Paul's powerful words about "justification by grace through faith" in the first three chapters of Romans tend to capture all our attention. But by chapter four, Paul reveals that there is more to the divine formula than "justification," "faith" and "grace."

There is also "hope."

Paul uses Abraham, the undisputed patriarch of all Judaism, as the prime example to support his arguments. The exalted position of this patriarch in Jewish tradition suggests that if anyone had a right to glory it was Abraham. But in this chapter, Paul argues that not even Abraham had a right to glorification leading to the conclusion that therefore no one else could possibly have that right either.

In verse 3, Paul cites Genesis 15:6 as his proof-text, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteous…