Audio commentary on this verse

Note 2 at Rom. 4:10: The time between when God counted Abraham's faith for righteousness and when Abraham was circumcised was over thirteen years. This can be deduced in the following way. The instance where God counted Abraham righteous took place in Genesis 15:6, which was before the birth of Ishmael (Gen. 16:15). Abraham circumcised Ishmael the same day (Gen. 17:26) that he was circumcised, which Genesis 17:25 says took place when Ishmael was thirteen years old. Therefore, the circumcision of Abraham was at least thirteen years and nine months after his justification by faith in Genesis 15:6.

Note 3 at Rom. 4:10: This truth is so simple and obvious that it is amazing that the legalistic Jews had missed it. Paul explains that God said Abraham was righteous (Gen. 15:6) over thirteen years (see note 2 at this verse, p. 763) before he performed the rite of circumcision (see note 2 at Acts 15:1, p. 659). Now if circumcision was necessary for justification with God, as some Jews were advocating, then Abraham could not have been righteous until after the performing of this act. But God Himself said Abraham was righteous. Therefore, the rite of circumcision (or any other act of obedience) cannot be a prerequisite for justification.

In our day, religious people no longer contend that circumcision is essential for salvation, Paul conclusively disproved that. However, many people are still making the same mistake. They have just substituted some other act of holiness for circumcision. They may have changed cars, but they are headed down the same road to the same destination.

For instance, entire denominations are built around the doctrine that water baptism is essential for salvation. There is no disputing that water baptism is a command of Jesus (Mt. 28:19-20) just as circumcision was a command under the Old Testament (Gen. 17:9-14). However, the same logic that Paul uses here to disprove circumcision as a prerequisite to justification can be used to prove that water baptism is not required before a person can be saved (Ex.--Cornelius; see note 9 at Mk. 16:16, p. 564; see note 1 at Acts 10:44, p. 636; see note 4 at Jn. 3:5, p. 94).

Any condition that must be met for salvation, except faith in what Jesus did for us, is error (Rom. 3:28). This is what Paul called "another gospel" or more accurately a perversion of the gospel (Gal. 1:6-7).