Category: Understanding Romans
(Literal Translation)
But now the righteousness of God has been made known without the Law (which is testified to by the Law and the Prophets) even the righteousness of God by means of faith in Jesus Christ for all of those who believe. Because there is no difference, because all sinned and come short of the glory of God, those who are declared righteous as a gift by His grace by means of the redemption which is by Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly, a propitiation in His blood, by means of faith, for an exhibition of His righteousness, because of the letting go of the former sins in the forbearance of God, toward the exhibition of His righteousness now, at the proper time, for Himself to be just and the justifier of the one from faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26)
(Introduction)
In the introduction to 1:18-3:20, I affirmed the goal of that section to be—to demonstrate that every person is unrighteous and deserves a harsh sentence from the tribunal of God. The apostle has accomplished that goal, and, for the attentive listener, has created a desperate thirst for some good news. The message of 3:21ff is the best news that anyone has ever heard. Drink deeply!
It would be difficult to make too much of the richness of these verses in terms of their theological significance and their contribution to our understanding of how the gospel works, yet the flow of thought can become frustrating as one strives to pursue the path of the prepositional phrases. The following diagram attempts to chart the course of this ponderous pericope.
(Commentary)
21-23 But now… At last! A break in the clouds. The stentorian blasts of thunder are but a murmur fading in the distance. The threatening streaks of lighting have been replaced by warm rays of sunlight. The quaking earth has stilled. The angry torrent has become a gentle breeze. A serene voice hums hopefully…
Man's plight is obvious—every Gentile has sinned against his Creator; every Jew has disobeyed the Law of his King. All men are unrighteous and await the certain, terrifying condemnation of the Lord…
"But!" A happier word was never spoken. Look up the word but in a grammar textbook and you will find that it is a conjunction with adversative force. Oh, what an adversative! “I was stricken with cancer, but now I am healed.” “I was torn apart with despair, but now I am filled with hope.” “I was going to the electric chair, but now I have received a pardon.” But is the biggest little word in the English language.
The righteousness of God has been made known… This phrase harkens back to the theme verses (1:16, 17) where we learned that the gospel brings salvation because "in it the righteousness of God is revealed." There we considered two meanings of righteousness of God: 1) God's justice and 2) God's gift of uprightness. The emphasis here is the latter.
Something has been manifested now (that is, in Paul’s day) which was virtually unknown before; that something is righteousness. Throughout the previous section, Paul examined the righteousness of man and found that it shines like tar. But now the righteousness of God is apparent, not His righteous indignation against the unrighteousness of men, but His gracious bestowal of righteousness upon sinners.
Without the Law… This prepositional phrase had particular import for the Jew because he had just been reminded that no one will be justified by works of the Law. To be told that a possibility of righteousness exists by some means other than the Law would have been good news indeed.
Which is testified to by the Law and the Prophets… The Old Testament bore witness to this alternative means of justification, albeit inconspicuously. Now, however, the fog has lifted, and the gospel may be seen in all of its glory.
The righteousness of God by means of faith… There is a way for sinners to receive God's gift of righteousness. How? By believing the gospel of Jesus Christ. An unrighteous person will be declared righteous by God if he or she believes who Jesus is and what He has done.
Consider the stark contrast between being required to obey myriads of commands and being required to believe the message of Christ. It is no wonder that Jesus Himself said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Trusting that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of the living God, who obeyed the commands of God completely, who died on the cross, who was buried, who rose from the grave alive, and who appeared to many men before ascending into heaven, is undeniably an easier means of justification than perfect obedience to the requirements of God. In Christ, an evildoer finds rest and peace for his guilt-ridden soul, because his sins are forgiven and his Master’s mandate is facile.
For all those who believe… Every person who believes the gospel receives the righteousness of God. And, by way of reminder, Paul adds that no difference exists between Jews and Gentiles in terms of their (dis)obedience.
Because all sinned and come short of the glory of God… The imagery is vivid. The word rendered sin often means "to miss the mark," as an arrow might go wide of its target, or (as in this case) hit the ground before reaching the intended goal. The target for all people is the glory of God, and like shooting for a star, one would have to measure our failure in light years.