The reading tied to Genesis 22, written out first

secondTempleOnAbrahamSource

The Second Temple reading's step: Abraham was "found faithful in trial, and it was credited to him as righteousness" (1 Maccabees 2:52, NABRE), so the counting of Genesis 15:6 is tied to his obedience in Genesis 22, and was not without works. Rated disputed: Paul accepts Genesis 15:6 and argues the opposite from its timing (Romans 4:10).

def secondTempleOnAbrahamSource : Source :=
  {
    primary :=
      Reference.work nabre
        (Bib.Locus.adLoc
          { book := Book.firstMaccabees, chapter := 2, verse := 52 }),
    supporting :=
      [Reference.work nabre
          (Bib.Locus.adLoc
            { book := Book.sirach, chapter := 44, verse := 20 })],
    tradition := Tradition.secondTempleJewish,
    confidence := Confidence.disputed }

secondTempleAbrahamLine — Abraham found faithful when tested (1 Maccabees 2:52; Sirach 44:20)

Abraham, read from his testing. From Genesis 15:6 and 22:16–18, with 1 Maccabees 2:52 and Sirach 44:20, and the reading 1 Maccabees gives Genesis 15:6, that what was counted was credited for his faithfulness when tested, the righteousness counted to Abraham is tied to his obedience.

secondTempleAbraham — Abraham, counted righteous when tested

The reading tied to Genesis 22, as a position.

No premise here rests on scripture alone.

The reading of the ceremony

genesisFifteenSource

The Reformed step: Abraham believed and it was counted to him (Genesis 15:6), before he was circumcised (Romans 4:10), and the covenant that followed bound God alone (15:12–17). So nothing he did was a condition of what was counted to him. Its support is Paul's own argument from the same verse and its timing (Romans 4:3–12), rated wellSupported. The rating the page gives is worked out from the dissents found against it (abraham_step_ratings).

def genesisFifteenSource : Source

genesisFifteenLine — Abraham, counted righteous before the covenant's sign (Genesis 15; Romans 4)

Abraham, read from the ceremony. From Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:10, the ceremony of Genesis 15:12–17 and the reading of it as God's oath alone, Abraham was counted righteous with no work as a condition.

genesisFifteen — Abraham, counted righteous by God's oath alone

The reading of the ceremony, as a position.

No premise here rests on scripture alone.

Genesis 22, and degrees

jamesIncreaseMeansDegreesSource

The step from James's word to degrees: if James's "justified" at Genesis 22 means the increase of the justice Abraham already had, then justification has degrees. Rated consensus: it is what "increase" says.

def jamesIncreaseMeansDegreesSource : Source :=
  { primary := Reference.work waterworthTrent (Bib.Locus.page 37),
    tradition := Tradition.romanCatholic, confidence := Confidence.consensus }

jamesIncreaseMeansDegreesLine — James's increase, as degrees

James's increase, as degrees. If James's "justified" means an increase of justice, justification has degrees.

verdictOnJamesIncrease — Justification as a verdict, on James at Genesis 22

The verdict position, on James at Genesis 22. The Reformed position on degrees, with what an increase in James's word would mean. It concludes that James's "justified" does not mean an increase of justice.

Grounded in scripture alone: Romans 8:33–34: it is God who justifies — who is to condemn?.

The readings

genesisFifteenReading

The reading of the ceremony: every text holds, the covenant binds God alone, and Abraham was counted righteous with no work as a condition. The reading tied to his testing, from 1 Maccabees and Sirach, is not held.

def genesisFifteenReading : Valuation Claim :=
  fun a =>
    match a with
    | Claim.abrahamFoundFaithfulWhenTested => False
    | Claim.countingWasForTheTesting => False
    | Claim.justificationHasDegrees => False
    | Claim.worksMeritIncreaseOfJustification => False
    | Claim.jamesJustifyDenotesIncrease => False
    | Claim.justificationIncludesSanctification => False
    | x => True

secondTempleAbrahamReading

The reading tied to Genesis 22: every text holds, and the righteousness counted to Abraham is tied to his testing. The reading of the ceremony as God's oath alone is not held.

def secondTempleAbrahamReading : Valuation Claim :=
  fun a =>
    match a with
    | Claim.abrahamCountedRighteousWithoutWorks => False
    | Claim.gen15CovenantIsGodsOathAlone => False
    | x => True

Results

genesisFifteen_establishes

Read from the ceremony, Abraham was counted righteous with no work as a condition. Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:10, the ceremony of Genesis 15:12–17, and the reading of it as God's oath alone.

