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TrustInJesus版 - Study and Exposition of Romans 3:21-31
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Study By: Greg Herrick
A. Introduction
Romans 1:18-3:20 speaks profoundly and frankly into the issue of human sin a
nd responsibility. The night is very black indeed throughout these chapters;
there is a deathly chill in the air between God and his creatures and the f
rightening darkness is looking more permanent with each stroke of the apostl
e’s pen. But a marked change occurs here in 3:21-31. For the first time (ap
art from 1:17) we receive hope for daylight, and not just a glimmer of the s
un and the enjoyment of its heat, but the expectation of a bright, sunny day
—such as one would experience at noonday. But even here we will have to wai
t for the full light of the sun; that will come in chapters 6-8. For now, it
is enough to behold the sunrise—and a beautiful one it is! While sin has l
eft us a glorious ruin, wretched vice-regents as it were, and condemned to d
eath, grace is about to change all that.
“Back in the eighteenth century, a young boy was born into a Christian home
. For the first six years of his life, he heard the truths of the gospel and
he was loved. Sadly, though, his parents died. The orphaned boy went to liv
e with his relatives. There he was mistreated and abused and ridiculed for h
is faith in Christ.
The boy couldn’t tolerate that situation, and he fled and joined the Royal
Navy. In the navy, the boy’s life went downhill. He became known as a brawl
er, was whipped many times, and participated in some of his comrades’ being
keel-hauled. Finally, while he was still young, he deserted the Royal Navy
and fled to Africa, where he attached himself to a Portuguese slave trader.
There, his life reached its lowest point. There were times when he actually
ate off the floor on his hands and knees. He escaped and then became attache
d to another slave trader as the first mate on his ship. But the young man’
s pattern of life had become so depraved, he couldn’t stay out of trouble.
As the story goes, he stole the ship’s whiskey and got so drunk that he fel
l overboard. He was close to drowning when one of his shipmates harpooned hi
m and brought him back on board. As a result, the young man had a huge scar
in his side for the rest of his life. After that escapade, he couldn’t get
much lower. In the midst of a great storm off the coast of Scotland, when da
ys and days were filled with pumping water out of the boat, the young man be
gan to reflect on the Scripture verses he had heard as a child. He was marve
lously converted. The new life John Newton found is reflected in his own hea
rtfelt words, familiar to millions now:
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound—
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.”37
Newton’s experience put into words: the ultimate point of Romans 3:21-31.
Study By: Greg Herrick
A. Introduction
Romans 1:18-3:20 speaks profoundly and frankly into the issue of human sin a
nd responsibility. The night is very black indeed throughout these chapters;
there is a deathly chill in the air between God and his creatures and the f
rightening darkness is looking more permanent with each stroke of the apostl
e’s pen. But a marked change occurs here in 3:21-31. For the first time (ap
art from 1:17) we receive hope for daylight, and not just a glimmer of the s
un and the enjoyment of its heat, but the expectation of a bright, sunny day
—such as one would experience at noonday. But even here we will have to wai
t for the full light of the sun; that will come in chapters 6-8. For now, it
is enough to behold the sunrise—and a beautiful one it is! While sin has l
eft us a glorious ruin, wretched vice-regents as it were, and condemned to d
eath, grace is about to change all that.
“Back in the eighteenth century, a young boy was born into a Christian home
. For the first six years of his life, he heard the truths of the gospel and
he was loved. Sadly, though, his parents died. The orphaned boy went to liv
e with his relatives. There he was mistreated and abused and ridiculed for h
is faith in Christ.
The boy couldn’t tolerate that situation, and he fled and joined the Royal
Navy. In the navy, the boy’s life went downhill. He became known as a brawl
er, was whipped many times, and participated in some of his comrades’ being
keel-hauled. Finally, while he was still young, he deserted the Royal Navy
and fled to Africa, where he attached himself to a Portuguese slave trader.
There, his life reached its lowest point. There were times when he actually
ate off the floor on his hands and knees. He escaped and then became attache
d to another slave trader as the first mate on his ship. But the young man’
s pattern of life had become so depraved, he couldn’t stay out of trouble.
As the story goes, he stole the ship’s whiskey and got so drunk that he fel
l overboard. He was close to drowning when one of his shipmates harpooned hi
m and brought him back on board. As a result, the young man had a huge scar
in his side for the rest of his life. After that escapade, he couldn’t get
much lower. In the midst of a great storm off the coast of Scotland, when da
ys and days were filled with pumping water out of the boat, the young man be
gan to reflect on the Scripture verses he had heard as a child. He was marve
lously converted. The new life John Newton found is reflected in his own hea
rtfelt words, familiar to millions now:
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound—
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.”37
Newton’s experience put into words: the ultimate point of Romans 3:21-31.
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B. Translation of Passage in NET
3:21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God (which is attested
by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed—
3:22 namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Chri
st for all who believe. For there is no distinction,
3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
3:24 But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus.
3:25 God publicly displayed him as a satisfaction for sin by his blood throu
gh faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because God in his forb
earance had passed over the sins previously committed.
3:26 This was also to demonstrate his righteousness in the present time, so
that he would be just and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesu
s’ faithfulness.
3:27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded! By what principle? Of works?
No, but by the principle of faith!
3:28 For we consider that a person is declared righteous by faith apart from
the works of the law.
3:29 Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles t
oo? Yes, of the Gentiles too!
3:30 Since God is one, he will justify the circumcised by faith and the unci
rcumcised through that same faith.
3:31 Do we, therefore, nullify the law through this faith? Absolutely not! I
nstead we uphold the law.
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C. Full Exegetical Outline
Idea: The way in which God freely and graciously justifies any sinner, Jew o
r Gentile, as testified to in the Law and the Prophets, is not by works of t
he Law, but by faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice—a sacrifice which demons
trates God's justice in dealing with sin and at the same time excludes all h
uman boasting.
I. The way in which God freely and graciously justifies any sinner, Jew or G
entile, as testified to in the Law and the Prophets, is not by works of the
Law, but by faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice—a sacrifice which demonstra
tes God's judstice in dealing with sin (3:21-26).
A. The righteousness of God has been revealed through Christ’s faithfulness
and is available to all by grace, through faith, apart from works (3:21-24)
.
1. The righteousness of God has been revealed apart from the law and the pro
phets (3:21).
2. The law and the prophets testify to the righteousness of God (3:21).
3. The righteousness of God was disclosed through the faithfulness of Christ
for all who believe (3:22).
4. There is no distinction between Jew and Gentile because all have sinned a
nd fall short of the glory of God (3:23).
5. All men are justified freely through the redemption that is in Christ Jes
us (3:24).
B. The fact that God publicly displayed Christ as a satisfaction for sin was
to demonstrate his justice in terms of sins committed beforehand as well as
to be the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus’ faithfulness (3
:25-26).
1. God publicly displayed Christ as a satisfaction for sin by his blood thro
ugh faith (3:25).
2. Christ’s death publicly displays the righteousness of God in dealing wit
h sins committed beforehand (3:25).
3. God is just and at the same time justifies the one who lives by the faith
fulness of Jesus (3:26).
