In his commentary on Romans, Reformed theologian John Murray wrote the
following about Rom 4 and Paul’s use of Gen 15:6, as well as Psa 106:31 which uses similar language of Phinehas as it does for Abraham:
In the Hebrew Genesis
15:6 is as follows: “And he [Abraham] believed in the Lord, and he reckoned it
to him righteousness”. The formula is similar to that used in the case of
Phinehas in reference to his zeal for the Lord: “And it was reckoned to him for
righteousness to all generations for ever” (Psalm 106:31). Here need be no
question it was the zealous act of Phinehas that was reckoned to him for
righteousness, and the formula in Genesis 15:6 both from its own terms and from
the analogy of Psalm 106:31 is to be interpreted similarly, namely, that God
reckoned Abraham’s faith to him for righteousness. Paul’s quotation here (cf. also vss. 9, 22, 23; Gal. 3:6) is to
be interpreted likewise. Verse 9 is explicit to the effect that “faith” was
reckoned for righteousness. And the word “reckoned” here, as in the Hebrew,
means that it was placed to his account, it was imputed to him. And the
implication is that the corresponding results followed upon this imputation.
We must, however,
recognize the difference between the two cases (Gen. 15:6 and Psalm 106:31). In
the case of Phinehas it is an act of righteous zeal on his part; it is a deed.
He was credited with the devotion which his faith in God produced—righteousness
in the ethical and religious sense. But that which he was reckoned to Abraham
is of a very different sort. In Paul’s interpretation and application of
Genesis 15:6 this becomes quite patent. Paul could not have appealed to Psalm
106:31 in this connection without violating while whole argument. For if he had
appealed to Psalm 106:31 in the matter of justification,
the justification of the ungodly (cf.
vs. 5), then the case of Phinehas would have provided an inherent contradiction
and would have demonstrated justification
by a righteous and zealous act. Though then the formula in Genesis 15:6 is
similar to that of Psalm 106:31, the subjects with which they deal are diverse.
Genesis 15:6 is dealing with justification,
as Paul shows; Psalm 106:31 is dealing with the good works which were the fruit
of faith. This distinction must be kept in view in the interpretation of
Genesis 15:6, particularly as applied by Paul in this chapter. (John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans: The English Text
with Introduction, Exposition and Notes, Volume 1 Chapters 1 to 8 [Grand
Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1959], 130-31)
In my article Response
to a Recent Attempt to Defend Imputed Righteousness I discuss Psalm 106:31
and Phinehas, and reproduce Robert Sungenis’ devastating response to Murray’s
commentaries (which are fueled more by dogma than exegesis) under the section, “Does
the use of Gen 15:6 in Rom 4 teach Imputation and Sola Fide?”
Notwithstanding, I decided to reproduce Murray’s comments in the above
for these two reasons:
(1) Note how, for Murray, Phinehas is said to have righteousness
reckoned unto him as a result of “his zeal for the Lord” and his “act of righteous
zeal on his part . . .He was credited with the devotion which his faith in God
produced—righteousness in the ethical and religious sense.” This refutes the naïve
(and eisegetical) appeal to Isa 64:6 by many of Murray’s co-religionists.
(2) For Murray, Gen 15:6 must
be the first time Abraham was justified, for if it was not, he was not as
ungodly as Phinehas was, for Phinehas, when he engaged in his deed, was in a
justified state. Notwithstanding, the New Testament refutes the common Reformed belief Gen 15:6 is when Abraham was
once-for-all justified; indeed, the Old Testament teaches Abraham was initially justified in Gen 12, and this is the theology of Heb 11.
Consider the following which is not just
textually prior to Gen 15:6, but chronologically prior to Gen 15:6, too:
And the Lord appeared unto Abraham, and said,
Unto thy seed will I give this land; and there builded he an altar
unto the Lord who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain
on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai
on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called
upon the name of the Lord. (Gen 12:5-6)
Do
notice that Abraham did have an “object of faith,” namely Yahweh and the
promises He made to Abraham (some will claim that Abraham did not have
any “object” of faith, but any study of the life of Abraham preceding Gen 15:6
shows this to be a desperate ploy to avoid the obvious ramifications of this
and similar verses have for Reformed soteriology).
What
is even more devastating for Murray et al., is that the New Testament refutes
such a view, ascribing “saving faith” to Abraham and his wife in Gen 12, not
15:6(!)
Recounting
many great heroes of faith, the author of Hebrews hearkens back to the Book of
Genesis and the lives of Abel, Enoch, and Noah:
By faith Abel offered unto God a more
excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was
righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet
speaketh. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was
not found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had
this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to
please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and
that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By faith Noah, being
warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark
to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and
became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. (Heb 11:4-7)
In
the above pericope, Abel, Enoch, and Noah, by their faith, are said to have
pleased God. There is no question that this is not a “so-called” or “false”
faith, but what Protestants would label a “true” or “saving” faith that, in
their theology, appropriates the alien righteousness of Christ (per the
historical Reformed interpretation of James 2). The problem, however, are the
verses that follow:
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go
out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and
he went out, not knowing whether he went. By faith he sojourned in
the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with
Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a
city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Through faith also
Sara herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child
when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who
had promise. (Heb 11:8-11)
The
author of Hebrews, in the above pericope, ascribes “saving faith” to both Abram
and Sarah. However, the incident in their life pertains to Abraham being called
out of his homeland to the Promised Land, as recounted in Gen 12:1ff. This
proves that the biblical authors believed Abraham had “saving faith” prior to
Gen 15:6, refuting further Reformed theology. As is the case in so many
instances, Reformed apologists and authors have to go against the Bible to prop
up their made-man theology (e.g. imputed righteousness; sola scriptura; purely symbolic understanding of baptism;
creedal/metaphysical Trinitarianism, etc.).
“Eisegesis” sums up the Reformed response to Psa 106:31 and Phinehas being
said to have righteousness reckoned unto him.