It does not show that the reading of the ceremony is beyond dispute. It is rated disputed, and Genesis 22 is read the other way.

theorem genesisFifteen_establishes : Establishes genesisFifteen
-- axioms: propext, Quot.sound

genesisFifteen_is_satisfiable

The reading of the ceremony can be held without contradiction.

theorem genesisFifteen_is_satisfiable : Satisfiable genesisFifteen.premises
-- axioms: propext, Quot.sound

secondTempleAbraham_establishes

Read from his testing, Abraham was not counted righteous without works. Genesis 15:6 and 22:16–18, with 1 Maccabees 2:52 and Sirach 44:20.

It does not show that 1 Maccabees or Sirach is Scripture. They are witnesses to how Abraham was read before Paul.

theorem secondTempleAbraham_establishes : Establishes secondTempleAbraham
-- axioms: propext, Quot.sound

secondTempleAbraham_is_satisfiable

The reading tied to Genesis 22 can be held without contradiction.

theorem secondTempleAbraham_is_satisfiable : Satisfiable
    secondTempleAbraham.premises
-- axioms: propext, Quot.sound

genesis_leaves_abraham_open

The texts of Genesis alone do not decide. Genesis 15:6, the ceremony of 15:12–17, and Genesis 22:16–18 are kept alike by the reading of the ceremony, on which Abraham was counted righteous with no work as a condition, and by the reading tied to his testing, on which he was not.

theorem genesis_leaves_abraham_open : Independent [p
    Claim.gen15_6AbramBelieved, p Claim.gen15_17GodAlonePasses, p
    Claim.gen22_16BecauseYouObeyed] (p
    Claim.abrahamCountedRighteousWithoutWorks)
-- axioms: propext, Quot.sound

no_degrees_answers_james_on_abraham

If justification has no degrees, James's "justified" at Genesis 22 is not an increase. On the Reformed position on degrees, Abraham's being "justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac" (James 2:21) cannot mean the increase of the justice he already had. That leaves the Reformed reading of James's word, "shown to be righteous".

It does not show that justification has no degrees. That rests on the Reformed definition, which Trent denies (degrees_turn_on_the_definition).

theorem no_degrees_answers_james_on_abraham : Establishes
    verdictOnJamesIncrease
-- axioms: propext, Quot.sound

verdictOnJamesIncrease_is_satisfiable

The verdict position on James at Genesis 22 can be held without contradiction.

theorem verdictOnJamesIncrease_is_satisfiable : Satisfiable
    verdictOnJamesIncrease.premises
-- axioms: propext, Quot.sound

Weinfeld's grant, and the bridge it would need

weinfeldGrantSource

Weinfeld's step: the covenant of Genesis 15 is a grant, a grant rewards loyalty already shown, and Genesis 22:18 and 26:5 give the blessing "because" Abraham obeyed. So the grant rewarded his obedience. Rated disputed: Knoppers argues that Weinfeld's division of grants from treaties is overdrawn.

def weinfeldGrantSource : Source :=
  { primary := Reference.work weinfeldCovenantOfGrant (Bib.Locus.page 185),
    tradition := Tradition.criticalScholarship,
    confidence := Confidence.disputed }

weinfeldGrantLine — Abraham's covenant as a royal grant (Weinfeld)

Weinfeld's grant. From the reading of Genesis 15 as one-sided, what a grant was, and Genesis 22:18 and 26:5, the grant to Abraham rewarded his obedience.

weinfeldOnAbraham — Weinfeld, on Abraham's grant

Weinfeld, on Abraham, as his own claims carry him: the grant to Abraham rewarded his obedience.

