Gospel Guidebook: Getting and Keeping It Right 
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Hebrews 11:8-9 and Imputed Righteousness
by Robert P. TerryUpdated January 1, 2025
Over the past few decades, New Perspective on Paul (NPP) theology has spread everywhere and Eastern Orthodoxy (EO) has also been gaining popularity in the West. In my experience, it seems to me that NPP and EO people don't have a reasonable response to the doctrine of imputation taught in Romans 4. However, in debate situations, when presented with Romans 4:3, I have noticed that some of them evade it by appealing to Hebrews 11:8-9. In particular, they point out that Abraham had faith and was walking in obedience many years before Genesis 15:6. They think this observation undermines justification through imputation of righteousness in Romans 4 and requires. However, I don't think imputation can be undermined so easily. In fact, it seems as if the Apostle Paul already anticipated this type of objection, and in order to preemptively deal with it, he carefully placed the content of Romans 4:2 directly before his proof text in Romans 4:3. What good works of Abraham was Paul referring to in Romans 4:2? It must include those in Hebrews 11:8-9, for those were among the works for which Abraham was famous.
John Chrysostom, who is regarded very highly in Eastern Orthodoxy, also seems to be suggesting that it could not have been Abraham's obedience in Hebrews 11:8-9 that caused his justification. He comments on Romans 4:1-2 as follows: "Now since the Jews kept turning over and over the fact, that the Patriarch, and friend of God, was the first to receive circumcision, he wishes to show, that it was by faith that he too was justified. And this was quite a vantage ground to insist upon. For a person who had no works, to be justified by faith, was nothing unlikely. But for a person richly adorned with good deeds, not to be made just from hence, but from faith, this is the thing to cause wonder, and to set the power of faith in a strong light." (italics mine).
John Chrysostom notes that it is neither observance of the ceremonial law in circumcision nor being "richly adorned with good deeds" (resulting in him being called the "friend of God" in James 2:23) that could result in justification. In fact, John Chrysostom in several places in his commentaries tells us it is "faith only" that justifies. For example, in his commentary on Acts 15:1, he says, "This is also meant as a lesson to those (objectors); this is able to teach even them that faith only is needed, not works nor circumcision" (italics mine). In context, these objectors were teaching that Gentiles needed to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses (Acts 15:5). But John Chrysostom reminds us that neither are required. Now, I know that EO people will accuse me of "quote mining" or failing to consider the bulk of Chrysostom's writings, but his comments above are pretty plain. I know it is quite common for theologians to write inconsistent things, so I grant that he might have denied "faith only" in other places of his writings or might have defined faith in such a way as to include works, but what he said in his commentary on Romans 4:2 seems plain enough.
In light of the above, Abraham's obedience in Hebrews 11:8-9 could not have been the cause of his justification. (The obedience might have been subsequent to justification if Abraham was justified by "faith only" at Genesis 12:1-3 or earlier, a possibility that I do grant. Moses might have been using the events of Genesis 15:1-5 as a springboard to introduce how Abraham received imputation of righteousness at a time prior to those events.)
In addition to Abraham's experience, we have another example in the New Testament of a person who was "richly adorned with good deeds" prior to being saved by faith. This occurred in the Apostle Peter's dealings with Cornelius. Peter testified of Cornelius by saying, "But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him" (Acts 10:35). Cornelius was accepted with God. God was pleased with his prayers and alms. However, as good as those things were, and regardless of whatever temporal blessings they may have received from God, Cornelius still needed to hear the Gospel and believe it to receive remission of sins (10:43) and be saved (11:14). I believe it might have been the same with Abraham. He believed God and was obedient before Genesis 15:6, but it wasn't until he believed the promise of God concerning his seed (i.e., Christ) that he was justified.
In contrast to Romans 4, Hebrews 11 clearly is not dealing with justification of the sinner. Hebrews 11 is describing people who were already saved and who did great things by adding works to their faith. If there is any justification in Hebrews 11, it is justification of the righteous man through works, which is completely different from justification of the sinner through faith. In other words, the meaning of "justification" must be understood from its context. In Romans 4, we are dealing with experiential forensic justification, whereas in Hebrews 11, we are dealing with experiential ethical justification. The former is experienced by faith apart from works as an ungodly man, and the latter by works-empowered faith as a godly man. (For more information on these distinctions, see my article Categories of Positional and Experiential Justification).