Matthew Poole Commentary - Romans 4:11 - 4:11

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Matthew Poole Commentary - Romans 4:11 - 4:11


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:





The sign of circumcision; or, circumcision, which is a sign. Two things are here affirmed of circumcision:



1. That it was a sign. Of what? Of the circumcision of the heart, of original sin and its cure.



2. That it was a seal. Of what?



Of the righteousness of faith: of the meaning of which, See Poole on "Rom_1:17".



This is a periphrasis of the covenant of grace, wherein righteousness is promised, and made over to us in a way of believing: and this is not the only place where



the righteousness of faith is put for the new covenant; see Rom_10:6, and the notes there. Circumcision is called a



seal, because it was a confirmation of the covenant of grace, and the righteousness therein promised. The common use of a seal amongst men is to confirm and ratify a matter, and make it more firm and sure: it is joined often with an earnest, which is for the same end and purpose. The Corinthians’ conversion is said to be the seal of Paul’s apostleship; i.e. it was a confirmation of it, and made it more evident that he was sent of God. What the apostle says of an oath, that we may say of a seal; it is for confirmation, and for putting things out of controversy. When God made a promise to Abraham, he confirmed it with an oath; and when he made a covenant with him, and with his seed, he confirmed it by a seal, and that was circumcision, which he calls in Genesis the convenant of God, and here, the seal thereof. And what is said of circumcision is not spoken of it barely as circumcision, but as a sacrament; and it shows the nature and use of all sacraments, both of the Old Testament and New, that they are seals of the new covenant. That which the apostle mentions here of circumcision, hath nothing proper and peculiar in it to circumcision as such; but it may, with equal reason, be applied to any other sacrament: it belongs as well to the passover, yea, to baptism, and the Lord’s supper: e.g. The apostle first calls circumcision a sign; so was the passover, so is baptism, and the Lord’s supper. Again, he calls it a seal of the righteousness of faith, or of the new covenant, as before; and so is each of the other sacriments: take, for instance, the Lord’s supper; our Saviour calls the cup therein the new testament, or covenant, that is, it is a seal and confirmation thereof. And what is here affirmed of Abraham, may be affirmed as well of the eunuch, or the jailer, or any baptized person; he received the sign of baptism, a seal of the righteousness of faith, and of remission of sins, &c.



That he might be the father of all them that believe; i.e. that he might be known or declared to be the father of such: see the like phrase, Mat_5:45. Though many of the fathers did believe before Abraham, yet none of them are said to be the fathers of the faithful, as Abraham was, because God made to none of them the like promise, concerning their posterity, as he did to Abraham. See the next verse.