II. The reason boasting is excluded from justification is because justificat
ion is by faith, apart from works of the law (for both Jew and Gentile), tho
ugh it does uphold the demands of the law (3:27-31).
A. Boasting is excluded in justification since justification is by faith apa
rt from works (3:27-28).
1. Boasting is excluded on the basis of faith not works (3:27).
2. A person is declared righteous by faith apart from works of the law (3:28
).
B. Since God is one, he is the God of both Jew and Gentile and justifies bot
h of them in precisely the same way, i.e., by faith (3:29-30).
1. God is the God of both Jew and Gentile (3:29).
2. Since God is one, he will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncirc
umcised by that same faith (3:30).
C. Faith does not nullify the law, rather it upholds the law (3:31).
D. Simple Point Outline
Idea: The Righteousness of God: It's Availablility and Impact on Human Arrog
ance
I. The Way God Made His Righteousness Available Was…(3:21-26).
A. Through Christ (3:21-24)
1. Apart from the Law and Prophets (3:21)
2. His Faithfulness (3:22)
3. To All Men (3:23)
4. By Grace (3:24)
B. Without Compromising His Justice (3:25-26)
1. Christ Satisfies God’s Wrath against Sin (3:25)
2. God’s Justice and Justification (3:26)
II. The Role of Boasting, Faith, and the Law (3:27-31)
A. Boasting: It Is Excluded (3:27-28)
B. Faith: All Are Justified By Faith (3:29-30)
C. The Law: Faith Upholds the Law (3:31)
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E. Exposition Proper
3:21 The phrase But now (NuniV deV, nuni de) is extremely significant in Rom
ans and marks off the “post-Christ’s coming” era—including the ministry
of the Spirit—as a new development in the salvation historical plan of God.
Now, Paul says, is the eschatological time of fulfillment in Christ (7:6).
So then, nuni de is not simply a logical connector, as if Paul were saying,
“since no one will be declared righteous through works of the law (3:20-21)
, therefore, righteousness must come by faith” (3:21-26). Rather, nuni de i
ndicates that Paul is thinking in salvation-historical terms, i.e., the time
before Christ's coming and the “now time” (3:26) after his coming and the
inauguration of the reign of grace in the kingdom (cf. 5:20-21; 14:17).
But the realization of this time of fulfillment has come apart from the law
(cwriV" novmou, choris nomou)—the law refers to the Mosaic legislation enme
shed with any current rabbinic legal interpretation which prescribes works o
n that basis. It is apart from such a works-based-righteousness that the “r
ighteousness of God” has been revealed.
The righteousness of God (dikaiosuvnh qeou', dikaiosune theou) refers to the
status of those who have been declared righteous by God through no merit of
their own. They are declared righteous on the basis of their redemption in
Christ.
But while this legal standing before God is given apart from the Law, that d
oes not mean there is absolutely no connection between his righteousness and
the Law. On the contrary, the connection is prophetic, for the righteousnes
s of God is attested (marturoumevnh, marturoumene) by the law and the prophe
ts. As Paul has already stated in 1:2-4, the antecedents of the gospel (i.e.
, the good news about God’s righteousness given to the believer through Chr
ist), go back deep into OT promise.
Paul uses the verb disclosed (pefanevrwtai, pephanrotai) twenty-two times, o
ften in connection with the coming of Christ as the definitive revelation of
God’s plan. Compare Romans 16:26.
3:22-23 In vv. 22-23 Paul explains further what he means by the “righteousn
ess of God.” It comes through faith, not works, and is available on that ba
sis not to Jews only, but to all who believe (eij" pavnta" touV" pisteuvonta
", eis pantas tous pisteuontas). It is available to the one who is the most
vial idolater and sexually perverse (1:18-32) and it is available on the sam
e basis to the Jew who claimed to live according to the law of God (2:1-3:9)
. In fact, as far as the righteousness of God is concerned, including the ma
nner in which it is received, there is no distinction (diastolhv, diastole)
between Gentile and Jew. The reason for this is simple: since all are sinner
s and together have fallen short of God’s moral and spiritual perfection (i
.e., his glory), all are equally in need of his righteousness and all receiv
e it on the same basis (3:9-20).
This righteousness is made available through the faithfulness of Jesus Chris
t (diaV pivstew" jIhsou' Cristou', dia pisteos Iesou christou). The text lit
erally reads, “through the faith of Jesus Christ.” An interpretive questio
n immediately presents itself: “What does Paul mean by “the faith of Jesus
Christ”? Some argue that the “of” phrase (a genitive construction in Gre
ek) should be understood as indicating possession, i.e., Jesus’ faith. We a
re then saved through imitating Jesus’ faith. This has little grammatical o
r biblical/theological support.
A second interpretation is to take the genitive “of” phrase to mean “fait
h in Jesus.” This is often referred to as the objective genitive interpreta
tion where Iesou is taken as the object of the verbal noun “pisteos” (i.e.
, “faith”). This has been the traditional interpretation and has much to c
ommend it biblically and grammatically speaking.
There is, however, a third interpretation which has been recently advanced a
nd is the one adopted in the NET Bible. In this interpretation, Iesou is tak
en as the subject of the verbal noun pisteos. This indicates that Jesus’ fa
ithfulness is in view and that the righteousness of God has been made known
through the faithfulness of Christ (i.e., his obedience to the Father in lif
e and death) and is available to all who believe.
Now it must be said that both Paul and the rest of the NT endorse both these
latter two options. This is not a discussion, then, about which idea is her
etical and which is orthodox, but rather about the truth to which Romans 3:2
2 (26) refers.
There are those who suggest, along with other arguments, that an objective g
enitive is unlikely since the following phrase, “for all who believe,” is
rendered superfluous in this interpretation. But this need not be the case a
t all, for the accent in this phrase is not so much on faith as it is on “a
ll;” it is an emphatic statement on the universality of the offer of salvat
ion.
Nonetheless, it does appear that the subjective genitive is to be preferred—
though neither interpretation is without its difficulties. First, the passag
e focuses on the revelation (cf. phaneroo) of God’s righteousness publicly
(3:25). This fits well with the cross obedience of Jesus which itself argues
for the subjective genitive. It is difficult to see how the righteousness o
f God is revealed through our faith in Jesus, but it is not difficult to see
how it is revealed by Jesus’ obedience to the Father. Second, when “faith
” (pistis) is followed by a personal noun in the genitive case, it is almos
t never an objective genitive (cf. Matt 9:2, 22, 29; Mark 2:5; 5:34; 10:52;
Luke 5:20; 7:50; 8:25, 48; 17:19; 18:42; 22:32; Rom 1:8; 12; 3:3; 4:5, 12, 1
6; 1 Cor 2:5; 15:14, 17; 2 Cor 10:15; Phil 2:17; Col 1:4; 2:5; 1 Thess 1:8;
3:2, 5, 10; 2 Thess 1:3; Titus 1:1; Phlm 6; 1 Pet 1:9, 21; 2 Pet 1:5).
