How does Romans 3:21 relate to the concept of justification by faith? Romans 3:21 “But now, apart from the Law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, being attested by the Law and the Prophets.” Immediate Literary Setting (Romans 3:19-24) Paul has just demonstrated universal guilt: “every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God” (3:19). Works of the Law cannot justify (3:20). Verse 21 opens the gospel solution—God’s righteousness manifested “now,” climaxing in verse 24: “and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Key Terms in Verse 21 1. “But now” (Νυνὶ δέ): a salvation-historical hinge. The era of promise meets its fulfillment in Christ (cf. Galatians 4:4). 2. “Apart from the Law”: justification is not earned by Sinai obedience (Exodus 19-24) but bestowed independently of human merit (Philippians 3:9). 3. “Righteousness of God” (δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ): God’s own righteous status imputed to the believer (2 Corinthians 5:21) and God’s covenant faithfulness to save (Psalm 98:2 LXX). 4. “Has been revealed” (ἐφανερώθη): perfect tense—historically accomplished and presently abiding. 5. “Attested by the Law and the Prophets”: Genesis-Malachi predicted this very righteousness (Luke 24:44). Old Testament Witnesses to Justification by Faith • Genesis 15:6—“Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Paul cites it directly in Romans 4. • Psalm 32:1-2—David celebrates imputed righteousness apart from works, which Paul echoes (Romans 4:6-8). • Habakkuk 2:4—“the righteous will live by faith.” Quoted in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38. • Isaiah 53—vicarious suffering servant; the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsᵃ, DSS, 2nd c. BC) matches 95% verbatim with our modern Isaiah, confirming textual integrity that undergirds the prophecy Paul sees fulfilled in Christ. Paul’s Argument for Justification by Faith 1. Romans 1-3: Guilt of Gentile and Jew, impossibility of self-righteousness. 2. Romans 3:21-26: God remains just while justifying the ungodly through Christ’s propitiatory death (hilastērion, 3:25). 3. Romans 4: Historical precedent (Abraham, David). 4. Romans 5:1—“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 5. Galatians 2-3: Law shows sin; faith brings promise. Forensic Nature of Justification Greek dikaioō is forensic: a courtroom declaration, not an infusion of moral quality. This aligns with OT court language (Deuteronomy 25:1). Regeneration and sanctification follow, but justification itself is instantaneous and complete (Romans 8:30). Imputation: The Mechanism Christ “became sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). His perfect obedience (Romans 5:19) is credited to believers; their sin imputed to Him at the cross (Isaiah 53:6). Early papyri (P46, AD 175) and major uncials (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus) unanimously read “faith in Jesus Christ” (πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, Romans 3:22), strengthening the textual certainty of faith-based righteousness. Triune Grounding of Justification • Father: source and judge (Romans 8:33). • Son: righteous substitute (Romans 3:24-25). • Spirit: applies the verdict, uniting believer to Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13) and testifying to adoption (Romans 8:16). Historical-Theological Impact Augustine contended with Pelagius; Luther called this “the article on which the church stands or falls.” The 16th-century Reformers cited Romans 3:21 as scriptural warrant for sola fide, codified in the Westminster Confession (11.1-2). Archaeological & Manuscript Corroboration • P46 (Chester Beatty), containing Romans, dates within 150 years of composition—supports textual stability. • The Delphi Inscription (AD 52) synchronizes Gallio’s proconsulship (Acts 18:12), embedding Paul’s life in verifiable history. • Nazareth Inscription (1st c.) forbidding grave-robbery mirrors the Jerusalem tomb context and indirectly attests the empty-tomb milieu presupposed in Paul’s resurrection preaching (1 Corinthians 15), which Romans 4:25 links to justification. Resurrection Nexus “He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25). The empty tomb and post-mortem appearances (agreed upon by 1 Corinthians 15’s pre-Pauline creed, c. AD 35) furnish empirical grounds that God accepted Christ’s atoning work, making justification by faith objectively secure. Philosophical & Behavioral Dimensions A guilt-righteousness exchange meets humanity’s universal moral intuition of falling short (Romans 3:23). Empirical psychology shows people cannot self-absolve persistent guilt; only an external verdict satisfies conscience (Hebrews 9:14). Justification by faith addresses this existential need while safeguarding moral transformation through grateful obedience (Titus 2:11-12). Answering Common Objections • “Doesn’t James 2:24 contradict Paul?” James combats dead orthodoxy; Paul combats legalism. James discusses evidence before people; Paul, standing before God. Context, grammar, and exemplars (Abraham, Rahab) harmonize: faith alone justifies, but justifying faith is never alone. • “Isn’t this license to sin?” Romans 6:1-2 explicitly forbids antinomianism; new life in the Spirit (Romans 8:4) produces holiness. Practical Application 1. Confess inability to achieve righteousness (Isaiah 64:6). 2. Rest solely in Christ’s finished work (John 19:30). 3. Receive the Spirit’s assurance (Ephesians 1:13-14). 4. Walk in grateful obedience (Ephesians 2:10). 5. Proclaim the same offer to others (2 Corinthians 5:20). Summary Romans 3:21 inaugurates the biblical doctrine of justification by faith by unveiling a divine righteousness credited to sinners apart from the Law, anticipated by the entire Old Testament, achieved through the crucified-resurrected Christ, and applied by faith alone. Manuscript integrity, prophetic continuity, historical resurrection evidence, and human psychological need converge to affirm the verse’s message: only in Christ does God graciously and justly declare the believer righteous, for the praise of His glory. |
    |