genitive plural from the personal pronoun "hemeis" (of our) referring to the Jews who knew and understood Abraham's life.
Incorrectly translated as "which he had while uncircumcised." It is actually a simple prepositional phrase with no verbs, "en" (in) plus "akrobustia" (uncircumcision), describing the first 99 years of Abraham's life it so it should be translated "like our father Abraham in uncircumcision."
Expanded Translation Rom 4:12; "And the pattern of circumcision, not only to those from circumcision [Jews], but also to those who advance in the ranks from the source of doctrine, like our father Abraham in uncircumcision."
We see from this that not only did Abraham set the pattern for salvation adjustment to God's justice for salvation as a Gentile in uncircumcision but he also set the pattern for maturity adjustment to God's justice as a Gentile in the status of uncircumcision.
Abraham's faith in Christ is the pattern for salvation adjustment to God's justice. Gen 15:6;
The doctrine resident in Abraham's soul through the function of GASP is the pattern of maturity adjustment to God's justice described in Genesis chapter 17.
Abraham is the pattern for adjustment to God's justice prior to the existence of the Old Testament scripture. Abraham, an uncircumcised Gentile did not became a circumcised Jew until after he had already attained maximum capacity adjustment to God's justice as a Gentile.
Abraham therefore becomes the pattern for both Jews and Gentiles in the adjustments to God's justice. This emphasizes the fact that all blessings from that come directly from God's justice require a predicate or a target.
The predicate or target for all direct blessing from God's justice is the imputation of God's righteousness at the point of salvation.
The conveyance of the greater blessings from God's justice is related to the intake of doctrine into the believer's soul because God's justice can only provide greater blessing as capacity is developed from the function of God's imputed righteousness.
God's integrity must be consistent. This consistency demands compatibility with the function of God's righteousness with God's justice as facets of God's integrity.
There must be no compromise or inconsistency. To avoid compromise and inconsistency a principle becomes axiomatic: God's justice can only directly bless God's righteousness.
Since all blessings from God originate from God's justice and since God's justice cannot bless sinful man it was necessary for God in grace to initiate the process by imputing His own righteousness to sinful man while he was still sinning to be the target for His blessing. Rom 8:3; Rom 5:8;
In the function of God's integrity toward mankind righteousness demands righteousness and justice demands justice
God cannot accept anything less than perfect righteousness and God cannot bless anything less than perfect righteousness. This emphasizes the importance of the imputation of God's righteousness to the believer when they believe in Jesus Christ for salvation.
Faith in Christ is instant adjustment to God's justice for salvation. Continuous and persistent learning of doctrine under the filling ministry of the Holy Spirit and the authority of one's right pastor is the means of attaining maturity adjustment to God's justice.
Remember that God's integrity includes two divine attributes: righteousness, the principle of integrity and justice the function of integrity.
God's justice administers what God's righteousness demands.
Therefore God's justice cannot bless unless the recipient has a righteousness that is equivalent to God's perfect righteousness.
God's justice can only directly bless the possessor of God's perfect righteousness. That means that the basis for God's blessing to mankind is the imputation of God's righteousness to the believer at the instant of salvation adjustment to God's justice.
Therefore imputation and justification must precede all other direct blessings from God's justice. Justification can only occur at the moment of faith in Christ because justification is the result of imputed righteousness at the moment of faith in Christ.
When the believer receives God's imputed righteousness God's justice performs a judicial function known as justification-declaring the believer who is still a sinner to be righteous.
In other words, God recognizes His righteousness as righteous wherever it is found even in a sinful human being.
The possession of God's righteousness through grace imputation at salvation is the prerequisite to all other blessings from God that come directly from God's justice.
With the imputation of God's righteousness and resultant justification all other divine blessings, temporal and eternal, above and beyond ultimate sanctification that were placed in escrow in eternity past are potential.
This potential for blessings or advantages from God's integrity is acquired through the daily function of GASP and results in maximum doctrine resident in the soul as capacity righteousness.
Maximum doctrine resident in the soul also known as maturity adjustment to God's justice is where capacity matches potential resulting in a mature relationship with God's integrity freeing God to convey the escrow blessings.
Maturity status not only results in conveyance of escrow blessings or advantages from God's justice but it also includes the capacity to enjoy those blessings.
Rom 4:13; explains that God's righteousness, not righteousness from keeping the law, is the basis for blessing from God's justice. As we have seen the word order in the Greek is often different, and sometimes significantly different from English translations, this is also case in this verse.