No premise here rests on scripture alone.

weinfeldWithWorksReading

Weinfeld's reading, with the counting of Genesis 15:6 tied to Abraham's works: the grant rewarded his obedience, and he was not counted righteous without works.

def weinfeldWithWorksReading : Valuation Claim :=
  fun a =>
    match a with
    | Claim.abrahamCountedRighteousWithoutWorks => False
    | x => True

weinfeldWithFaithReading

Weinfeld's reading, with the counting of Genesis 15:6 left as the text gives it: the grant rewarded his obedience, and what was counted at 15:6 was his believing, with no work as its condition.

def weinfeldWithFaithReading : Valuation Claim :=
  fun a =>
    match a with
    | Claim.countingWasForTheTesting => False
    | x => True

genesisReadsTheOrder

What Genesis reads: Genesis 15:6 counts Abram's believing as righteousness, and the testing comes afterwards, "after these things" (Genesis 22:1). So what was counted at 15:6 was not credited for the faithfulness of Genesis 22. Paul argues from the same order in Romans 4:10, of circumcision.

def genesisReadsTheOrder : Refutation Claim

Kuruvilla on the Aqedah

kuruvillaSource

Kuruvilla's step: the oath of Genesis 22:16–18 is sworn "because you have done this" and "because you have obeyed my voice", so the blessing it swears is augmented because of Abraham's obedience. Rated disputed: Calvin accepts the text and reads the oath as "nothing more than confirmation".

def kuruvillaSource : Source :=
  { primary := Reference.work kuruvillaAqedah (Bib.Locus.page 507),
    tradition := Tradition.christianHistoricalGrammatical,
    confidence := Confidence.disputed }

kuruvillaLine — The blessing of Genesis 22, augmented for obedience (Kuruvilla)

The Aqedah's blessing, augmented for obedience (Kuruvilla).

kuruvillaOnTheAqedah — Kuruvilla, on the Aqedah

Kuruvilla, on the Aqedah: the blessing of Genesis 22 was augmented because of Abraham's obedience.

No premise here rests on scripture alone.

kuruvillaAssessment

Kuruvilla, against the step from Genesis 15. He grants Genesis 15:6 and reads the oath of Genesis 22 as a reward for obedience. His claims reach the augmented blessing, and say nothing of the condition of what was counted at 15:6.

Dissent: Kuruvilla, The Aqedah, against Abraham, counted righteous before the covenant's sign (Genesis 15; Romans 4). ✘ Not a critique of this step: it does not deny what the step concludes.

Hahn on the oath of Genesis 22

hahnSource

Hahn's step: the oath of Genesis 22:16–18 is sworn "because you have done this" and "because you have obeyed my voice", so the oath to bless the nations was merited by the binding of Isaac. Rated disputed: Calvin accepts the text and reads the oath as "nothing more than confirmation".

def hahnSource : Source :=
  { primary := Reference.work hahnCovenantOathAqedah (Bib.Locus.page 93),
    tradition := Tradition.romanCatholic, confidence := Confidence.disputed }

hahnLine — The oath of Genesis 22, merited by the binding of Isaac (Hahn)

The oath of the Aqedah, merited (Hahn).

hahnOnTheOath — Hahn, on the oath of Genesis 22

Hahn, on the oath of Genesis 22: the binding of Isaac merited the oath to bless the nations.

No premise here rests on scripture alone.

hahnAssessment

Hahn, against the step from Genesis 15. He reads the covenant Paul means as the oath sworn after the binding of Isaac, which the binding of Isaac merited. His claims reach the oath of Genesis 22, and say nothing of the condition of what was counted at 15:6.

