Romans 4:9-10 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.
The key question is from a historical perspective, did God plan salvation for only the descendants of Abraham, the “Jews”? Was there something special about the Jews? How about the many people around the world throughout history who never heard about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Paul argues that there is something that bridges the gap between Jew and Gentile. It is the common experience of faith. Everyone can believe. God’s grace is given to everyone. God historically worked through the Jews to reach the world. Paul shows in this chapter that Gentiles can become part of God’s plan because they can believe just like Abraham. Abraham set the pattern and example for faith. Abraham believed in God’s promises, and because of that, God counted him as righteous. This happened before Abraham was circumcised in Genesis 17. This shows that righteousness is counted through one’s faith and not family heritage or any ritualistic practice like circumcision.
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