Wednesday 18 May 2016

The Calling to serve God in Ministry, 2 Corinthians 3 ESV (UK), The In-depth Series



2 Corinthians 3 English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

Ministers of the New Covenant

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our[a] hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.[b]

4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ towards God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us competent[c] to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one[d] turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord[e] is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,[f] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.


The IVP New Testament Commentary Series
Qualifications for Ministry (3:4-6)

It is all too easy to be overly impressed with a list of credentials and to lose sight of the fact that inward change, not outward achievement, is what validates someone in God's eyes. Such a misplaced emphasis often follows from the need for some kind of objective standard by which to evaluate a person's competence. Paul faced this problem as well. So he tries to give the Corinthians an objective standard by which to judge his competency as a minister of the gospel (5:12). But he also recognizes that competency in the ministry is something that is God-given rather than humanly achieved—a fact that is often forgotten in a twentieth-century culture that is oriented toward such overt signs of approval as applause and kudos.

Paul fears that his claim to possess divine references could be construed as overconfidence. To forestall such an allegation he interjects a series of disclaimers. His first disclaimer is that such confidence as he exhibits before God is his only through Christ (v. 4). Before God is better rendered "toward God" (see note). Through Christ (dia tou Christou) defines the basis for his confidence. Paul is probably thinking of his commissioning by Christ on the road to Damascus as apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15-19; 26:12-18). It was a commissioning uniquely his, yet not because of any competency that he himself possessed. Indeed, Paul freely admits elsewhere that he is the "least of the apostles" (1 Cor 15:9) and the "worst of sinners" (1 Tim 1:15). Here he merely states, as a second disclaimer, that he does not possess any competency in and of himself (v. 5). The Greek is literally "not that we are competent to reckon anything as of ourselves" (ouch hoti . . . hikanoi esmen logisasthai ti hos ex heauton). The Greek verb for to reckon means "to credit to one's own abilities." "There is nothing in us that allows us to claim that we are capable of doing this work" (TEV) catches the gist of Paul's statement. Competency in our society is largely determined by whether we are able "to get the job done." Ministerial competency, by contrast, issues not from self but from God, who has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—Paul's third and final disclaimer (vv. 5-6).

Verse 6 functions as a transition to an extended treatment of the superiority of the new covenant or Spirit ministry over the old covenant or letter ministry. The emphasis throughout is on ministry. The terms diakonia (ministry) and diakonos (minister) occur five times in verses 6-11. In fact, close to 40 percent of all Pauline uses of both nominal and verbal forms appear in 2 Corinthians. Paul's point is that competence as a minister lies in the competency of the ministry represented. Paul's competence stems from being a minister of a new covenant. Diathekh should be translated covenant, not "testament" (KJV; corrected in the NKJV), and it should not be capitalized. There were no Old and New Testaments in Paul's day, only "the Scriptures." "New Testament" applies to the Christian writings that were given canonical status alongside the Jewish Scriptures. The process of canonization was a long one. Clement of Alexandria (c. 215) and Origen (c. 250) are the earliest church fathers to distinguish between "old" and "new testament" writings. Canon 59, which was issued by the Synod of Laodicea in A.D. 363, is the first church document to use the phrase "new testament" of a distinct body of literature. The actual phrase "canon of the new testament" does not appear until about A.D. 400 in Macarius Magnes's Apocriticus 4.10 (Belleville 1994:375-76).

The language of new covenant comes from Jeremiah 31:31-34, the only place in the Old Testament where this phrase occurs: " `The time is coming,' declares the LORD, `when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers.'"

A covenant, simply put, is an agreement into which too parties enter. It can be a bilateral agreement between equals or a unilateral arrangement where the terms are dictated by one, superior party. God's covenants with his people are of the latter kind.

The word new (kainos) denotes that which is qualitatively better as compared with what has existed until now (Haarbeck, Link and Brown 1976:670). This is borne out in how Paul describes the new as opposed to the old arrangement between God and his people. The character of the old covenant is that it is of letter (grammatos) and kills. The new covenant, on the other hand, is of Spirit (pneumatos) and gives life. Both nouns are in the genitive case and lack the article. Letter and Spirit are therefore descriptive terms, setting forth the quality or nature of their respective covenants. What is qualitatively better about the new covenant is that it is not a letter covenant—that is, an external code—but a Spirit covenant—that is, an internal power.  A covenant that is letter in nature kills because it makes external demands without giving the inward power for obedience, while a covenant that is Spirit in character gives life because it works internally to produce a change of nature. Paul describes this change of nature elsewhere as a "new self" created "to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph 4:24).

The Superiority of the New Covenant Minister (3:12-18)

At verse 12 Paul turns from a consideration of the merits of the old and new covenants to what it means to be a minister of each. What most likely prompts this discussion is the fact that rival missionaries at Corinth were looking to Moses as the consummate minister. Only in this way can Paul's contrast in verses 12-18 between Moses and the new covenant minister be explained. An additional reason Paul pursues what he does in these verses is the evangelistic conundrum that existed both then and now. One of the most difficult audiences to reach with the gospel today is a Jewish one. This is an amazing fact considering that the gospel is the good news of God's fulfillment through Jesus of his promises to his people Israel. The Jewishness of the gospel is reflected in the early Christian preaching that Jesus is the Messiah of Jewish expectation and in the attempt to prove from the Scriptures that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead (Acts 2:22-36; 13:26-39; 17:2-3; 18:4-5). No one struggled with this conundrum more than Paul. His own success rate among his people was so low that it caused him "great sorrow and unceasing anguish" (Rom 9:1-3). The "why" of this state of affairs was something that constantly preyed on his mind. 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 is a brief version of Paul's lengthier reflections in Romans 9—11.