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3:24 Though all men without distinction are sinners, they may be justified (
dikaiouvmenoi, dikaioumenoi), that is, declared righteous and freed from all
charges in connection with their sin (Rom 5:1). This is not a reference to
being made righteous in any ethical or spiritual sense, but rather to a genu
ine legal pronouncement involving acquittal (cf. Rom 3:8). And God pronounce
s a person justified freely (dwreavn, dorean) by his grace. The idea of “fr
eely” reaches back to Paul’s comment in 3:21 about the righteousness of Go
d being revealed apart from the law (i.e., apart from works of the law). We
cannot do, nor are we required to do—in fact we are forbidden to do—good w
orks in the hope of earning salvation (Eph 2:8-9). Salvation is a gift and i
s given by God's grace (cavri", charis).It is given according to his undeser
ved, completely and utterly, unmerited favor (cf. Rom 4:1-25). While we all
fit somewhere in the description of 1:18-3:20, we can nevertheless be freely
forgiven and justified through Christ by faith.
Every thought Paul has is focused on the person and work of Jesus Christ in
the “now” time of salvation history (cf. the “now” in 3:21). The term re
demption (ajpolutrwvsew", apolutroseos) means to “to buy back” and probabl
y has as its background the manumission of slaves. In our context here in Ro
mans, it is likely that Paul intends the idea that through Christ’s death—
the fully paid ransom price—sinners are purchased for God from the enslavin
g power of sin (cf. Rom 3:9; Mark 10:45; Eph 1:7; 1 Cor 6:20).
3:25a God publicly displayed Christ as the satisfaction for sin. The term pu
blicly displayed (proevqeto, proetheto) is in the middle voice and could be
rendered “purposed” or “publicly displayed” (Rom 1:13; Eph 1:9). Both ar
e definitely true, but for a number of reasons the second option seems bette
r in this case: (1) Paul has argued that the righteousness of God has been d
isclosed, that is, “brought to light.” This accords well with a public eve
nt; (2) by his blood (ejn tw'/ aujtou' ai{mati, en to autou haimati) focuses
on the cross which was a public event; (3) the term demonstrate (eij" e[nde
ixin, eis endeixin) argues well for a public presentation; (4) the faithfuln
ess of Jesus Christ refers primarily, then, to his cross obedience which was
public; (5) the focus on the present time (ejn tw'/ nu'n kairw'/, en to nun
kairo) in 3:26 refers to the present time in light of Christ’s coming, dea
th, and resurrection which was all public; (6) it is connected to the term s
atisfaction which has as its focus the physical reality of the cross, and is
, therefore, external and public in focus; (7) the use of the accusative obj
ect complement, i.e., “God publicly displayed him a satisfaction for sin”
fits better with the translation “publicly displayed” rather than "purpose
d."38
There has also been no little discussion over the meaning of satisfaction (i
Jlasthvrion, hilasterion). It has been argued that since the term is used tw
enty-one out of twenty-seven times in the Septuagint to refer to the mercy s
eat, that this is its meaning here too. Further, the only other NT usage of
the term in Hebrews 9:5 suggests that this is its meaning in Romans 3:25. Th
ere it describes the altar in the most holy place (holy of holies) where the
blood was sprinkled in the OT ritual on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
Thus Paul it appears that Paul is saying that God displayed Jesus as the “m
ercy seat,” the place where propitiation was accomplished. Thus Christ is t
he fulfillment or antitype of the OT image. The fact that the definite artic
le is not used with hilasterion is not a serious objection to this view. The
contention that such an interpretation requires too much knowledge of the O
T cultus is not damaging either. We may be well assured that in a church wit
h both Jew and Gentile, where the LXX was undoubtedly taught, knowledge of L
eviticus 16 and the "Day of Atonement" ritual was well known.
Further, some (e.g., Dodd) have contended that all meaning of “just wrath”
is absent from hilasterion, but in a context dealing specifically with the
wrath of God, i.e., 1:18-3:20, this is most unlikely. The term is best under
stood, then, to bring together twin aspects of God relationship to sinners,
that is, expiation and propitiation. Respectively, God has removed our sin (
expiation) and his anger is satiated against us (i.e., he is propitiated tow
ard us).
3:25a-26 Paul says that there was a reason God accomplished propitiation in
Christ on the cross. It was to demonstrate his righteousness because up to t
his point he had not dealt eternally with the question of man’s sin and gui
lt—he had passed over sins previously committed (thVn pavresin tw'n progego
novtwn aJmarthmavtwn, ten paresin ton progegonoton hamartematon). The cross,
however, is the answer, publicly given, to the accusation that God himself
is sinful since he had not openly dealt with sin.
But in the process of demonstrating his deep seated, eternal hatred for sin—
i.e., his holiness and justice, he is at once the one who condemns sin as we
ll as the one who justifies the person who lives because of the faithfulness
of Christ. The phrase just and the justifier (divkaion kaiV dikaiou'nta, di
kaion kai dikaiounta) might also be rendered, “just, even when he justifies
.…”
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3:27 Paul’s point in v. 27 follows naturally from 3:21-26 and indeed from a
ll the previous material commencing in 1:18. When the apostle asks where the
n is boasting (Pou' ou hJ kauvchsi", pou oun he kauchesis)—a question parti
cularly addressed to the Jews—the answer is rather obvious. Wherever it is,
it is not included in salvation. Indeed, it is excluded (ejxekleivsqh, exek
leisthe), “shut out,” “eliminated,” as it were. There is absolutely no r
oom in one’s salvation for boasting since salvation is, from beginning to e
nd, a work of God on behalf of depraved, lawless people (Eph 2:8-9). The pri
nciple of faith (pistiv", pistis), that is, having to place sheer trust in G
od, as opposed to my own efforts (cf. 4:1ff), by the very nature of the case
, excludes boasting in human achievement.
3:28 Again Paul hammers home his point. A person is declared righteous by fa
ith apart from works of the law (dikaiou'sqai pivstei a[nqrwpon cwriV" e[rgw
n novmou, dikaiousthai pistei anthropon choris ergon nomou). This statement,
along with vv. 29-30, brings to a conclusion what Paul has been arguing thu
s far and prepares the reader for the OT example of Abraham to come in chapt
er 4.
3:29-30 Since God is the God of the Gentiles as well as the Jews, it follows
that justification for all men must come apart from the law which was given
solely to the Jews.
The oneness of God was a belief properly basic to Judaism and proclaimed by
every devout Jew each day (cf. Deut 6:4). Here Paul appeals to this doctrine
, claiming that since God is one (ei|" oJ qeoV", eis ho theos), he must have
the same salvific concern for the Gentile as he does for the Jew. The Judai
sm of Paul’s day, however, did not draw the same conclusion from God’s ess
ential unity. The only way a Gentile could be rightly related to God was to
become a proselyte to Judaism, including coming under the yoke of the Law. A
nd even then, Gentiles were always Gentiles, never quite up to the level of
Jews by birth; in the eyes of the Jew, they had no natural claim on God. Pau
l says, however, that God is interested in the Gentiles apart from the Law a
nd that contrary to certain Jewish expectations, the Gentiles are saved thro
ugh the same faith that saves a Jew.
3:31 It is true that salvation is by grace through faith apart from the Law,
but this does not mean that it has no essential relationship to the Law. Ve
rse 31, due to the ambiguous nature of the comment, has given rise to variou
s interpretations and modifications within similar interpretations. Two impo
rtant questions are: (1) what is its relationship to 4:1ff and (2) what is t
he meaning of “law,” “nullify” and “uphold”? We will treat these quest
ions in reverse order.
