Romans 21: Abram the Ungodly

[Rebbe]

PAUL'S LETTER TO THE ROMAN CHRISTIANS [21]

Analytical Commentary on Romans

ABRAM THE UNGODLY

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Copyright © BRI 2017 All Rights Reserved Worldwide by Les Aron Gosling,
Messianic Lecturer (BRI/IMCF)

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"There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know" , President Harry S.Truman

"There is nothing new except what has been forgotten" , Marie Antoinette

"Truly it has been said that there is nothing new under the sun, for knowledge is revealed and is submerged again, even as a nation rises and falls. Here is a system, tested throughout the ages, but lost again and again by ignorance or prejudice, in the same way that great nations have risen and fallen, and been lost to history beneath the desert sands and in the ocean depths" , Paracelsus

"Nothing is impossible. The word itself says... I'm possible!" , Audrey Hepburn

THE TEXT
"What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For assuming that Abraham was justified by legalistic observances, he has something to boast about, but not when facing God. For what does the scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.' [Genesis 15.6] Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as an undeserved gift but as a legally contracted debt. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. So also David speaks of the spiritual prosperity of those to whom God reckons righteousness irrespective of legalistic observances: 'Spiritually prosperous are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; spiritually prosperous is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.' [Psalm 32.1,2]

"Is this spiritual prosperity, then, pronounced only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We say, 'Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.' How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the attesting sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by trusting while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the ancestor of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, and likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but who also follow the example of the trust that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised.

"For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants [Genesis 15.3,5] through the law but through the righteousness of trusting. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings divine wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on Grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, 'I have appointed you as the father of many nations' [Genesis 17.5]),in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls the things that are not in existence as being in existence. Being beyond hope, on the basis of hope believed that he would become 'the father of many nations', according to what was said, 'So numerous shall your descendants be.' [Genesis 15.5] He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the deadness of Sarah's womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith 'was reckoned to him as righteousness.' [Genesis 15.6] Now the words, 'it was reckoned to him', were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Yeshua our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised because of our justification" (Romans 4.1-25).

Paul's great argument of "Justification by Faith" is constructed on the foundation of Abraham. Paul has argued that God now justifies the ungodly, a proposition which goes right against the Sinai understanding that he who justifies the wicked has created an "abomination." Paul has turned the entire Second Temple Jewish cultic system on its head.

The Jewish authorities would have been aghast that the learned Paul propounded his argument on the foundation of Abraham because in their eyes the Patriarch was a just and righteous individual, and the opposite of what Paul was suggesting. But what was Abraham really like , especially prior to his name change to Abraham?

FATHER ABRAM'S SEX LIFE
When we think of Father Abraham, what do we conjure up? A Godly man of strength and mighty faith. A man obedient to death. One who followed the LORD all the days of his life. Trusting. Leaving Chaldea and all his previous prestigious life behind him in faithful obedience to the Lord. Well, sort of.

SARAI: Before Abraham had his name changed, history informs us that Abram was a ruthless warrior. He pursued life with all it offered without second thoughts , his only goal was an ultimate success as a mighty War Lord with a taste for the finer things of life including the collection of a wide variety of fascinating, beautiful women. Not just ordinary women... princesses. Why princesses? Because Abram was a Prince (Genesis 23.6) , a Blood Royal. And the women who surrounded him?

His first wife was known as Sarai which simply means "Princess." Later, she was known as Sarah. This is a title not a personal name. The title Sarah invokes that of a woman in total command of all she puts her hand forth to achieve in all aspects of life , nothing less than a high priestess. In Hindu mythology she can be identified as Saraisdati (Saraswati) meaning "Lady Sarai." Abram is Brahman. Intriguingly, when God appears before Abram it is in the guise of "El Shaddai" , often translated as "Almighty God" but which in fact actually means "The Many-Breasted One." This, of course, would accord with the matriarchal age that preceded the patriarchal period and which latter aeon has basically extended right down to the present day.

The Jewish historian Josephus informs us that Abram was also a scientist who discovered the truth of the existence of a singular Almighty God and had to ultimately flee from Chaldea because of his promulgation of this great understanding as an educator among the nations of the region. In the Vedic Scriptures and commentaries this God is known as Brahma , the Supreme Soul of the Universe, Creator , after whom the "Father of the Faithful" is called. In the Vedic texts Brahma married his half-sister exactly like Abram.

