Reading Romans 4 Backwards: Abraham Mirrored in His σπέρμα, Isaac

Abstract

This article argues that the different aspects at play in Rom 4 come together to depict Abraham as a paradigm, mirrored in both the Isaac story and in Ps 31 LXX. Abraham is not only an example of faith but also of how God justifies sinners. Abraham was ungodly, a trait that Paul develops in line with Rom 1,18–3,20 on universal sinfulness. The birth story of Isaac, his physical σπέρμα, illustrates how God makes the impossible possible and how the ungodly are reckoned righteous. Abraham trusts God, who calls into being what does not exist; in so doing, he mirrors the sinner in Ps 31, cited in Rom 4,7–8, who trusts and puts his hope in God.