First, what is the meaning of “law,” “nullify” and “uphold”? Some argu
e that what Paul means by “law” is the OT as a whole in that it generally
points or testifies to his doctrine of “righteousness by faith apart from t
he works of the law.” The primary support for this idea is that Paul says a
s much in 3:21. The problem with this view, here in v. 31, however, is that
the term law (novmo", nomos) stands alone and is not combined with “prophet
s” (as it is in 3:21) Also, the contrast between “upholding” the law vers
us “nullifying” it is not well established on this meaning. Further, this
interpretation does not seem to give proper weight to the contrast between “
works of the law” and “faith” in its understanding of the function of “l
aw” (as “testifying”) in v. 31. Finally, the text does not say, “the law
is upheld by this faith,” it says “we uphold” [the law by this faith]. T
his makes it unlikely that Paul intends here that our righteousness by faith
was testified to in the OT. This may be true, but here in Romans 3:31 somet
hing other than the prophetic witness of the OT seems to be in mind.
Others argue that faith upholds the law in the sense that since the law cond
emns us all, as Paul argued in 3:19-20, faith alone is the only means of sal
vation. This is what the law was meant to teach us and to assert that salvat
ion is by faith alone is not to nullify the law in its condemnatory role, bu
t it is indeed to establish the truthfulness of the law in its evaluation of
mankind. This, of course, is similar to what Paul teaches in Galatians 3:19
-21, 24. But, it is difficult to see how “nullifying” the law and “uphold
ing” it make much sense in this view.
We have said that the “righteousness of God” refers to a perfect legal sta
nding with God (3:21-25). But Paul has argued that this perfect legal standi
ng with God is not earned by works, rather it is received by faith. But, thi
s doctrine—i.e., that justification comes by faith, not by works of the Law
—has led to many Jews indicting Paul for antinomianism, that is, accusing h
im of a complete disregard for the Law and performing its works. It is to th
is accusation that verse 31 is ultimately directed. In verse 31 Paul is sayi
ng that justification by faith does not nullify obedience to the demands of
God expressed in the Law, rather it upholds those righteous demands and is t
he only way they can truly be met. This interpretation is based on taking La
w in v. 31 as referring to the demand of the law not to its prophetic witnes
s to the present age of salvation nor to its role in exposing sin.
Verse 31, then, brings a conclusion to 3:27-31 and does not lead one directl
y into 4:1ff. The transition to 4:1ff came in 3:27-30. The truth of verse 31
, that faith really upholds the demands of the law, is ambiguous and will be
further unpacked in light of the ministry of the Spirit in 8:4ff and expres
sed in the context of the new community in 13:9-10.
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F. Homiletical Idea and Outline
Idea: God’s Righteousness Given to Us by Faith…
I. Is Apart from Any Works We Could Do (3:21)
A. Apart from the Law
B. The Law and the Prophets
II. Is through the Faithfulness of Christ (3:22a)
III. Is for All of Us (3:22b-23)
A. For All Who Believe (3:22b-c)
B. There Is no Distinction (3:22c-23)
IV. Is Freely Given via Christ’s Redemptive Act (3:24)
A. By Grace (3:24)
B. Through the Redemption in Christ (3:24)
V. Is Rooted in God’s Justice (3:25-26)
A. Christ as the Satisfaction for Sin (3:25a)
B. God’s Justice Is not Compromised (3:25b-26)
VI. Excludes Any Boasting (3:27-30)
A. Because Justification Is by Faith (3:27-28)
B. All Men Are Justified by Faith (3:39-30)
VII. Upholds the Law (3:31)
G. Contribution of Passage to Systematic Theology
This passage stands at the very heart of Romans 1:18-15:13 and indeed Paul’
s entire doctrine of soteriology (i.e., salvation). First, justification is
the act of declaring a sinner righteous and acquitting him/her of all charge
s and condemnation. Second, the passage clearly affirms that justification i
s received by faith apart from works of any kind. Third, God justifies sinne
rs by grace on the basis of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Fourth, God
’s wrath against sinners has been totally satiated through Christ’s sacrif
ice. Fifth, in the act of justifying sinners God’s justice has in no way be
en compromised, for the total just payment for sin has been met in Christ. S
ixth, salvation theology and the universal offer of the gospel rest on God’
s essential unity and His position as creator of all men; we must never divo
rce proper creation theology from salvation theology. To do so is to bring a
n end to biblical Christianity. Seventh, faith does not nullify the righteou
s demands of the law. Rather, it is through faith that the holy demands of t
he law are upheld.
H. Contribution of Passage to Discipleship and Church Mission
This passage contributes in numerous ways to discipleship and church mission
. We will mention three. First, we must be sure to continue to teach new Chr
istians (all Christians for that matter) that justification is not something
people earn, but something that is credited to their account when they beli
eve in Christ apart from works. Once a person has been declared righteous by
God, such a declaration forms the basis or foundation upon which God can ap
proach him/her freely and forever. The question of their sin and falling sho
rt (3:23) has been forever answered. Therefore, it is spiritually damaging t
o people to suggest that once God has declared them righteous they can someh
ow lose that freely given status, i.e., lose our salvation (which involves m
ore than "losing the Holy Spirit"). We were sinners when we received God’s
free offer—sinful enough to require a cross as the solution—and we will be
sinners (albeit redeemed) until we are with him in glory.
Second, we must also teach our people that true faith does not nullify the h
oly demands of the law as if to say that trusting in Christ/God leads to law
lessness or a spirit that takes lightly either sin or holiness. On the contr
ary, as we trust deeply in Christ the demands of the law are met in us who d
o not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (8:4).
Third, the gospel is available to all men; it is “for everyone who believes
.” We must give careful thought to reaching out to our neighbors with the g
ospel as well as pouring God-given time, energy, and resources into foreign
missions.39
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
37 See R. Kent Hughes, 1001 Great Stories & Quotes (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 19
98), 191-92.
38 The translation "purposed" is not impossible on the object-complement con
struction, but does not seem to fit as well.
39 The American church as a whole is in bad need of reformulating not only i
t's mission and structures, but more basically, it's theology of itself and
its basic nature. See Craig Van Gelder, The Essence of the Church: A Communi
ty Created by the Spirit (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000).
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Study By: Greg Herrick
A. Introduction
Romans 1:18-3:20 speaks profoundly and frankly into the issue of human sin a
nd responsibility. The night is very black indeed throughout these chapters;
there is a deathly chill in the air between God and his creatures and the f
rightening darkness is looking more permanent with each stroke of the apostl
e’s pen. But a marked change occurs here in 3:21-31. For the first time (ap
art from 1:17) we receive hope for daylight, and not just a glimmer of the s
un and the enjoyment of its heat, but the expectation of a bright, sunny day
—such as one would experience at noonday. But even here we will have to wai
t for the full light of the sun; that will come in chapters 6-8. For now, it
is enough to behold the sunrise—and a beautiful one it is! While sin has l
eft us a glorious ruin, wretched vice-regents as it were, and condemned to d
eath, grace is about to change all that.