Sarah was a most exalted figure in ancient history and her fame was widespread throughout the known world. I have insisted for over 40 years that Sarah lived during a time when the world was still largely matriarchal, not patriarchal. The original world, from the dawn of time, was matriarchal following in the footsteps of Eve. This was an age in which Princesses and Queens were also demi-goddesses, or priestesses. We know absolutely that Sarai was both princess and priestess (See, Miki Raver, Listen to Her Voice: Women of the Hebrew Bible, 1998, 35f). Abraham always has deep reverence and respect for Sarai. In fact, Jewish scholars go so far as to say that Abraham was little more than her "consort." It was the more powerful Chaldean princess Sarai who conferred on Abraham the status he enjoyed as a "prince" (Louis Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, Vol.1.,1909, 203ff). Not only so, it is a little known fact that Sarah is called by God "a mother of nations" (Genesis 17.15,16).

KETURAH: I have mentioned Sarai. There was also Keturah who was one of a number of personal concubines. Yes, Abram had wives (plural) and concubines (plural , See Genesis 25.5,6). A concubine was really a mistress or sensual feminine "sex toy" for a man with a huge sexual appetite. That was Abram! He wasn't satisfied with just one woman or even one mistress. He had a number of them and the biblical revelation also mentions children (plural) of whom we know absolutely nothing.

HAGAR: Then there was the Egyptian Hagar the mother of Ishmael, Abraham's firstborn son. In Sanskrit Ishmael is Ish'Mahal , "Great Shiva."

Hagar was the personal assistant to Sarai but that never bothered the Prince. In fact, it was a broadminded Sarai who suggested her husband might have children in a surrogate sense through her handmaid (Genesis 16.1-3). So neat and tidy was their "open" relationship that Sarai actually married Hagar to her husband. So, Hagar became Abraham's second wife and Ishmael was Abraham's first child. But he was not the child of promise. That was to be Isaac, Sarah's first child. In Sanskrit, Isaac/Yitzchak is Ishak'hu or "Friend of Shiva."

Rabbinic authorities are well aware that Hagar was acquired during Sarah's brief stay in Pharaoh's Egyptian court. The following Midrash explains the outcome.

R'Simeon ben Yohai said: "Hagar was Pharaoh's daughter. When Pharaoh saw what was done on Sarah's behalf in his own house, he took his daughter and gave her to Sarah, saying, 'Better let my daughter be a handmaid in this house than a mistress in another house'" [Midrash Rabbah, Genesis 45.1).

Moreover, "Hagar would tell (other women): 'My mistress Sarah is not inwardly what she is outwardly; she appears to be a righteous woman, but she is not. For had she been a righteous woman, (she would have conceived) see how many years have passed without her conceiving, whereas I conceived in one night'" [Midrash Rabbah, Genesis 45.4]

So we have here the background details of the somewhat sketchy Genesis account.

SUSANNAH: We are told by Diodorus Siculus that Horus (who lived at the time of Abraham and who was plotting to kill the patriarch) had a half-sister named So'sannes or Sosanes (See Bibliotheca Historica of Diodorus Siculus, Vol.1, Liber Tercius., 144.13) which is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Susannah. So'sannes was an Assyrian princess and daughter of Ninus ll. Philo Judaeus calls Abraham "a king" who must needs "learn to govern and not to be governed" (On the Migration of Abraham, ll, 8]. Abraham's son by Susannah is named in history and in the Austrian Chronicle as Achaim and from this man the royal house of Austria is descended.  

MASHEK: Another wife of Abraham. Apart from the fact that she was a slave who stemmed originally from Damascus, we know very little about her. It appears from the LXX Genesis 15.2 Eliezer was her son born to Abraham.

ABRAM'S SUPER WEAPON SYSTEM
When we seek to study any aspect of ancient history, we can go to the available records. If they no longer exist we can turn to legends associated with that particular historic personality or event, or we can examine the early mythology associated with them. And on such an admittedly precarious structure we may build an impressive (or, unimpressive) edifice. History, of course, is penned by those who conquer others. To the victors belong the spoils, literally. Despots burn entire libraries and always have done so throughout the centuries. Modern nations largely exclude even the recent records of competitive political ideologies. We will always seek to put ourselves, our nation, our politics in the brightest possible light. Will Durant is quoted as saying, "History is mostly guessing; the rest is prejudice" and the anti-Semite Henry Ford can cry "History is more or less bunk" and both celebrities can be quite correct in such an articulation.

