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4. JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH

Paul’s citation of Habakkuk 2:4: ‘The righteous will live by faith’ (1:17) is tempered severely (though, not critically) by his allusion to several Old Testament passages when he writes in Romans 3:10: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one’ (see 3:10-12; cf. Ps. 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccl. 7:20). The immediate inference from these two statements is that there is no one righteous to live by faith. However, a thorough reading of the apostle’s epistle will show that such an inference is indeed mistaken, fortunately. The spiritual scenario is quite different from that which is indicated by the juxtaposition of these two passages.

In putting forth his theology on sin and righteousness, Paul makes a distinction between two kinds of righteousness: 1. a righteousness that comes from observing the law (see 3:20; cf. Phil. 3:9), i.e., a human righteousness which endeavours to keep the law perfectly, or to keep oneself from sin; and, 2. a righteousness that comes from God and which is freely given to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ (3:21-22). We see, then, that with this clarification, the ‘righteous’ in 1:17 is one who is righteous because of his faith in Christ and will live through and in accordance with this faith; but the ‘righteous’ in 3:10 is one who attempts to keep the law but only succeeds in flouting it. Even if such a one were to succeed in keeping the law to a large extent, it is to no avail; because per Paul, justification (i.e., the declaration of righteousness) is strictly by faith and not through observing the law.

How do the Jewish Christians in Rome read Paul when they come to the end of chapter 3 in the epistle? ‘Confused’ will probably be a proper word to describe them. All along they have been instructed to observe the law and were taught that through such observance, goodness, prosperity, longevity of life, and yes, righteousness, will be theirs (see Deut. 6). But now they are being told that ‘no one will be declared righteous by observing the law’ (3:20).

Paul pre-empts this confusion. He insists that justification is by faith. The Jew is justified by faith. The Gentile is justified by faith too. The Jew cannot boast of his ‘righteousness’ through the law. The Gentile, too, cannot boast of his ‘righteousness’ without the law. Both ‘have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (3:23). Both are in need of the justification that comes freely through the grace of God. Both need the redemptive blood of Christ and both need faith in this blood. Paul next discusses his justification principle with the use of Abraham as a case example (chapter 4) and makes several points in the process.

Abraham stands very tall in the Jewish pantheon of patriarchs. He is the ‘Father of the Jews’. But what does Scripture have to say about him relative to righteousness and justification? Paul asks. He answers his own question by citing Genesis 15:6: ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness’ (4:3). Paul accentuates on the word ‘believed’. He argues by way of example that wages are not a gift; but an obligation to be credited to the account of a person who works. Paul’s point is this: Abraham was righteous not because of his works (of merit or righteousness) but because of his faith. He underscores the point when he cites David (4:6-8; cf. Ps. 32:1-2):
      Blessed are they whose trangressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
     Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.

Righteousness or the effect of justification according to Paul then is the action of God not to count any sin against a person who believes in Jesus Christ. Positively, this is equivalent to God crediting righteousness to the believer. This is God’s gift.

Paul next seeks to extend the fatherhood of Abraham to all believers in Christ, and not just the Jews. He points out that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness before he was circumcised and not after. Circumcision, religiously, is a boundary marker for the Jew and it distinguishes him from the Gentile. Abraham, when he received his blessing of righteousness, was uncircumcised. But he assented to circumcision as a seal of the righteousness he received by virtue of his faith (4:11) (and as a covenant sign, see Gen. 17). When both facts are rolled into one, Abraham can truly be ‘the father of all who believe’, both the circumcised and the uncircumcised (4:11).

This point is further shored up by the priority of the promise over the law. The promise came first. The law came later (through Moses). The promise is that Abraham would be the ‘father of many nations’ (4:17; Gen. 17:5). It was accepted by Abraham through faith and not the law. In short, the promise is of faith and by faith. Through God’s grace, this promise is guaranteed to all of Abraham’s offspring - better defined as ‘those who are of the faith of Abraham’. In other words, those who display the same faith as Abraham in God will have righteousness credited to them (see 4:22-25). This is Paul’s doctrine of justification by faith.

Archive
The Romans Series
1. Being the Community of God’s People
2. Ethno-Religious Tensions
3. The Power and the Wrath of God
4. Justification by Faith
5. Justification Brings Blessings
6. While We Were Still Sinners
7. Died to Sin
8. Slaves to Righteousness
9. The Difference of the Spirit
10. The Israel Problem
11. The Gentile Problem
12. Community Living
13. Community Unity
14. Community Ethics
15. Loving the Enemy Ethic
16. Extra-Community Ethics
17. The Weak and the Strong
18. Community Formation
19. Paul, the Minister
20. Gems in Greetings

Articles on The Da Vinci Code, Gnosticism and
the Gospel of Judas
1. The Da Vinci Code: A Christian Response
2. The Nag Hammadi Documents and Gnosticism
3. The Gospel of Judas
4. The Gospel of Judas - A Retake
5. Teachings in the Gospel of Judas Compared (Part 1)
6. Teachings in the Gospel of Judas Compared (Part 2)
7. Teachings in the Gospel of Judas Compared (Part 3)
8. Canonicity and the Gospel of Judas

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