“Back in the eighteenth century, a young boy was born into a Christian home
. For the first six years of his life, he heard the truths of the gospel and
he was loved. Sadly, though, his parents died. The orphaned boy went to liv
e with his relatives. There he was mistreated and abused and ridiculed for h
is faith in Christ.
The boy couldn’t tolerate that situation, and he fled and joined the Royal
Navy. In the navy, the boy’s life went downhill. He became known as a brawl
er, was whipped many times, and participated in some of his comrades’ being
keel-hauled. Finally, while he was still young, he deserted the Royal Navy
and fled to Africa, where he attached himself to a Portuguese slave trader.
There, his life reached its lowest point. There were times when he actually
ate off the floor on his hands and knees. He escaped and then became attache
d to another slave trader as the first mate on his ship. But the young man’
s pattern of life had become so depraved, he couldn’t stay out of trouble.
As the story goes, he stole the ship’s whiskey and got so drunk that he fel
l overboard. He was close to drowning when one of his shipmates harpooned hi
m and brought him back on board. As a result, the young man had a huge scar
in his side for the rest of his life. After that escapade, he couldn’t get
much lower. In the midst of a great storm off the coast of Scotland, when da
ys and days were filled with pumping water out of the boat, the young man be
gan to reflect on the Scripture verses he had heard as a child. He was marve
lously converted. The new life John Newton found is reflected in his own hea
rtfelt words, familiar to millions now:
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound—
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.”37
Newton’s experience put into words: the ultimate point of Romans 3:21-31.
Study By: Greg Herrick
A. Introduction
Romans 1:18-3:20 speaks profoundly and frankly into the issue of human sin a
nd responsibility. The night is very black indeed throughout these chapters;
there is a deathly chill in the air between God and his creatures and the f
rightening darkness is looking more permanent with each stroke of the apostl
e’s pen. But a marked change occurs here in 3:21-31. For the first time (ap
art from 1:17) we receive hope for daylight, and not just a glimmer of the s
un and the enjoyment of its heat, but the expectation of a bright, sunny day
—such as one would experience at noonday. But even here we will have to wai
t for the full light of the sun; that will come in chapters 6-8. For now, it
is enough to behold the sunrise—and a beautiful one it is! While sin has l
eft us a glorious ruin, wretched vice-regents as it were, and condemned to d
eath, grace is about to change all that.
“Back in the eighteenth century, a young boy was born into a Christian home
. For the first six years of his life, he heard the truths of the gospel and
he was loved. Sadly, though, his parents died. The orphaned boy went to liv
e with his relatives. There he was mistreated and abused and ridiculed for h
is faith in Christ.
The boy couldn’t tolerate that situation, and he fled and joined the Royal
Navy. In the navy, the boy’s life went downhill. He became known as a brawl
er, was whipped many times, and participated in some of his comrades’ being
keel-hauled. Finally, while he was still young, he deserted the Royal Navy
and fled to Africa, where he attached himself to a Portuguese slave trader.
There, his life reached its lowest point. There were times when he actually
ate off the floor on his hands and knees. He escaped and then became attache
d to another slave trader as the first mate on his ship. But the young man’
s pattern of life had become so depraved, he couldn’t stay out of trouble.
As the story goes, he stole the ship’s whiskey and got so drunk that he fel
l overboard. He was close to drowning when one of his shipmates harpooned hi
m and brought him back on board. As a result, the young man had a huge scar
in his side for the rest of his life. After that escapade, he couldn’t get
much lower. In the midst of a great storm off the coast of Scotland, when da
ys and days were filled with pumping water out of the boat, the young man be
gan to reflect on the Scripture verses he had heard as a child. He was marve
lously converted. The new life John Newton found is reflected in his own hea
rtfelt words, familiar to millions now:
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound—
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind but now I see.”37
Newton’s experience put into words: the ultimate point of Romans 3:21-31.
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B. Translation of Passage in NET
3:21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God (which is attested
by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed—
3:22 namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Chri
st for all who believe. For there is no distinction,
3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
3:24 But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus.
3:25 God publicly displayed him as a satisfaction for sin by his blood throu
gh faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because God in his forb
earance had passed over the sins previously committed.
3:26 This was also to demonstrate his righteousness in the present time, so
that he would be just and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesu
s’ faithfulness.
3:27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded! By what principle? Of works?
No, but by the principle of faith!
3:28 For we consider that a person is declared righteous by faith apart from
the works of the law.
3:29 Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles t
oo? Yes, of the Gentiles too!
3:30 Since God is one, he will justify the circumcised by faith and the unci
rcumcised through that same faith.
3:31 Do we, therefore, nullify the law through this faith? Absolutely not! I
nstead we uphold the law.
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C. Full Exegetical Outline
Idea: The way in which God freely and graciously justifies any sinner, Jew o
r Gentile, as testified to in the Law and the Prophets, is not by works of t
he Law, but by faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice—a sacrifice which demons
trates God's justice in dealing with sin and at the same time excludes all h
uman boasting.
I. The way in which God freely and graciously justifies any sinner, Jew or G
entile, as testified to in the Law and the Prophets, is not by works of the
Law, but by faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice—a sacrifice which demonstra
tes God's judstice in dealing with sin (3:21-26).
A. The righteousness of God has been revealed through Christ’s faithfulness
and is available to all by grace, through faith, apart from works (3:21-24)
.
1. The righteousness of God has been revealed apart from the law and the pro
phets (3:21).
2. The law and the prophets testify to the righteousness of God (3:21).
3. The righteousness of God was disclosed through the faithfulness of Christ
for all who believe (3:22).
4. There is no distinction between Jew and Gentile because all have sinned a
nd fall short of the glory of God (3:23).
5. All men are justified freely through the redemption that is in Christ Jes
us (3:24).
B. The fact that God publicly displayed Christ as a satisfaction for sin was
to demonstrate his justice in terms of sins committed beforehand as well as
to be the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus’ faithfulness (3
:25-26).
1. God publicly displayed Christ as a satisfaction for sin by his blood thro
ugh faith (3:25).
2. Christ’s death publicly displays the righteousness of God in dealing wit
h sins committed beforehand (3:25).
3. God is just and at the same time justifies the one who lives by the faith
fulness of Jesus (3:26).
II. The reason boasting is excluded from justification is because justificat
ion is by faith, apart from works of the law (for both Jew and Gentile), tho
ugh it does uphold the demands of the law (3:27-31).
A. Boasting is excluded in justification since justification is by faith apa
rt from works (3:27-28).
1. Boasting is excluded on the basis of faith not works (3:27).
2. A person is declared righteous by faith apart from works of the law (3:28
).
B. Since God is one, he is the God of both Jew and Gentile and justifies bot
h of them in precisely the same way, i.e., by faith (3:29-30).
1. God is the God of both Jew and Gentile (3:29).
2. Since God is one, he will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncirc
umcised by that same faith (3:30).