Will Durant went on to say, "History reports that the men who can manage men manage the men who can manage only things, and the men who can manage money manage all" (The Lessons of History). Again, "You can't fool all the people all the time," but "you can fool enough of them to rule a large country" (ibid).

But there remains a fact that cannot be denied when it comes to a documented analysis of history. The further back we travel to the dawn of historical time the more we think we are looking at the last decades of the 20th century and into the 21st!

Frankly, it is only NOW , at the end of the age , that many of the antediluvian texts and Scriptures of various nations can be read with any understanding of what was being conveyed in these ancient manuscripts.

Solomon, the wisest of the kings of Israel agreed. "There is nothing new under the sun" (Ecc 1.4-11).

Consider the following: "The earth is round and it revolves around the sun" (Aniximander c.610-547 BCE)

"The earth is a globe" (Pythagoras  6th century BCE)

The earth travels in an orbit around the sun rotating on its axis at the same time. All the planets spin around the sun. (Aristarchus of Samos 310-230 BCE) This same gentleman promulgated the heliocentric theory eighteen centuries before Copernicus.

"The earth spins on its axis once in 24 hours" (Heraclides of Pontus 4th century BCE)

"Our Brahmins believe the earth to be a sphere" (King Chandragupta Maurya 302 BCE)

The Indian classics speak of aircraft and their knowledge indicates manned flying craft in a prehistory of aviation.  

The Mahabharata describes in detail nuclear warfare and the destruction wrought by monstrous death weapons thousands of years in the past.

Democritus worked out atomic theory 2500 years before Rutherford.

Penicillin was utilised by the Egyptians 4000 years before Fleming.

Space travel was described by the ancient Chinese 5000 years prior to our own Apollo flights.

And the list goes on... almost endlessly. There can be little doubt we Earthlings have been devolving over the last 6000 years, more than evolving.

In the days of the black tyrant Nimrod (Tammuz/Osiris) and the Tower of Babel God had said, "Now nothing will be restrained from [human beings] which they have imagined to do" (Genesis 11.6).

Jewish legends tell us that Nimrod was still alive in the days of Abraham, and that Horus (Gilgamesh) the son of Nimrod, had attempted to assassinate the "Father of the Faithful." Nimrod and Horus wanted to wipe out the Abrahamic line completely. Cutting a very long story short, war was finally declared as Nimrod invaded Abrahamic territory in Chaldea. But this was not a period, incidentally, of Arab-style war lords riding on donkeys and camels and wielding swords and screaming "Allahu Akbar!" at each other. Rather humankind had developed technological weapons of mass destruction and the further back we go in our reading of the literature and carvings of that time period the more we are convinced that there is a monumental gap between our accepted scholastic consensus theories on the history of humankind and the obvious alternative reality that stares us starkly and plainly in the face.

Abram's response to the nvasion by the Nimrod-Horus Alliance was to call down from the skies an "immense sun-darkening cloud of gnats which proceeded to devour Nimrod's [troops] to the very bones" (Lewis Spence, Myths & Legends of Babylonia & Assyria, 1916, 2010, 53; cf H. Polano, The Talmud, 1876). The descriptions given during this nuclear holocaust are identical to eye-witness reports of the dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. (I will have more to share on this dark period of man's history in another series of lectures.) Suffice to say, Abram never flinched when it came to the taking of human life. Consider his immediate obedience when the "Sky Man" Yeho'vah demanded he take his firstborn son , the son of promise through Sarah , to Mount Moriah and there to slash his throat in a bloody sacrifice to him. Make no mistake, this action gave Sarah a coronary and she died of a broken heart never knowing that Isaac was spared. Scholar Miki Raver suggests Sarah died of "shock" (op.cit., 38).

But God blessed Abram in a mighty way. First God changed his name to Abraham because he was to be the father of many nations. And in Abraham the entire world would find blessing. The major mystical eastern religions of the world are based on Abraham. Buddhism, Taoism, and Shinto , all are Abrahamic Faiths. It is for this very reason we can locate modern scientific concepts in their ancient holy writings, as well as correlation's in their sacred texts with the teachings of the Kabbalah. Abraham's faith was indeed a universal one. Later Jewish influence on these religions can be seen in admissions even by the present Dalai Lama who perceived Buddhism as itself originating from Judaism. Wandering Jews also heavily influenced Japanese Shinto, called by some scholars "ancient Judaism in modern Asian dress" and "Oriental Judaism."