Dissent: Hahn, Covenant, Oath, and the Aqedah, against Abraham, counted righteous before the covenant's sign (Genesis 15; Romans 4). ✘ Not a critique of this step: it does not deny what the step concludes.

hahn_does_not_reach_the_counting

Hahn does not dissent from the step from Genesis 15, under any standard. What he says the binding of Isaac merited is the oath of Genesis 22 and the blessing of the nations it swears, not the righteousness counted at 15:6. It does not show that Hahn would accept the step: in what was read of him he does not discuss Genesis 15:6.

theorem hahn_does_not_reach_the_counting : ∀ (s : Standard), ¬Dissent.Credible
    s hahnAssessment.dissent
-- axioms: propext, Classical.choice, Quot.sound

weinfeldAssessment

Weinfeld, against the step from Genesis 15. As his own claims carry him, he does not deny the step. He reaches the grant, and says nothing of what was counted at 15:6. Every claim he asserts is Scripture or the evidence of the ancient grants, so he would meet the evidence and tradition standards, if he denied the step.

Dissent: Weinfeld, The Covenant of Grant, against Abraham, counted righteous before the covenant's sign (Genesis 15; Romans 4). ✘ Not a critique of this step: it does not deny what the step concludes.

maccabeesUnstruckAssessment

1 Maccabees, against the step from Genesis 15, before anything is struck. It denies the step, through its reading of Genesis 15:6: that what was counted was credited for Abraham's faithfulness when tested. Every claim it asserts is a text or a reading of one, so it is an argument under the evidence and tradition standards. Under the Scripture standard it is not: 1 Maccabees is not Scripture in the canon these chapters read, and neither is its reading of Genesis 15:6.

Dissent: 1 Maccabees 2:52, unstruck, against Abraham, counted righteous before the covenant's sign (Genesis 15; Romans 4). ✔ A critique: it can be held with the step's grounds, and it argues its denial by a step of its own.

maccabeesAssessment

1 Maccabees, against the step from Genesis 15, with what Genesis reads struck: the reading that the counting of 15:6 was credited for the testing, which Genesis places "after these things" (22:1).

Dissent: 1 Maccabees 2:52, against Abraham, counted righteous before the covenant's sign (Genesis 15; Romans 4). ✘ Not a critique of this step: with the claims the texts refute struck, what remains does not deny what the step concludes.

• Struck, because the text reads otherwise: The righteousness counted at Genesis 15:6 was credited for Abraham's faithfulness when tested. Genesis 15:6 counts Abram's believing as righteousness; the testing comes "after these things" (Genesis 22:1).

weinfeld_leaves_the_counting_open

Weinfeld's grant leaves the counting open. His premises, that Genesis 15 is a one-sided grant, that a grant rewarded loyalty already shown, and that the blessing came "because" Abraham obeyed, are kept alike by a reading on which Abraham was counted righteous without works and by one on which he was not. What they establish is the grant; what was counted at 15:6 is another claim.

It does not show that Weinfeld is wrong about the grant. It may well have rewarded Abraham's obedience. The result says that, even so, nothing follows about the condition of what was counted to him.

theorem weinfeld_leaves_the_counting_open : Independent
    weinfeldOnAbraham.premises (p Claim.abrahamCountedRighteousWithoutWorks)
-- axioms: propext, Quot.sound

weinfeld_reaches_the_grant

Weinfeld's grant reaches its own conclusion. On his premises, the grant to Abraham rewarded his obedience.

theorem weinfeld_reaches_the_grant : Establishes weinfeldOnAbraham
-- axioms: propext, Quot.sound

weinfeldOnAbraham_is_satisfiable

Weinfeld's premises can be held without contradiction.

theorem weinfeldOnAbraham_is_satisfiable : Satisfiable
    weinfeldOnAbraham.premises
-- axioms: propext, Quot.sound

weinfeld_does_not_reach_the_counting

Weinfeld does not dissent from the step from Genesis 15, under any standard. His claims do not deny it: they reach the grant, not the counting.

