Romans 4 Bible study: Abraham believed God

The chapter opens with a question: "What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh?" (4:1). The next verses go on: "For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God." (4:2), and then it asks another question and answers it with words in quotation marks: "For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”" (4:3). Then it speaks of one who works and one who doesn't: "Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed. But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness." (4:4-5). The chapter keeps coming back to the words of 4:3. "For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness." (4:9). And near its end, in quotation marks again: "Therefore it also was “credited to him for righteousness.”" (4:22). Here is what almost everyone misses: in 4:22 the WEB has credited, the English word of Genesis 15:6 itself, "He believed in the LORD, who credited it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6), while 4:3 and 4:9 have accounted. In the Greek of Romans 4 the two are one verb (tap accounted).

Genesis 15:5→leads toRomans 4:16-18

"So your offspring will be", as many as the stars (15:5). Paul quotes the promise, "So will your offspring be" (Romans 4:18), and says the promise is "sure to all the offspring", including those who are "of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all" (Romans 4:16-18).

λογίζομαιlogizomaisay log-EED-zom-ahee

Strong's: "to take an inventory, i.e. estimate (literally or figuratively)". "He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they might be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might also be accounted to them." (4:11). And at the chapter's end: "Therefore it also was “credited to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written that it was accounted to him for his sake alone, but for our sake also, to whom it will be accounted" (4:22-24). This chapter has the verb eleven times (4:3, 4:4, 4:5, 4:6, 4:8, 4:9, 4:10, 4:11, 4:22, 4:23, 4:24), more than any other chapter of the New Testament, and the letter has it 19 times (all counted in RP2018). The section One verb, eleven times sets out the English words the WEB gives it in this chapter. Elsewhere the WEB gives it still other English words, as in Philippians: "think about these things" (Philippians 4:8).