James Trimm’s Nazarene Commentary on Romans Chapter 4
4:1 What then are we saying concerning Avraham the patriarch: that he obtained [righteousness] by the flesh?
4:2 For if Avraham by works, was justified, he had boasting, but not toward Eloah.
4:3 For what does the Scripture say? Avraham believed Eloah, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.
As we read in Targum Onkelos to Gen. 15:6 “Avraham believed in the Word of YHWH, and it was reckoned t him as righteousness”.
4:11 For he received circumcision– the sign and the seal of the righteousness of his trust–that was in uncircumcision: that he might become the father to all those who believe from the uncircumcision; that it might be reckoned also to them for righteousness.
Abraham was counted as righteous by his faith, but this led to his circumcision which was the “the sign and the seal of the righteousness of his trust/faith”.
4:12 And the father to the Circumcision: not to those who are from the Circumcision only, but even to those who follow in the footsteps of the trust of the uncircumcision of our father Avraham.
Avraham serves as an example not only to the circumcised but to the uncircumcised as well, since he first came to YHWH while yet uncircumcised, and then became circumcised as the sign and seal of the righteousness of his faith.
4:13 For not by the Torah was the promise [made] to Avraham and to his seed, that he would be heir forever: but by the righteousness of his trust. – “forever” – The Aramaic has )ml(l which is ambiguous and can be understood as either “forever” or “to the world” and which the Greek translator misunderstood to mean “to the world”. but by the righteousness of his trust. (see Gen. 15:3, 5-6).
4:14 For if those who are from the Torah [only] become heirs: trust becomes void, and the promise fails….
4:15 For the Torah [apart from trust] is a worker of wrath: for when there was no Torah, also there was no transgression of the Torah.
4:16 Because of this, we will be justified by trust, which is by favor, and the promise will be sure to all his seed: not to those who are from the Torah only, but also to those who are from the trust of Avraham, who is the father of us all.
4:17 As it is written, I have placed you a father, to a multitude of the Goyim before Eloah in whom you believed: who makes alive the dead, and calls those [things] that are not, as though they are.
The word “only” in verse 14 is implied here by its appearance in the parallel material in verse 16. Also the term “only” or “apart from trust” in verse 15 is also implied from its appearance in the parallel material in verse 16. If one seeks justification though Torah Observance alone, the effort will backfire, just as one who tries to bribe an honest judge will find that his effort backfires.
those who are from the trust of Avraham – It was, according to Targum Onkelos, the Word of YHWH that Abraham trusted in:
And Abraham trusted in the Word [Memra] of YHWH, and He counted it to him for righteousness. (Targum Onkelos Gen. 15:6)
As it is written, I have placed you a father, to a multitude of the Goyim
Neither shall your name any more be called Avram, but your name shall be Avraham: for the father of a multitude of nations have I made you. (Gen. 17:5 HRV)
Abraham was a great father of many people: in glory was there none like unto him; (Sirach 44:19 KJV)
If one has no faith, the Torah only serves the purpose of defining sin, but not of atoning for it. In general keeping with the context of Romans (and Galatians) Paul’s overall subject in Romans is in opposition to false doctrines of earning salvation through Torah observance. This was in keeping with the Pharisaic Judaism of the House of Hillel at the time. As we read in the Mishna:
Antigones of Soko received [Torah] from Simeon the Righteous. He used to say, “Be not like servants who serve their master for the sake of wages, but be like servants who serve their master with no thought of a wage – and let the fear of Heaven be upon you.”(m.Avot 1:3)
Antigones taught that we should observe Torah not as one trying to earn something, but as one who serves a master because he sincerely wants to from inside, out of respect and love for Elohim. He taught that Torah Observance meant nothing unless ones heart was right. Without this inner CHESED, Torah Observance was an empty outer expression, works without faith. This was the foundation of Pharisaic Judaism!
The earliest generations of the Pharisaic movement were known as the Zuggot (pairs). Hillel and Shammai were the last two “pairs” to lead the Pharisee Sanhedrin. The rift between them was so great that Shammai, who was known for his bad temper, forced Hillel to sit and listen to him at the point of his sword, as though he were his student. (b.Shab. 17a) The result was a complete split of Phariseeism into two Houses: The House of Shammai (the stricter school) and the House of Hillel (the less-strict school).
From this point forward the only Pharisee Sanhedrin we know of was led, not by “pairs” but by Hillel’s descendents.
Pharisees at this time polarized into two schools of thought: The School of Shammai and the School of Hillel. The two schools held differing view on many halachic issues and argued throughout the first century. Eventually the School of Hillel prevailed in these arguments and serves as the foundation of modern Rabbinic Judaism. There are also many important connections between the School of Hillel and the ancient sect of the Nazarenes.
Within Rabbinic literature we have record of over 350 disputes between the School of Hillel and the School of Shammai. Generally Shammai gave the stricter interpretation, while Hillels understandings were more relaxed. According to the Zohar (Ra’aya Meheimna 3:245a) The School of Shammai was based on GEVURAH (“severity”) while the School of Hillel was based on CHESED (“grace”/”mercy”).
A classic example of the conflict can be seen in one of the first passages of the Mishna, which records a conflict between the two houses over how to recite the Shema:
The House of Shammai says: In the evening one should recline in order to recite the shema, and in the morning they should stand. As it is written “when you lie down and when you rise up.” (Deuteronomy 6:7) But the House of Hillel says: Everyone may recite the Shema in his own way, as it is written: “And you shall go by the way” (Deuteronomy 7:7) (m.Berachot 1:3)
Note that the House of Shammai were concerned primarily with the outward expression, with whether one was standing or reclining, while the House of Hillel were less concerned with such outward expression and much more concerned with the way in which one recited the Shema, that they made it their own way, that they meant it and walked in it. Note the difference in emphasis of the two houses.
Hillel was more concerned with the inner man, while Shammai was more concerned with the outer man. Hillel was concerned with the Spirit of the Law, while Shammai was more concerned with the Letter of the Law.
This overriding concept of sincerity is also found in the Mishna in tractate Menachot:
“…all are the same, the one who offers much and the one who offers little, on condition that a man will direct his intention to Heaven.” (m.Menachot 13:11)
See notes to 3:20; 4:15
4:18 And without hope, he believed in hope: that he might be a father to a multitude of the Goyim, as it is written that, Thus will be your seed.
4:19 And he was not weak in his trust: considering his dead body that was one hundred years old, and the dead womb of Sarah.
4:20 And he did not doubt the promise of Eloah as [one] lacking trust: but was strong in trust, and gave praise to Eloah.
4:21 And he was convinced, that Eloah was able to fulfill that which He had promised to him.
4:22 Because of this, it was reckoned to him for righteousness.
4:23 And not for his sake only, was this written, that his trust was reckoned for righteousness,
4:24 But also for our sakes, because He is also prepared to reckon [righteousness to] those who had trust in Him, who raised our Adon Yeshua the Messiah from among the dead:
As we read in Targum Onkelos to Gen. 15:6 “Avraham believed in the Word of YHWH, and it was reckoned t him as righteousness”.
See notes to 3:20