C. Faith does not nullify the law, rather it upholds the law (3:31).
D. Simple Point Outline
Idea: The Righteousness of God: It's Availablility and Impact on Human Arrog
ance
I. The Way God Made His Righteousness Available Was…(3:21-26).
A. Through Christ (3:21-24)
1. Apart from the Law and Prophets (3:21)
2. His Faithfulness (3:22)
3. To All Men (3:23)
4. By Grace (3:24)
B. Without Compromising His Justice (3:25-26)
1. Christ Satisfies God’s Wrath against Sin (3:25)
2. God’s Justice and Justification (3:26)
II. The Role of Boasting, Faith, and the Law (3:27-31)
A. Boasting: It Is Excluded (3:27-28)
B. Faith: All Are Justified By Faith (3:29-30)
C. The Law: Faith Upholds the Law (3:31)
相关主题
Study and Exposition of Romans 3:9-20【福音派版本】 罗马书1:8-17
【基要派版本】罗马书3:1-20THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME AND YOUR GOD
【基要派版本】罗马书3:21-24Study and Exposition of Romans 2:17-29
进入TrustInJesus版参与讨论
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E. Exposition Proper
3:21 The phrase But now (NuniV deV, nuni de) is extremely significant in Rom
ans and marks off the “post-Christ’s coming” era—including the ministry
of the Spirit—as a new development in the salvation historical plan of God.
Now, Paul says, is the eschatological time of fulfillment in Christ (7:6).
So then, nuni de is not simply a logical connector, as if Paul were saying,
“since no one will be declared righteous through works of the law (3:20-21)
, therefore, righteousness must come by faith” (3:21-26). Rather, nuni de i
ndicates that Paul is thinking in salvation-historical terms, i.e., the time
before Christ's coming and the “now time” (3:26) after his coming and the
inauguration of the reign of grace in the kingdom (cf. 5:20-21; 14:17).
But the realization of this time of fulfillment has come apart from the law
(cwriV" novmou, choris nomou)—the law refers to the Mosaic legislation enme
shed with any current rabbinic legal interpretation which prescribes works o
n that basis. It is apart from such a works-based-righteousness that the “r
ighteousness of God” has been revealed.
The righteousness of God (dikaiosuvnh qeou', dikaiosune theou) refers to the
status of those who have been declared righteous by God through no merit of
their own. They are declared righteous on the basis of their redemption in
Christ.
But while this legal standing before God is given apart from the Law, that d
oes not mean there is absolutely no connection between his righteousness and
the Law. On the contrary, the connection is prophetic, for the righteousnes
s of God is attested (marturoumevnh, marturoumene) by the law and the prophe
ts. As Paul has already stated in 1:2-4, the antecedents of the gospel (i.e.
, the good news about God’s righteousness given to the believer through Chr
ist), go back deep into OT promise.
Paul uses the verb disclosed (pefanevrwtai, pephanrotai) twenty-two times, o
ften in connection with the coming of Christ as the definitive revelation of
God’s plan. Compare Romans 16:26.
3:22-23 In vv. 22-23 Paul explains further what he means by the “righteousn
ess of God.” It comes through faith, not works, and is available on that ba
sis not to Jews only, but to all who believe (eij" pavnta" touV" pisteuvonta
", eis pantas tous pisteuontas). It is available to the one who is the most
vial idolater and sexually perverse (1:18-32) and it is available on the sam
e basis to the Jew who claimed to live according to the law of God (2:1-3:9)
. In fact, as far as the righteousness of God is concerned, including the ma
nner in which it is received, there is no distinction (diastolhv, diastole)
between Gentile and Jew. The reason for this is simple: since all are sinner
s and together have fallen short of God’s moral and spiritual perfection (i
.e., his glory), all are equally in need of his righteousness and all receiv
e it on the same basis (3:9-20).
This righteousness is made available through the faithfulness of Jesus Chris
t (diaV pivstew" jIhsou' Cristou', dia pisteos Iesou christou). The text lit
erally reads, “through the faith of Jesus Christ.” An interpretive questio
n immediately presents itself: “What does Paul mean by “the faith of Jesus
Christ”? Some argue that the “of” phrase (a genitive construction in Gre
ek) should be understood as indicating possession, i.e., Jesus’ faith. We a
re then saved through imitating Jesus’ faith. This has little grammatical o
r biblical/theological support.
A second interpretation is to take the genitive “of” phrase to mean “fait
h in Jesus.” This is often referred to as the objective genitive interpreta
tion where Iesou is taken as the object of the verbal noun “pisteos” (i.e.
, “faith”). This has been the traditional interpretation and has much to c
ommend it biblically and grammatically speaking.
There is, however, a third interpretation which has been recently advanced a
nd is the one adopted in the NET Bible. In this interpretation, Iesou is tak
en as the subject of the verbal noun pisteos. This indicates that Jesus’ fa
ithfulness is in view and that the righteousness of God has been made known
through the faithfulness of Christ (i.e., his obedience to the Father in lif
e and death) and is available to all who believe.
Now it must be said that both Paul and the rest of the NT endorse both these
latter two options. This is not a discussion, then, about which idea is her
etical and which is orthodox, but rather about the truth to which Romans 3:2
2 (26) refers.
There are those who suggest, along with other arguments, that an objective g
enitive is unlikely since the following phrase, “for all who believe,” is
rendered superfluous in this interpretation. But this need not be the case a
t all, for the accent in this phrase is not so much on faith as it is on “a
ll;” it is an emphatic statement on the universality of the offer of salvat
ion.
Nonetheless, it does appear that the subjective genitive is to be preferred—
though neither interpretation is without its difficulties. First, the passag
e focuses on the revelation (cf. phaneroo) of God’s righteousness publicly
(3:25). This fits well with the cross obedience of Jesus which itself argues
for the subjective genitive. It is difficult to see how the righteousness o
f God is revealed through our faith in Jesus, but it is not difficult to see
how it is revealed by Jesus’ obedience to the Father. Second, when “faith
” (pistis) is followed by a personal noun in the genitive case, it is almos
t never an objective genitive (cf. Matt 9:2, 22, 29; Mark 2:5; 5:34; 10:52;
Luke 5:20; 7:50; 8:25, 48; 17:19; 18:42; 22:32; Rom 1:8; 12; 3:3; 4:5, 12, 1
6; 1 Cor 2:5; 15:14, 17; 2 Cor 10:15; Phil 2:17; Col 1:4; 2:5; 1 Thess 1:8;
3:2, 5, 10; 2 Thess 1:3; Titus 1:1; Phlm 6; 1 Pet 1:9, 21; 2 Pet 1:5).
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3:24 Though all men without distinction are sinners, they may be justified (
dikaiouvmenoi, dikaioumenoi), that is, declared righteous and freed from all
charges in connection with their sin (Rom 5:1). This is not a reference to
being made righteous in any ethical or spiritual sense, but rather to a genu
ine legal pronouncement involving acquittal (cf. Rom 3:8). And God pronounce
s a person justified freely (dwreavn, dorean) by his grace. The idea of “fr
eely” reaches back to Paul’s comment in 3:21 about the righteousness of Go
d being revealed apart from the law (i.e., apart from works of the law). We
cannot do, nor are we required to do—in fact we are forbidden to do—good w
orks in the hope of earning salvation (Eph 2:8-9). Salvation is a gift and i
s given by God's grace (cavri", charis).It is given according to his undeser
ved, completely and utterly, unmerited favor (cf. Rom 4:1-25). While we all
fit somewhere in the description of 1:18-3:20, we can nevertheless be freely
forgiven and justified through Christ by faith.
