https://youtu.be/q4s2V1pe-Pw
In our verse-by-verse study of Romans we are in the middle of Rom 4:16; with the word "eppaggelia" that is translated promise.
Our expanded translation so far "For this reason it is by means of faith, in order that it might be in accordance with grace; that the promise...
"Promise" cannot be the subject of this infinitive without being in the accusative case, so it is the accusative of general reference " ho epaggelia" (the promise).
Wherever the word "epaggelia" and similar words are translated as "promise" it is dealing with a subject immediately. "Promise" infers integrity. When a person makes a promise it is from their integrity.
If they have no integrity the promise is meaningless; if they have integrity the promise is meaningful. A person's promises are no stronger than their integrity.
Promises are cheap; integrity delivers. God's integrity is perfect and He never fails so He always keeps all of His promises so they are certain.
"to all the descendants" - the dative singular indirect object from the adjective "pas" (all) and the noun "sperma" (seed or descendants). To everyone who believes, both Jew and Gentile.
The dative of indirect object indicates the ones in whose interest the promise of salvation is given. It is a dative of advantage that tells us that both Jews and Gentiles who make salvation adjustment to God's justice by believing in Jesus Christ are privileged descendants.
"not only to those who are of the law" the negative particle "ou" (not) is used in the first of two coordinated clauses with the adverb "monon" (only) plus the dative singular indirect object from the definite article "ho" that is used as a demonstrative pronoun to emphasize that not only are the Jews included in the promise of salvation but so is everyone else who believes in Jesus Christ.
Plus the preposition "ek" (from) plus the ablative of "nomos" (law) "from the law." That is, "not only to those from the law (the Jews who were evangelized by studying the law and by hearing the teaching of the law)."
"but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham" the adversative conjunction "alla" (but) sets up a contrast between the Jews with the Mosaic Law and Abraham, the Akadian Gentile, who made salvation adjustment to God's justice when he was a Gentile and lived in Ur.
Abraham was saved as a Gentile in Ur and did not become a Jew until he was 99 years old.
Along with the adjunctive use of "kai" *(also) plus the dative singular indirect object from the definite article "ho" (the), again used to emphasize that Abraham was a Gentile when he was saved.
Then "ek" (from) plus the ablative of "pistis" (faith), plus the nominative singular relative pronoun 'hos" (those) referring to those whose antecedent or father is Abraham.
Next is "pater" ("father or pattern) a predicate nominative, plus the present active indicative from "eimi" (who is). This is a static present for a situation that always exists.
Abraham will always be the pattern for believing. The active voice: Abraham produces the action. The indicative mood is declarative for a dogmatic statement of doctrinal truth.
Abraham is the pattern for all who adjust to God's justice by believing in Jesus Christ.
Next is the genitive masculine plural from "pas" (all) a genitive of reference referring to both Jew and Gentile. The last word in the Greek is the genitive plural of relationship from the personal pronoun "hemeis" (us).
Rom 4:16; Expanded Translation: "For this reason it is by means of faith, in order that it might be in accordance with grace; that the promise of salvation might be valid to all the seed; not only to those from the law, but to those Gentiles from Abraham's faith; who is the pattern with reference to all of us."
This verse reinforces the fact that Abraham is the pattern for salvation adjustment to God's justice through faith in Jesus Christ for everyone.
Abraham is also the pattern for maturity adjustment to God's justice from maximum doctrine resident in the soul.
The link between salvation and maturity is spirituality. Spirituality in the dispensation of the Church is the filling of the Spirit. However, spirituality in Abraham's time was the application of doctrine through faith-rest.
The sentence is interrupted by a parenthesis that emphasizes the missing link between salvation and maturity in verses 17-21.
The parenthesis further emphasizes how Abraham is the pattern for all believers, not only for salvation adjustment to God's justice by faith but also for using faith rest to attain maturity adjustment to God's justice.
The parenthesis is the link just as spirituality is the link between salvation and maturity. It is therefore appropriate that a parenthesis be inserted at this point to explain this.
Spirituality carries the positive believer to the doctrine that links salvation adjustment to God to maturity adjustment to God. Verses 17 and 18 describe Abraham's faith rest that was the link between his salvation and maturity.
Again, faith-rest was the Old Testament system of spirituality the filling of the Spirit is the Church Age system of spirituality.
Rom 4:17; Abraham's maximum adjustment to God's justice is an illustration of capacity or experiential adjustment to God's justice.
The verse starts with documentation with the words translated "as it is written" translated from the adverb of comparison "kathos" (just as) that is used to introduce documentation from the Old Testament Scripture to illustrate a point. Plus the perfect passive indicative from the verb "grapho" (has been written) that means to write.
The perfect tense is a dramatic perfect tense that emphasizes the results of the action of the verb, or the existing state of the canon of the TNACH that we call the Old Testament after its completion. The passive voice means it was a documentary,
In this case the documentary recorded in Gen 17:5, that receives the action of the verb because it was written by Moses under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit, it is a part of the canon of Scripture. The declarative indicative mood states the reality of God's verbal plenary inspiration of Scripture.
We see here that God's integrity provided Abraham with promises and guarantees that became his doctrine and the object of his faith-rest.
Again Faith-rest was the Old Testament system of spirituality in contrast to the filling of the Spirit that is our system of spirituality during the Church Age.
God's justice had provided numerous blessings for Abraham when he attained maturity adjustment to God's justice one special blessing he received was sexual prosperity whereby Abraham would become the source of a new race, and that he would also become the father of many nations.
The promise of an heir was first implied in the second paragraph of the Abrahamic covenant in Gen 12:2. This promise was originally given to Abraham in Ur was reconfirmed to him in the land of Canaan in Gen17: 5; and Gen 22:16-18.
The unfailing promises of God's integrity are taught through the promises made by God's justice in Heb 6:13-15. Abraham's sexual prosperity is also related to circumcision found in Genesis 17. God never gives without first providing the capacity.
Rom 4:17; The Greek conjunction "hoti" that normally means (that) is translated as a "quote" in this passage. "I have made thee a father of many nations" but we must remember that in Gen 17:5 Abraham was not yet the father of many nations, he had Ishmael through Hagar but he was not the heir of the promise because heir of the promise would be Sarah's child Isaac.
"Many nations" requires many children. God gave him this promise from His justice. Since we are dealing with God's justice we definitely have certainty so this begins with the perfect active indicative of the verb "tithemi" (I have made) that means to put, to place, to establish, to appoint, to destine, to make or to decree.
A good translation is "I have appointed" or "I have decreed." This is a consummative perfect tense that not only emphasizes an existing state from a completed action but it also emphasizes the process that was involved in completing the action.
The active voice, God's integrity produces the action of the verb of fulfilling God's promise to Abraham. The indicative mood is declarative; that represents the God's decree from the viewpoint of doctrinal reality.
Plus the accusative singular direct object from the personal pronoun "su" (you) Abraham in the status of maturity adjustment to God's justice plus the double accusative singular direct object from the noun "pater" (father) that refers to Abraham as the founder of the Jewish race and many of the Arab nations.
Next is the objective genitive plural from the adjective "polos" (many) it means "many" in the sense of numerous, and the noun "ethnos" (nations).
This promise does not apply to the progeny of Ishmael, only the progeny of Sarah and Keturah because only the sons of Abraham's sexual prosperity from God's justice are included in the promise.
"in the presence of Him whom he believed" the adverb "katenanti" (in the presence) that is used as an improper preposition with the masculine genitive singular from the relative pronoun "hos" (whom), referring to God, translated "in the presence of Him whom" in the NASB.
Next the aorist active indicative of the verb "pisteuo" (believed) that refers to the function of faith rest. The aorist tense is a constantive aorist that gathers up into one entirety the function of the faith-rest technique of Abraham between salvation and spiritual maturity.
Spirituality is the link, and spirituality in the Old Testament was the function of faith rest so we have gathered up into one entirety every time that Abraham claimed a promise by using faith rest. There were some times when he didn't but he learned to persistently and consistently use faith rest.
As he advanced to spiritual maturity he had maximum function of faith-rest whereby his reality was not in the adverse circumstances of his situation in life but it was characterized by confidence in God's ability to provide blessing and security while he was living in those adverse circumstances.
The active voice: Abraham as growing believer was positive toward the doctrine contained in the promises and as a result produced the action of the verb. The indicative mood is declarative indicating the fact that doctrine resident in Abraham's soul produced the power for his faith to claim impossible promises in impossible circumstances.
The mature Abraham believed the promise of Gen 17:5 when he was sexually dead and in a completely hopeless situation. Doctrine resident in the soul was much more real to Abraham than his years of sexual death.
Doctrine in the soul gave him a viewpoint from God's integrity that was far greater than the reality of his own complete helplessness. "As it stands written, 'I have decreed you a father of many nations, "before Him whom he believed...."
At some time in your life you are going to be in a totally hopeless situation where you are helpless. What we are studying today is how God delivered Abraham so that we can understand what He will do for us when we are in a similar situation.
"Even God, who gives life to the dead" this passage is not about resurrection it is about God delivering us when we are in an impossible situation and helpless to do anything about it.
This is the objective genitive singular of "Theos" (God) the proper name for God, minus the definite article to emphasize the quality of God's integrity that is the source of all blessing to mankind.
Then the present active participle of "zoopoieo" (zoe = life; poieo = make), so we have (gives life or makes life. It means make alive.
The definite article "ho" (the) is used as a relative pronoun referring to God. The present tense is an historical present that goes with the consummative perfect. This is a Greek idiom where a past event is viewed as though it is a present reality.