Greetings! Though you did not find much to add to my former commentary, I do not think this will be the case for this post. I believe I have the big picture down, now I will need you to fill in the cracks and insufficient connections or comments. Most likely this will not be the only post I make on this most important passage. But what I have now, I will send you.
Thank you for your help. I am grateful for your agreement to discuss this great letter. I am learning much! I cannot believe how I have taken this passage, considering from where I have come. But I am pushed by the text to take it this way. Let me know what you think. Grace to you, Paulos!
Romans 3:21-26
21 But now God’s righteousness has been revealed apart from the Law, though testified to by the Law and the prophets, 22 that is God’s righteousness through Jesus the Messiah’s faithfulness for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 because all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, 24 being freely declared righteous by his grace through the redemption which is in Messiah Jesus, 25 whom God put forth publicly as propitiation through faithfulness which is in his blood for the purpose of demonstrating his righteousness because of God’s forbearance in the passing over of previously committed sins 26 for the demonstration of his righteousness in the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of those who belong to Jesus’ faithfulness.
Because the Law brings knowledge of sin, God’s righteousness is revealed apart from the Law. But lest we become Marcion, Paul is quick to show that the Law and the prophets witnessed to God’s righteousness. What is this righteousness? It is God’s faithfulness to the promises, but even more it is God’s justice, his truthfulness. God is showing that he is morally right. God’s righteousness is revealed through Jesus the Messiah’s faithfulness.
Though we celebrate the free gift of God, one could argue that God is not righteous because sins are simply passed over. In other words, there is no justice if crimes go unpunished. In fact Proverbs 17:15 states, “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD” (NAU). Paul has just argued that all have sinned, so then the question is how is it that God can pronounce a verdict of righteous regarding those who have sinned? God is both just and the justifier, because of Jesus’ propitiation. Because Jesus fulfilled the role of the sacrificial lamb, by taking on the punishment for the sins of those who belong to him, the just penalty for sins has been accomplished. Thus, because Jesus took on the penalty for the sins of those who believe/belong to him, those who belong to Jesus’ faithfulness are declared righteous before a just God.
1 comment:
Timotheos,
You made some very interesting decisions in translating this section. I see that you decide to the phrase "faith in/of Jesus Christ" as Jesus' faithfulness. Did you do this to avoid redundancy in mentioning faith twice in the same sentence? I'm curious about why you made this decision.
Secondly, I want you to question one of your statements. You wrote,
"As an aside, it seems like we need to stop talking about being justified by faith, as if the ground of our justification is our faith. This is simply another way of talking about being justified by some good work, which we produce. Instead, we should talk about being justified on the basis of God grace through Jesus the faithful one.) through the sacrificial death of Jesus the faithful one on behalf of those who belong to him."
This strikes me as odd since Paul so often speaks of being justified by faith. Compare Gal. 2:16-17; Gal. 3:8; Rom. 3:28; Rom. 3:30. For Paul, it goes unsaid that this faith that justifies in Jesus Christ.
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