Every thought Paul has is focused on the person and work of Jesus Christ in
the “now” time of salvation history (cf. the “now” in 3:21). The term re
demption (ajpolutrwvsew", apolutroseos) means to “to buy back” and probabl
y has as its background the manumission of slaves. In our context here in Ro
mans, it is likely that Paul intends the idea that through Christ’s death—
the fully paid ransom price—sinners are purchased for God from the enslavin
g power of sin (cf. Rom 3:9; Mark 10:45; Eph 1:7; 1 Cor 6:20).
3:25a God publicly displayed Christ as the satisfaction for sin. The term pu
blicly displayed (proevqeto, proetheto) is in the middle voice and could be
rendered “purposed” or “publicly displayed” (Rom 1:13; Eph 1:9). Both ar
e definitely true, but for a number of reasons the second option seems bette
r in this case: (1) Paul has argued that the righteousness of God has been d
isclosed, that is, “brought to light.” This accords well with a public eve
nt; (2) by his blood (ejn tw'/ aujtou' ai{mati, en to autou haimati) focuses
on the cross which was a public event; (3) the term demonstrate (eij" e[nde
ixin, eis endeixin) argues well for a public presentation; (4) the faithfuln
ess of Jesus Christ refers primarily, then, to his cross obedience which was
public; (5) the focus on the present time (ejn tw'/ nu'n kairw'/, en to nun
kairo) in 3:26 refers to the present time in light of Christ’s coming, dea
th, and resurrection which was all public; (6) it is connected to the term s
atisfaction which has as its focus the physical reality of the cross, and is
, therefore, external and public in focus; (7) the use of the accusative obj
ect complement, i.e., “God publicly displayed him a satisfaction for sin”
fits better with the translation “publicly displayed” rather than "purpose
d."38
There has also been no little discussion over the meaning of satisfaction (i
Jlasthvrion, hilasterion). It has been argued that since the term is used tw
enty-one out of twenty-seven times in the Septuagint to refer to the mercy s
eat, that this is its meaning here too. Further, the only other NT usage of
the term in Hebrews 9:5 suggests that this is its meaning in Romans 3:25. Th
ere it describes the altar in the most holy place (holy of holies) where the
blood was sprinkled in the OT ritual on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
Thus Paul it appears that Paul is saying that God displayed Jesus as the “m
ercy seat,” the place where propitiation was accomplished. Thus Christ is t
he fulfillment or antitype of the OT image. The fact that the definite artic
le is not used with hilasterion is not a serious objection to this view. The
contention that such an interpretation requires too much knowledge of the O
T cultus is not damaging either. We may be well assured that in a church wit
h both Jew and Gentile, where the LXX was undoubtedly taught, knowledge of L
eviticus 16 and the "Day of Atonement" ritual was well known.
Further, some (e.g., Dodd) have contended that all meaning of “just wrath”
is absent from hilasterion, but in a context dealing specifically with the
wrath of God, i.e., 1:18-3:20, this is most unlikely. The term is best under
stood, then, to bring together twin aspects of God relationship to sinners,
that is, expiation and propitiation. Respectively, God has removed our sin (
expiation) and his anger is satiated against us (i.e., he is propitiated tow
ard us).
3:25a-26 Paul says that there was a reason God accomplished propitiation in
Christ on the cross. It was to demonstrate his righteousness because up to t
his point he had not dealt eternally with the question of man’s sin and gui
lt—he had passed over sins previously committed (thVn pavresin tw'n progego
novtwn aJmarthmavtwn, ten paresin ton progegonoton hamartematon). The cross,
however, is the answer, publicly given, to the accusation that God himself
is sinful since he had not openly dealt with sin.
But in the process of demonstrating his deep seated, eternal hatred for sin—
i.e., his holiness and justice, he is at once the one who condemns sin as we
ll as the one who justifies the person who lives because of the faithfulness
of Christ. The phrase just and the justifier (divkaion kaiV dikaiou'nta, di
kaion kai dikaiounta) might also be rendered, “just, even when he justifies
.…”
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3:27 Paul’s point in v. 27 follows naturally from 3:21-26 and indeed from a
ll the previous material commencing in 1:18. When the apostle asks where the
n is boasting (Pou' ou hJ kauvchsi", pou oun he kauchesis)—a question parti
cularly addressed to the Jews—the answer is rather obvious. Wherever it is,
it is not included in salvation. Indeed, it is excluded (ejxekleivsqh, exek
leisthe), “shut out,” “eliminated,” as it were. There is absolutely no r
oom in one’s salvation for boasting since salvation is, from beginning to e
nd, a work of God on behalf of depraved, lawless people (Eph 2:8-9). The pri
nciple of faith (pistiv", pistis), that is, having to place sheer trust in G
od, as opposed to my own efforts (cf. 4:1ff), by the very nature of the case
, excludes boasting in human achievement.
3:28 Again Paul hammers home his point. A person is declared righteous by fa
ith apart from works of the law (dikaiou'sqai pivstei a[nqrwpon cwriV" e[rgw
n novmou, dikaiousthai pistei anthropon choris ergon nomou). This statement,
along with vv. 29-30, brings to a conclusion what Paul has been arguing thu
s far and prepares the reader for the OT example of Abraham to come in chapt
er 4.
3:29-30 Since God is the God of the Gentiles as well as the Jews, it follows
that justification for all men must come apart from the law which was given
solely to the Jews.
The oneness of God was a belief properly basic to Judaism and proclaimed by
every devout Jew each day (cf. Deut 6:4). Here Paul appeals to this doctrine
, claiming that since God is one (ei|" oJ qeoV", eis ho theos), he must have
the same salvific concern for the Gentile as he does for the Jew. The Judai
sm of Paul’s day, however, did not draw the same conclusion from God’s ess
ential unity. The only way a Gentile could be rightly related to God was to
become a proselyte to Judaism, including coming under the yoke of the Law. A
nd even then, Gentiles were always Gentiles, never quite up to the level of
Jews by birth; in the eyes of the Jew, they had no natural claim on God. Pau
l says, however, that God is interested in the Gentiles apart from the Law a
nd that contrary to certain Jewish expectations, the Gentiles are saved thro
ugh the same faith that saves a Jew.
3:31 It is true that salvation is by grace through faith apart from the Law,
but this does not mean that it has no essential relationship to the Law. Ve
rse 31, due to the ambiguous nature of the comment, has given rise to variou
s interpretations and modifications within similar interpretations. Two impo
rtant questions are: (1) what is its relationship to 4:1ff and (2) what is t
he meaning of “law,” “nullify” and “uphold”? We will treat these quest
ions in reverse order.
First, what is the meaning of “law,” “nullify” and “uphold”? Some argu
e that what Paul means by “law” is the OT as a whole in that it generally
points or testifies to his doctrine of “righteousness by faith apart from t
he works of the law.” The primary support for this idea is that Paul says a
s much in 3:21. The problem with this view, here in v. 31, however, is that
the term law (novmo", nomos) stands alone and is not combined with “prophet
s” (as it is in 3:21) Also, the contrast between “upholding” the law vers
us “nullifying” it is not well established on this meaning. Further, this
interpretation does not seem to give proper weight to the contrast between “
works of the law” and “faith” in its understanding of the function of “l
aw” (as “testifying”) in v. 31. Finally, the text does not say, “the law
is upheld by this faith,” it says “we uphold” [the law by this faith]. T
his makes it unlikely that Paul intends here that our righteousness by faith
was testified to in the OT. This may be true, but here in Romans 3:31 somet
hing other than the prophetic witness of the OT seems to be in mind.
