In a recent
volume on Luke-Acts, one Reformed author wrote:
First, Romans 4:1-3 discusses how Abraham was
justified and uses the ‘reckoning righteousness’ language of Genesis 15:6 to
explain how he was justified. Reckoning righteousness and justifying are thus
tied together. Second, Romans 4:6-8 describes the blessedness of those to whom
God reckons righteousness. The blessedness in question, for those reckoned
righteous, is the forgiveness and covering of sins. This links justification
with the forgiveness of sins. This does not mean that justification is
exhausted by the forgiveness of sins. (Michael J. Ovey, The Feasts of Repentance: From Luke-Acts to Systematic and Pastoral
Theology [New Studies in Biblical Theology 49; London: Apollos, 2019], 111)
Those
familiar with Rom 4, one will note one glaring omission: the example of David
and how he, not just Abraham, is a prototype of a justified person, notwithstanding the reference to Rom 4:6-8(!):
Just as David (καθάπερ καὶ Δαυὶδ) also speaks of the
blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins
have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into
account." (Rom 4:6-8 NASB)
Paul uses the example of King David from Psa 32, alongside Abraham in
Gen 15:6, as an example of a justified individual. The problem is that the
example of David refutes Reformed
theology as it shows David was justified on more than one occasion! See:
As for Gen
15:6 and the “reckoning” (חשׁב; λογιζομαι) of righteousness, as well as
other issues relating to the nature of justification, see, for e.g.:
This is just
another example of Reformed Protestants, notwithstanding their repeated claims
to believe in “biblical Christianity” explicitly ignoring key passages of holy
writ that refutes their man-made theology.