It does not show that Weinfeld would agree with the step. A reader who adds that what was counted at 15:6 was credited for Abraham's obedience would deny it; that is what 1 Maccabees does.

theorem weinfeld_does_not_reach_the_counting : ∀ (s : Standard),
    ¬Dissent.Credible s weinfeldAssessment.dissent
-- axioms: propext, Classical.choice, Quot.sound

maccabees_unstruck_counts

Unstruck, 1 Maccabees is an argument against the step, under the evidence and tradition standards: it reads Genesis 15:6 as credited for the testing, and from that denies that Abraham was counted righteous without works.

theorem maccabees_unstruck_counts : Dissent.Credible Standard.evidence
    maccabeesUnstruckAssessment.dissent ∧ Dissent.Credible Standard.tradition
    maccabeesUnstruckAssessment.dissent
-- axioms: propext, Classical.choice, Quot.sound

genesis_strikes_the_maccabees_reading

Genesis strikes the reading 1 Maccabees needs, and then it no longer dissents. Genesis counts Abram's believing at 15:6 and places the testing "after these things" (22:1). With the reading that the counting was credited for the testing struck, nothing in 1 Maccabees' position denies the step, under any standard.

It does not show that 1 Maccabees says nothing true of Abraham. He was found faithful when tested. What the text refutes is only that the counting of 15:6 was credited for it.

theorem genesis_strikes_the_maccabees_reading :
    maccabeesAssessment.findings.struck = [Claim.countingWasForTheTesting] ∧ ∀
    (s : Standard), ¬Dissent.Credible s maccabeesAssessment.dissent
-- axioms: propext, Classical.choice, Quot.sound

kuruvilla_does_not_reach_the_counting

Kuruvilla does not dissent from the step from Genesis 15, under any standard. His claims reach the blessing of Genesis 22, augmented for obedience, and say nothing of the condition of what was counted at 15:6.

It does not show that Kuruvilla is wrong about Genesis 22. Calvin reads the oath as "nothing more than confirmation", and Kuruvilla answers him; that disagreement is about the blessing of Genesis 22, not the counting of 15:6.

theorem kuruvilla_does_not_reach_the_counting : ∀ (s : Standard),
    ¬Dissent.Credible s kuruvillaAssessment.dissent
-- axioms: propext, Classical.choice, Quot.sound

genesisFifteenStep

The step from Genesis 15, with the dissents found against it: Weinfeld's grant, Kuruvilla on the Aqedah, Hahn on its oath, and 1 Maccabees, the strongest known, which alone denies the step.

The rating, computed. Abraham, counted righteous before the covenant's sign (Genesis 15; Romans 4) is cited at well supported (Rom 4:3-12; Calvin 1847, ad loc. Gen 22:15; Calvin, ad loc. Jas 2:23; Niehaus 2013, pp. 260–263; Robertson 1980; Kline 2006). Dissents encoded: Weinfeld, The Covenant of Grant, 1 Maccabees 2:52, Kuruvilla, The Aqedah, Hahn, Covenant, Oath, and the Aqedah. The strongest known: 1 Maccabees 2:52.

abraham_step_ratings

The step from Genesis 15 stands at wellSupported under every standard. No dissent found survives its checks. Weinfeld's, Kuruvilla's and Hahn's do not deny the step: they reach the grant, and the blessing and the oath of Genesis 22, not the counting of 15:6. 1 Maccabees denies it only through its reading of Genesis 15:6, which Genesis itself refutes by its order.

It does not show that no reader could dissent. A verified reader who argued that the counting of 15:6 was conditioned on Abraham's obedience without tying it to the later testing, for example on his leaving Haran (Genesis 12:4), would be a new dissent, and the rating would be worked out again. Hahn's Kinship by Covenant and Williamson's books have not been read.

theorem abraham_step_ratings : genesisFifteenStep.ratings =
    [(Standard.evidence, Computed.stands Confidence.wellSupported),
    (Standard.tradition, Computed.stands Confidence.wellSupported),
    (Standard.scriptural, Computed.stands Confidence.wellSupported)]
-- axioms: propext