Romans 4:17 Meaning: Faith That Calls Things Into Being
As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations.” This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were.
(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
(as it is written, A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were.
who is father of us all (according as it hath been written--`A father of many nations I have set thee,') before Him whom he did believe--God, who is quickening the dead, and is calling the things that be not as being.
(according as it is written, I have made thee father of many nations,) before the God whom he believed, who quickens the dead, and calls the things which be not as being;
Meaning in one sentence
God called Abraham father of many nations before he had a son. Learn how faith trusts God who gives life to the dead and calls what does not exist into being.
Context
Paul has been building a case that Abraham was put right with God through faith, not by keeping the law. In this chapter he reaches back to Genesis 17, where God changed Abram's name to Abraham, which means "father of a multitude", and declared it as a finished fact: I have made you. At the time, Abraham was nearly a hundred years old and Sarah was barren. No child had been born. Yet God spoke of the promise as already accomplished. Paul holds up that moment as a picture of what faith looks like. It fastens on the God who gives life to the dead and summons things that do not yet exist into being. Abraham believed in that kind of God, and that is why he could trust a promise that seemed impossible.
Key Words
Three Greek words carry the weight of this verse. The verb τέθεικά (tetheika), "I have made", is in the perfect tense, showing a settled, completed action. God didn't say "I will make you" but "I have made you," as if the fatherhood were already real. That is how certain God's word is.
Next, ζῳοποιοῦντος (zōopoiountos), "giving life to the dead", is a present participle, describing what God continually does. He is always the life-giver, whether to a dead womb or a dead body. Faith relies on a God whose nature is to bring life where life has stopped.
Then καλοῦντος (kalountos), "calling", also a present participle. God speaks to things that do not exist as though they already do. This is not pretending; it is the creative power of His word. When He calls something, it becomes real. Faith learns to listen for that kind of call and trust that what God says is more solid than what the eyes see.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen this verse as a key to understanding faith. Reformed theologians like Calvin read it as a pattern for every believer: we are called out of nothing, dead in ourselves, and only God's word makes us live. Wesleyan interpreters emphasize that God's grace reaches into barren situations and creates new possibilities. Catholic commentators, reading the Douay translation, highlight Abraham's faith as a model of trusting God's promise even when reason sees no way. The Orthodox tradition often connects the "life-giving" language to the resurrection, seeing Abraham's faith as an anticipation of Easter. All agree that the past tense of God's promise matters: what God says is as good as done.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think "calls the things that are not as though they were" means God is pretending, or that faith requires ignoring reality. In fact, the phrase points to God's creative authority. He does not deny what is true; He speaks a new reality into being, just as He spoke light into darkness. Faith does not pretend the obstacle is gone. Faith trusts the One who is greater than the obstacle.
Living This Out
Think of one situation this week where you see only deadness, a relationship that seems beyond repair, a hope that has worn thin, a prayer you have stopped praying because it feels pointless. Now picture God looking at that same situation and speaking over it the way He spoke over Abraham: "I have made you." Your part is not to manufacture the outcome but to believe the One who speaks. You can say to Him, "I do not see how, but I trust You. You give life to the dead. You call things into being." That quiet trust, repeated through the week, is the faith this verse describes.
Main takeaway: Faith holds onto what God has said, trusting that He can bring life from death and call into existence what does not yet exist.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told Abraham he would be a father of many people, even though Abraham didn't have any children yet. Abraham trusted God because God can make things happen that seem impossible.
For ages 9, 12
This verse shows us something amazing about God. He can look at something that doesn't exist yet and speak it into being. That is what He did for Abraham. Abraham was old and had no kids, but God called him "father of many nations" as if it were already true. Abraham believed God, and it happened. When you face something that seems impossible, you can trust God too. He keeps His promises.
Questions People Ask
What does 'calls the things that are not as though they were' mean?
It describes God's creative power. He does not pretend something exists when it does not. Rather, His word has the authority to bring into being what does not yet exist. When God called Abraham the father of many nations, that word carried the power to make it happen, even though Abraham had no children at the time.
Why does God use the past tense 'I have made you' when Abraham wasn't a father yet?
The past tense shows the certainty of God's promise. In God's mind, the thing is as good as done. Abraham believed that, and his faith was counted as righteousness. Paul uses this to show that faith trusts God's word over visible circumstances.
How was Abraham the father of many nations when he only had Isaac?
Paul explains that Abraham is the spiritual father of all who believe, not just his physical descendants. The 'many nations' include Gentile believers from every people group. This fulfillment began in the Old Testament with Ishmael and Keturah's children, but finds its full meaning in the worldwide family of faith.
Does this verse teach that God gives life to physically dead people?
Yes, in part. The phrase 'gives life to the dead' ultimately points to the resurrection, which is the Christian hope. But here Paul applies it first to Abraham's situation: his body and Sarah's womb were 'as good as dead,' and God gave life there. The same God who raised Jesus from the dead can bring life into any dead situation.
What does it mean to believe in God 'in the presence of him whom he believed'?
This phrase means Abraham's faith was lived out before God, not for human approval. Abraham trusted God personally, face to face, as it were. His faith was not a general belief in a higher power but trust in the specific God who makes promises and keeps them.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study