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NASB | Romans 4:16 ¶ For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 4:16 ¶ Therefore, [inheriting] the promise depends entirely on faith [that is, confident trust in the unseen God], in order that it may be given as an act of grace [His unmerited favor and mercy], so that the promise will be [legally] guaranteed to all the descendants [of Abraham]--not only for those [Jewish believers] who keep the Law, but also for those [Gentile believers] who share the faith of Abraham, who is the [spiritual] father of us all-- |
Bible Question: Please explain and/or breakdown this particular verse further. |
Bible Answer: To understand this verse we need to understand what the sacred secret or (sacred mystery) is and how it applied to the anointed Christian congregation. The sacred secret was not revealed, for a long time. But it was revealed at the revelation of Jesus coming to the earth and becoming the promised seed of the prophecy in Genesis 3:15, thus answering the question to Satan's question. (Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It says, not: “And to seeds,” as in the case of many such, but as in the case of one: “And to your seed,” who is Christ." (Galatians 3:16). But there was a further revelation of that sacred secret and what it entailed. Up to Jesus' time all faithful servants of God had the hope of a ressurection to life on earth in the future. But now a portion of God's will was revealed in that he was going to make a new creation: " For neither is circumcision anything nor is uncircumcision, but a new creation [is something]. 16 And all those who will walk orderly by this rule of conduct, upon them be peace and mercy, even upon the Israel of God." - Galatians 6:15, 16. This new creation was explained in detail by Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. That it was indeed a sacred secret is evident by the fact he said these words: "This he caused to abound toward us in all wisdom and good sense, 9 in that he made known to us the sacred secret of his will. It is according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself 10 for an administration at the full limit of the appointed times, namely, to gather all things together again in the Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth. [Yes,] in him, 11 in union with whom we were also assigned as heirs, in that we were foreordained according to the purpose of him who operates all things according to the way his will counsels, 12 that we should serve for the praise of his glory, we who have been first to hope in the Christ." - Ephesians 1:8-12. God's original purpose for the nation of Israel was that they would become a nation of kings and preists to his name. (And YOU yourselves will become to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the sons of Israel.” - Exodus 19:6). But the fact that they proved disloyal meant that he would have to reject them and now he would accept non-Jews into the covenant that Jesus had made with his disicples for a kingdom. (But YOU are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession, that YOU should declare abroad the excellencies” of the one that called YOU out of darkness into his wonderful light." - 1 Peter 2:9. So the fulfillment of the Scripture quoted above at Romans 4:6, would be in the fact that the administration that God had created in heaven and the "new creation" he was forming, that is a select group of anointed Christians to rule with him in heaven would both entail Jews, who had the oppertunity first, and then to the gentiles, because the majority of the Jews rejected Jesus. So non-jews, became the real Jews, or the Isreal of God, in that they were not literally circumsied, but they but faith in the God of Abraham, and thus were called to be Abraham's children by reason of faith as Romans 2:28 and 29 points out: "For he is not a Jew who is one on the outside, nor is circumcision that which is on the outside upon the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one on the inside, and [his] circumcision is that of the heart by spirit, and not by a written code. The praise of that one comes, not from men, but from God." Thus to these anointed Christians, whether they be Jew by birth or not, the sacred secret of God was revealed to them, that he was creating a new creation, in that they were given a promise, through the new covenant with Jesus to rule as kings and priests with him in the kingdom of the heavens over the earth. These are the ones referred to in prophecy at Daniel 7:27 where we read: "“‘And the kingdom and the rulership and the grandeur of the kingdoms under all the heavens were given to the people who are the holy ones of the Supreme One." - Daniel 7:27. During the "first resurection", that is the resurrection to spirit life in heaven, and not that on earth, these anointed Christians would rule over mankind: "Happy and holy is anyone having part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years." - Revelation 20:6. These humble and meek humans will help Jesus when he brings his kingdom to earth restore mankind to perfect and bring untold happiness and peace to the earth! (Rev 21:3,4). |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Rom 4:16 | Author | ||
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sheckey | ||
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precjwl | ||
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Victrix |