Spirit and Resurrection
The Gift of the Spirit is the ‘first fruits’ of the bodily resurrection and a foretaste of the promised New Creation . The Apostle Paul presents Abraham as the great exemplar of faith. God counted his faith as “ righteousness ” when he was uncircumcised. Thus, He justified the Patriarch apart from the “ works of the Law .” Therefore, he became the father of all men who are also “ from faith .” Circumcision was added after the promise as the “ seal ” of his justifying faith, and therefore, could not justify Abraham or anyone else.