The great Jewish scholar, Rashi (see Rashi's comments on Gen 25.6 and also Sanhedrin 91a), grasped that Abraham's gifts included "the secret wisdom." He had fled Chaldea for his life, having revolted against Babylonian idolatry, stirring up strife by publishing his monotheistic findings (Judith 5; Jubilees 12; Josephus, Ant., 1.7.1). Josephus records that Abraham the Chaldean scientist was schooled in an astounding "scientific knowledge" and Feldman (Yeshiva University) adds he was "the ideal statesman, possessing skill in persuasion, [and] the power of logical deduction" (Louis H. Feldman, Abraham the Greek Philosopher in Josephus, Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, Vol 99, 1968, 143-156). Indeed, Professor Feldman goes on to state that in contrast to rabbinic portrayals of him, Josephus paints a portrait of Abraham "as distinctly original in his sophisticated inversion of the teleological argument for the existence of G-d, in his broad-mindedness, including a willingness to be converted if defeated in argument, and in his unselfishness in sharing his scientific knowledge with Egyptian philosophers and scientists."

But Abram, until his classic meeting with Yeho'vah, was as carnal as a mule. And THIS was why Paul insisted on using Abram (Abraham) as one for whom "God justifies" as an "ungodly" individual in mammoth need of salvation. And in being justified by faith Abraham became (as the Jews are fond of calling him), "the Father of the Faithful."
 
PAUL'S ARGUMENT DEMOLISHES THE SINAI VIEWS OF ABRAHAM
A far as Paul was concerned, Abram was in dire need of salvation. So he approaches his final arguments concerning "Justification by Faith" from this perspective but, brilliantly, without specific claims of Abram's original lack of righteousness. Paul was a master psychologist , Second Temple style. Small wonder God chose him to be the apostle to the Gentiles, sidelining all Yeshua's chosen representatives.

The Gospel of God as understood by Paul, dispensing justification, takes us all the way back to Abraham. Recall that there was a covenant made between God and the Father of the Faithful to bless all the families and tribes of the earth. (As grasped by a number of universalist authorities, and this Messianic lecturer, the far greater Grace of conciliation goes further back in time to Adam and his offense , see  A.E. Knoch's Concordant Commentary on the New Testament, 1968, 233). Knoch states, "As this gift of justification was first given to Abraham and he is its great example, the apostle takes up his case at length to show its absolutely gracious character."

Gracious righteous character? Indeed. When Yeshua died God's righteousness was manifested. Seven observations can, and must, be made. In essence, these are the seven points Paul has made in his argument thus far concerning the righteousness of God. For our student's meditation purposes...

(1) This righteousness is of God

(2) This righteousness is absolutely apart from the Torah

(3) This righteousness is witnessed to by the Torah

(4) This righteousness of God is manifested

(5) This righteousness is by the faith of Yeshua the Messiah (Greek). It is distressing in a spiritual way to realise that even the great Greek scholar Professor Kenneth Wuest argues , in agreement with church tradition , that "faith IN Jesus Christ" is the same as the "faith OF Jesus Christ." He argues: "'Faith of Jesus Christ' is a common idiom for 'faith in Jesus Christ'" (See his Romans in the Greek New Testament, Vol.1 of Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, 59). Tragic!

(6) This righteousness is unto all and upon all. There needs to be a clarification and qualification at this juncture because "hell-fire" Christians want to believe that while all men are justified at the cross , and we must insist that not all "believers" believe that ALL men were justified at the cross for most insist that only those who choose Christ can be counted as righteous , all must activate that justification at this time or else be damned because of their rejection of such an "offer."

This is predicated on the view that today is the only possible day of salvation.

But this is not the only day of salvation. It is, as attested to by both the Hebrew Scriptures and the Messianic Scriptures, "A DAY of salvation"!

The truth, of course, is that there exists a "Firstfruits" regiment, and ONLY THOSE CALLED BY GOD AT THIS TIME are capable of activating their justification! The rest of the future harvest will activate their own justification during the Great White Throne Judgment in an aeon to come.

(7) This righteousness is now activated on all who believe.

