How many had eaten in Matthew 14:21? “Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children” (NKJV). Five thousand? If you said, “No, more than five thousand. That wasn’t counting the women and children,” you are correct. That’s the idea of the word translated “besides.” The men were counted separately, not counting women and children.
However, the word can also mean “without.” Why wouldn’t the translators use that word here? Let’s try it. “Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, without women and children.” While “without” is one shade of meaning of the word, it would give the wrong idea given the context. Someone might come away asking, “Were there women and children? Did they not get to eat?”
In John’s account of this miraculous feeding, there was a young boy who had loaves and fish (John 6:9). It was a great multitude, and there were women and children in it. Jesus was healing the sick. The word is translated “besides” because they were there. They just weren’t included in the counting.
Here’s why this is important. Some take Paul’s emphasis on righteousness being by faith, in places like Romans 4, and try to remove anything we do, “works,” from faithful living. Romans 3:28 concludes “that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds [works] of the law.”
Abraham was a great example of this because he was justified without being under the Law. However, it wasn’t because what he did (his works) that he was worthy of justification, but he “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3). He was justified without the works of the Jewish law and not from counting his own works. Otherwise, “if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God” (Romans 4:2).
See, God had already been shown as the Justifier, through Jesus, in Romans 3:26. There are none who are righteous and who can justify themselves; otherwise, they would be able to boast of what they have done.
It is in this context that Paul went on to say:
Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” (Romans 4:4-8)
We come back to the word we discussed in the beginning. “David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works.” “Apart” here could be translated with the idea of “without (KJV)” or “separate.” The context bears out that it is much like the first verse we first examined. David expressed gratitude for the fact that there were works which weren’t counted. He went on to mention the lawless deeds and sins that are forgiven and covered.
Faith being “accounted” for righteousness is descriptive of the accounting process. If our works are what was counted, everyone would end up in the red after considering all of the good and bad. However, it’s faith in God and His righteousness that is counted, not counting our works. Like the women and children being there, our works are there, and they have to be, but they do not earn our righteousness.
Reflect on the following verses about salvation and see how this understanding of works and faith fits the Bible context. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).
[Editor’s Note: The disciples of Christ (Christians) are obligated to bear “much fruit” (John 15:5, 8), and yet, that is not the basis by which one’s sins are remitted, because nothing that man can do can satisfactorily address the problem of sins and remove them. Otherwise, if man could do something or enough of something to remove his own sins, there would have been no reason for Jesus Christ to have left Heaven and to die on Calvary’s cross. “So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do’” (Luke 17:10). Though we cannot remove our own sins, on the basis of our obedience – though we fall short of perfection – Jesus Christ is “the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe – and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:18-26)