Others argue that faith upholds the law in the sense that since the law cond
emns us all, as Paul argued in 3:19-20, faith alone is the only means of sal
vation. This is what the law was meant to teach us and to assert that salvat
ion is by faith alone is not to nullify the law in its condemnatory role, bu
t it is indeed to establish the truthfulness of the law in its evaluation of
mankind. This, of course, is similar to what Paul teaches in Galatians 3:19
-21, 24. But, it is difficult to see how “nullifying” the law and “uphold
ing” it make much sense in this view.
We have said that the “righteousness of God” refers to a perfect legal sta
nding with God (3:21-25). But Paul has argued that this perfect legal standi
ng with God is not earned by works, rather it is received by faith. But, thi
s doctrine—i.e., that justification comes by faith, not by works of the Law
—has led to many Jews indicting Paul for antinomianism, that is, accusing h
im of a complete disregard for the Law and performing its works. It is to th
is accusation that verse 31 is ultimately directed. In verse 31 Paul is sayi
ng that justification by faith does not nullify obedience to the demands of
God expressed in the Law, rather it upholds those righteous demands and is t
he only way they can truly be met. This interpretation is based on taking La
w in v. 31 as referring to the demand of the law not to its prophetic witnes
s to the present age of salvation nor to its role in exposing sin.
Verse 31, then, brings a conclusion to 3:27-31 and does not lead one directl
y into 4:1ff. The transition to 4:1ff came in 3:27-30. The truth of verse 31
, that faith really upholds the demands of the law, is ambiguous and will be
further unpacked in light of the ministry of the Spirit in 8:4ff and expres
sed in the context of the new community in 13:9-10.
R*o
发帖数: 3781
14
F. Homiletical Idea and Outline
Idea: God’s Righteousness Given to Us by Faith…
I. Is Apart from Any Works We Could Do (3:21)
A. Apart from the Law
B. The Law and the Prophets
II. Is through the Faithfulness of Christ (3:22a)
III. Is for All of Us (3:22b-23)
A. For All Who Believe (3:22b-c)
B. There Is no Distinction (3:22c-23)
IV. Is Freely Given via Christ’s Redemptive Act (3:24)
A. By Grace (3:24)
B. Through the Redemption in Christ (3:24)
V. Is Rooted in God’s Justice (3:25-26)
A. Christ as the Satisfaction for Sin (3:25a)
B. God’s Justice Is not Compromised (3:25b-26)
VI. Excludes Any Boasting (3:27-30)
A. Because Justification Is by Faith (3:27-28)
B. All Men Are Justified by Faith (3:39-30)
VII. Upholds the Law (3:31)
G. Contribution of Passage to Systematic Theology
This passage stands at the very heart of Romans 1:18-15:13 and indeed Paul’
s entire doctrine of soteriology (i.e., salvation). First, justification is
the act of declaring a sinner righteous and acquitting him/her of all charge
s and condemnation. Second, the passage clearly affirms that justification i
s received by faith apart from works of any kind. Third, God justifies sinne
rs by grace on the basis of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Fourth, God
’s wrath against sinners has been totally satiated through Christ’s sacrif
ice. Fifth, in the act of justifying sinners God’s justice has in no way be
en compromised, for the total just payment for sin has been met in Christ. S
ixth, salvation theology and the universal offer of the gospel rest on God’
s essential unity and His position as creator of all men; we must never divo
rce proper creation theology from salvation theology. To do so is to bring a
n end to biblical Christianity. Seventh, faith does not nullify the righteou
s demands of the law. Rather, it is through faith that the holy demands of t
he law are upheld.
H. Contribution of Passage to Discipleship and Church Mission
This passage contributes in numerous ways to discipleship and church mission
. We will mention three. First, we must be sure to continue to teach new Chr
istians (all Christians for that matter) that justification is not something
people earn, but something that is credited to their account when they beli
eve in Christ apart from works. Once a person has been declared righteous by
God, such a declaration forms the basis or foundation upon which God can ap
proach him/her freely and forever. The question of their sin and falling sho
rt (3:23) has been forever answered. Therefore, it is spiritually damaging t
o people to suggest that once God has declared them righteous they can someh
ow lose that freely given status, i.e., lose our salvation (which involves m
ore than "losing the Holy Spirit"). We were sinners when we received God’s
free offer—sinful enough to require a cross as the solution—and we will be
sinners (albeit redeemed) until we are with him in glory.
Second, we must also teach our people that true faith does not nullify the h
oly demands of the law as if to say that trusting in Christ/God leads to law
lessness or a spirit that takes lightly either sin or holiness. On the contr
ary, as we trust deeply in Christ the demands of the law are met in us who d
o not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (8:4).
Third, the gospel is available to all men; it is “for everyone who believes
.” We must give careful thought to reaching out to our neighbors with the g
ospel as well as pouring God-given time, energy, and resources into foreign
missions.39
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
37 See R. Kent Hughes, 1001 Great Stories & Quotes (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 19
98), 191-92.
38 The translation "purposed" is not impossible on the object-complement con
struction, but does not seem to fit as well.
39 The American church as a whole is in bad need of reformulating not only i
t's mission and structures, but more basically, it's theology of itself and
its basic nature. See Craig Van Gelder, The Essence of the Church: A Communi
ty Created by the Spirit (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000).
R*o
发帖数: 3781
15
check this good version

a
chapters;
f
apostl
ap
s
day
wai

【在 R*o 的大作中提到】
: Study By: Greg Herrick
: A. Introduction
: Romans 1:18-3:20 speaks profoundly and frankly into the issue of human sin a
: nd responsibility. The night is very black indeed throughout these chapters;
: there is a deathly chill in the air between God and his creatures and the f
: rightening darkness is looking more permanent with each stroke of the apostl
: e’s pen. But a marked change occurs here in 3:21-31. For the first time (ap
: art from 1:17) we receive hope for daylight, and not just a glimmer of the s
: un and the enjoyment of its heat, but the expectation of a bright, sunny day
: —such as one would experience at noonday. But even here we will have to wai

R*o
发帖数: 3781
16
up

a
chapters;
f
apostl
ap
s
day
wai

【在 R*o 的大作中提到】
: Study By: Greg Herrick
: A. Introduction
: Romans 1:18-3:20 speaks profoundly and frankly into the issue of human sin a
: nd responsibility. The night is very black indeed throughout these chapters;
: there is a deathly chill in the air between God and his creatures and the f
: rightening darkness is looking more permanent with each stroke of the apostl
: e’s pen. But a marked change occurs here in 3:21-31. For the first time (ap
: art from 1:17) we receive hope for daylight, and not just a glimmer of the s
: un and the enjoyment of its heat, but the expectation of a bright, sunny day
: —such as one would experience at noonday. But even here we will have to wai

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