Paul now anticipates the typical Jewish responses to what he has written thus far. And he answers these objections ahead of time , literally. Clearly, Paul realised that his Letter to the Roman Christians would have been read by a much wider audience than those whose addresses were on the envelope, for the Jerusalem rabbinic authorities would have had their scouts in hot pursuit of anything that the controversial Rabbi said or wrote.

And so Paul poses the great question of Romans 4.1. "What shall we say then about Abraham?" The entire verse is often wrongly translated as "What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, has found?"

This is corrected by Greek scholars including Professor Wuest as: "What then shall we say that Abraham our forefather found with reference to the flesh?"

Alva McClain adds, "Paul is using the word flesh to stand for human activity, fleshly activity, works. The Jew, of course, held that justification and salvation must come by the works of the law, and so Paul is going to discuss that point. What has he found? What did he get?"

Well, as I have pointed out in so many previous lectures, Abraham expected (and received) essentially three things for his obedience.

[1] Righteousness. This is the very essence of justification. The justification of God, the righteousness of God.

[2] An Inheritance. "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it" (Genesis 15.7).

[3] Posterity. "And you shall be a father of many nations" (Genesis 17.4).

In Romans 4.3-12 Paul takes up the theme of Abraham's righteousness.

In Romans 4.13-16 Paul takes up the theme of Abraham's inheritance.

In Romans 4.17-21 Paul takes up the theme of Abraham's posterity.

The fourth chapter of Romans then closes with the application of personal implications for those to whom he was writing the letter. And so much of it applies to us today.

ABRAHAM'S RIGHTEOUSNESS
Paul tells us specifically that Abraham received the righteousness of God. We may well ask how he got that righteousness. Paul is direct on the question: He received it by FAITH. "Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness."

McClain is emphatic about the words counted, impute, reckon. He says, "all three of these words are one word in the Greek, not different words."

But you will find if you look at different versions of Paul's letter, that oftentimes all three words are used interchangeably. This confuses the reader. Admits McClain, "The men who translated the King James Version were seeking to produce a good English version, and they thought the translation would become too monotonous if the same word were used too often. The same Greek word is used eleven times. The rendering is either count, impute, or reckon all the way through, which means "to put to one's account, (McClain, Romans: The Gospel of God's Grace 113).

That Greek word is logizomai.

The Jewish objection remains that works have something to do with receiving righteousness, justification. Paul responds with "To him that works not, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness."

McClain recognises that there are two ways to receive your righteousness: someone might give it to you or you might earn it. The rabbis believe you can earn it by the keeping of God's mitzvot. The Messianic rabbi rejects the very idea of earning justification. "If it is a reward for works, it is not from Grace at all, but out of debt" (Romans 4.4).

McClain: "That verse, and especially one phrase in that verse, is without doubt the greatest presentation of free grace and righteousness by faith in all the Word of God. God justifies whom? 'The ungodly.' That is a strong word. He does not merely mean a sinner, but a man whose sin is ungodly. God justifies that kind of man. He declares him righteous and treats him as righteous, and He does it on the ground of faith" (ibid, 114).

McClain: "That was a new thought to the Jews about their father Abraham."

It most certainly was! Abraham , Avraham Avinu , as an ungodly figure justified by faith? Indeed!!

We have already seen how ungodly he was in his role as a war lord and sexual profligate. Recall too that it was not only Sarah who laughed at the heavenly prediction that she would have a son the following year for ABRAHAM LAUGHED SO MUCH HE FELL ON HIS FACE with hysterics. This was not "joy" but utter faithlessness (see Genesis 17.17). He was also cowardly for did he not grant the impression , to save himself from death on more than one occasion (Genesis 12.10-20; Genesis 20) , that his wife Sarai was his sister? Of course, this was only a half-lie (if such there be) as Sarai was a half-sister, the daughter of his father (Genesis 20.12). And she was complicit with him. (It should be admitted that rabbinic authorities in Sanhedrin 69b make the claim that Sarai was actually Iscah Abraham's niece, the daughter of Haran, Abraham's dead brother. This is an attempt to collect brownie points for "righteous" Abe. However, this would then make Abraham an absolute outright liar out of necessity because he definitely referred to her as his "half-sister" and not niece.)

Yet this is not all. "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, unto a land that I will show you; and I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, and you be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you. And in you shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12.1-3).

Quite a covenant (contract)! If Abraham complied with the commandment of God in its three sections, wonderful blessings would be his! And what were those three requirements of God concerning Father Abraham (Avraham avinu)?

