Just after writing in Romans 1:16 that the Gospel is God’s power unto salvation to all who believe, Paul says that in it, the Gospel, the “righteousness of God is revealed.” The “righteousness of God” plays a major role in the text before us; the phrase is found four times in 3:21-26. The question before Paul is: How can God be holy (righteous) and forgive man’s sinfulness at the same time?
The righteousness of God is manifested (apart from the Law of Moses) through having faith in Jesus Christ. Consistent with 16:25-27, Paul says this righteousness was witnessed by the Law and the prophets – he’ll quote the OT 60 times in Romans! This righteousness, again, is available to “all who believe.” God makes no distinctions between Jews and Gentiles: “all have sinned and [continue to] fall short of His glory” (3:23).
All those who believe in Jesus Christ are justified as a gift, by His grace, through redemption that is available in Jesus Christ (vs 24). God set Jesus up as our “propitiation,” the word translated “mercy seat” in the Old Testament tabernacle. It was the place of forgiveness on the Day of Atonement. This “propitiation” or “atonement” is available “in His blood” and “through faith.”
This whole process demonstrated the righteousness of God because He “passed over” the sins committed in the OT times, under the law of Moses, knowing that Jesus would come and be the final sacrifice for sin (vs 25). Since Jesus is that sacrifice, then God can be both just (righteous) and justify (make righteous) those who come to God through Him. Jesus accepts our punishment, our alienation from God, for us.
Since the thoughts in that paragraph are true (3:21-26), then boasting is excluded. The “law of faith” excludes boasting. Why? Because we are not the ones who paid the penalty for sin – that’s why! We can only be justified through our faithful response to Jesus Christ. Since that is true, then Gentiles can be saved without the Law of Moses. Jews could be saved “by faith” while Gentiles can be saved “through faith.” There is probably not importance in the change of prepositions but the point is the importance of faith!
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To illustrate the concept of “salvation through faith,” Paul brings up Abraham. He’ll mention Abraham nine times in Romans; this is the first. Abraham is the “father” of the Jews. But Abraham was not justified by works of the law; indeed, he lived before the law was given on Mt Sinai. So, it would be appropriate to say that Abraham was a “gentile” (although those distinctions did not, necessarily, exist before the Law was given).
How was Abraham reckoned as righteous? By faith in the message of God (4:3; quoting the famous passage from Genesis 15:6). That was not a hollow, shallow faith though. If you look at the early recorded life of Abraham, going back to Genesis 12, you see that Abraham lived a faithful, obedient life before 15:6. But Paul’s point is that Abraham was “reckoned as righteous” before and without the Law of Moses and, specifically, without circumcision. We’ll consider that point next Friday…
Your fellow-servant in Christ,
Paul Holland
