Abraham Not Justified by Works.

 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 8
"What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; (but not) before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
IN order to get at the meaning of the above passage, we believe that we are to take the phrase "BUT NOT" (αλλ’ ου) as both parenthetical and elliptical: and not only so, but also, as to its connection with the rest of the passage, as anticipative; seeing that its true place, according to the sense, is at the close, not in the body of the sentence: and also that we are to understand it as meaning, "BUT THIS CANNOT BE—THIS IS OUT OF THE QUESTION." The sense is this: "If Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory before God;" in this case the reward would be reckoned not of grace but of debt; but this cannot be—this is out of the question, seeing that Moses, in Gen. 15:66And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6), declares that " he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness;"and also, as the apostle here says, that" to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”