Firstly, he had to leave his country which was in the region of Chaldea.

Secondly, he had to depart from his relatives.

Thirdly, he had to renounce his father's house, and all it stood for.

Comments Rashi , the great Jewish rabbinical scholar and commentator , on this section of Abraham's call, "In this land of idol worship thou art not worthy to rear sons to the service of God."

In other words the evil surroundings would contaminate them. The Midrash takes pains to explain that this jettisoning of his past would be for the benefit of all Abraham would meet. "When a flask of balsam is sealed and stored away, its fragrance is not perceptible; but, opened and moved about, its sweet odour is widely diffused." Abraham had "to cut himself adrift from all associations that could possibly hinder his mission" (Pentateuch & Haftorahs, III, Lech Lecha, Chapters XII-XVII, 45).

Abraham is called by Paul "the Father of the faithful" for the period prior to the inauguration of the Mosaic economy. The great Apostle aligns Messianic believers with him. Yet, and here is the point, Abraham was far from obedient to the Lord's command! For, in verses 4 and 5 of chapter 12 it is written, "So Abram departed, as the Lord has spoken to him, and Lot went with him... And Abram took Sarai his wife... and Lot his brother's son."

Not only did Abraham disobey God in regards his nephew Lot, Stephen tells us that when God first called Abraham and told him to depart from his relatives (and thus from his father's idolatrous house) that Terah his father went with his son (Acts 7.2-4).

Not only was this the case, Abraham's life was one huge mistake after another. On the other hand, in an overall sense Abraham was obedient to the heavenly vision. But that obedience was most assuredly an incomplete obedience. Nevertheless, the record states flatly that God did bless Abraham, and in a mighty and wonderful way. It is written, inspired by the Spirit of God, "Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws" (Gen 26.5).

In a word, God was accommodating to Abraham's humanness. But when Abraham believed God "it was counted" THEN, AT THAT TIME, "as righteousness."

God declared the ungodly Abraham righteous.

What a BLESSING for all of us. We were all sinners, dead in sins and transgressions. We who, like Abraham, were ungodly , the whole point of Paul's use of the example of the "father of the faithful" (Avraham avinu) , are declared to be otherwise in the sight of God. We who were sinners and now AS CHRIST, AS THE MASHIACH , righteous in the sight of Anochi I-Source. And, not just declared righteous, but treated as righteous by God in His estimation of us (although we see ourselves as we really are: deplorably carnal and morally sinful).

The JOYFUL fact is that while Christians are forgiven their sins and are washed in Christ's blood , and this is a most wonderful thing indeed , the truth of the matter is that we have gone far beyond forgiveness (or, if you prefer more correctly, "pardon") and we have moved right out of the bounds of ATONEMENT! This may at first be difficult for some of us to grasp, but atonement was an act of a priest who covered the sin of the GUILTY by a blood sacrifice. Like pardon or forgiveness this was the action of one exercising executive clemency under the law (Torah). But we are not under the law (Torah). Rather, JUSTIFICATION stands as a COMPLETE ACQUITTAL from every stain of guilt , in other words the pronouncement (declaration) of a judicial verdict of "not guilty" at all, of anything. Atonement only covers sin from God's sight , it fails to REMOVE it.

Let us therefore not degrade Christ's WORK by referring to it as a mere "atonement" or simple covering of sins. Atonement is surely brought about by the cross of Mashiach but justification is far more a satisfactory station for any of us to experience.

By being declared righteous we are looked upon by God the FatherMother of us all as RIGHTEOUS in God's sight. We are considered righteous and are treated as such. And that righteousness is as if God is looking at each of us and seeing only His Son Yeshua the Messiah , the very image of God. Indeed, as Paul stated further in Ephesians 5.30 we each are members of His Body, and you cannot differentiate His BODY from the Messiah Himself. (Incidentally, if your version includes the words "bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh" please delete these additional ascriptions as they were added later by an uninspired hand who wanted to force the meaning far too literally. The additions have been rejected as spurious by Nestle and also Westcott and Hort.)

Knoch says rightly, "The fact that Abraham was justified while still uncircumcised opens the door of justification to the Uncircumcision [the Gentiles]. They, too, may claim him as their father, for they have the reality of which circumcision was but the outward sign" (Koch, op.cit., 233).

We shall pursue the rest of Romans 4 in our next lecture.

THIS CONCLUDES LECTURE 21

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