The Bible Panorama

2 Corinthians 3

V 1–3: SELF-COMMENDATION Paul refers to letters of introduction, often used to assure new churches that those coming to them are authentic Christians. Initially, the false apostles commended themselves. Paul says he needs no letter of commendation when coming to the Corinthian church, because they themselves are his letter of commendation. They are saved because he has been there with the gospel.
 V 4–6: SPIRIT’S CONFIDENCE He quickly adds that his confidence is not based on self-effort, but on what the Holy Spirit has done. His confidence comes because of God’s action through Christ.
V 7–11: STRIKING COMPARISON He then compares the fading glory on Moses’ face after the Ten Commandments were given, with the surpassing lasting glory through the gospel. The Ten Commandments condemn men, but the gospel saves them.
V 12–18: SUPERIOR COVENANT The Old Testament covenant can never unveil a person’s spiritual blindness. That only happens through God the Holy Spirit, when He gives understanding, transforming power, and glory through faith in Christ.

Give me a man of God—one man,
Whose faith is master of his mind,
And I will right all wrongs
And bless the name of all mankind.

Give me a man of God—one man,
Whose tongue is touched with heaven’s fire,
And I will flame the darkest hearts
With high resolve and clean desire.

Give me a man of God—one man,
One mighty prophet of the Lord,
And I will give you peace on earth,
Bought with a prayer and not a sword.

Give me a man of God—…one man,
True to the vision that he sees,
And I will build your broken shrines
And bring the nations to their knees.

- George Liddell


Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender. Yet we tend to say, “Yes, but— suppose I do obey God in this matter, what about . . . ?” Or we say, “Yes, I will obey God if what He asks of me doesn’t go against my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.”
Oswald Chambers


Dictionary of Bible Themes
7944 ministry, qualifications for

God, who calls his people to minister, also equips his people. The chief qualifications are a response to God’s call, faithfulness, godliness and Christlikeness.
God calls people to minister
Qualification is by call, not gifting or achievement Dt 7:7-8 See also Dt 9:4-5
God calls those who the world regards as weak or foolish 1Co 1:27-29

Feelings of inadequacy to God’s call are common Ex 3:11 Moses; Jdg 6:15 Gideon; 1Sa 9:21 Saul; 1Sa 18:18 David; 1Ki 3:7 Solomon; Isa 6:5 Isaiah; Jer 1:6 Jeremiah
Responding to God’s call to minister
Readiness and availability 1Sa 3:10; Isa 6:8

Faith, rather than natural talent or moral perfection, is required Heb 11:1-2 See also Ge 27:19-24 Jacob was a deceiver; Nu 27:12-14 Moses and Aaron disobeyed God. David committed adultery and murder: 2Sa 11:4,14-15
1Ki 11:9-13 Solomon disobeyed God’s command.
NT ministers are recognised by call rather than their achievement
The Twelve Mt 10:1-4 pp Mk 3:14-19 pp Lk 6:12-16 The Twelve, including Peter and Judas, failed Jesus Christ at critical times.
Paul Ac 9:15; Ac 26:6; 2Co 4:7-12; 2Co 12:7 Though greatly gifted, Paul was kept humble by his sense of unworthiness, difficulties and disappointments and his “thorn in the flesh”; 1Ti 1:16

Ministry in the NT is described as service

Serving God Ro 1:9; Jas 1:1
Serving Jesus Christ Ro 1:1; Jude 1; Rev 1:1
Serving the gospel Eph 3:7; Col 1:23
Serving the church Ro 15:31; Ro 16:1; 1Co 16:15; 2Co 9:1; Eph 6:21; Col 1:7,25

Ministry is described in terms of its source, content or nature
Its source It is of the Spirit: 2Co 3:6,8
2Co 4:1 It is from God.
Its content Ac 6:2-4 the word of God; 2Co 5:18 reconciliation
Its nature Apostolic: Ac 1:25; Gal 2:8
Ro 15:16 priestly

Various ministries are equally linked by qualifications of character
Ac 1:21 the replacement for Judas; Ac 6:3 the Seven Overseers: 1Ti 3:2-7; Tit 1:7-9
1Ti 3:8-13 deacons; 1Ti 6:11 Timothy

The personal qualifications for ministry
Faithfulness 1Ti 6:11-14 Timothy; 2Ti 4:7 Paul’s claim for his own ministry “faithful” is the sole description of the ministries of Epaphras and Tychicus: Col 1:7; Col 4:7
Godliness Ac 8:21 Simon was not right with God. Timothy: 1Ti 6:11,20-21
Christlikeness Ac 1:21-22 The replacement apostle for Judas had to have been with Jesus Christ from the beginning.

Encyclopedia of The Bible

MINISTRY.

B. NT terms. When we turn to the NT, we are struck immediately by the obliteration of the OT distinction between professional and non-professional religious service, for here sacerdotalism has yielded to a universal priesthood constituted by Christ and shared alike by all who are united to Him in the bonds of a living faith (Phil 2:17; 1 Pet 2:5, 9; Rev 1:5, 6; 5:10; 20:6). Since there is no longer any elite priestly caste, but ministry is essentially and equally the privileged vocation of all, priestly language generally is applied to the body of believers as a whole.

The NT employs a variety of terms in connection with differing types and functions of ministry, both general and particular. Although each term has its own special shade of meaning, there is considerable overlapping in usage, so that even from a single point of view any number of these terms may be used to designate a particular ministration, or the one who performs it.

1. The most common NT term for ministry is διακονεῖν with its correlates. Originally signifying the service of a table waiter (cf. Luke 12:37; 17:8; John 12:2), in classical Gr. the word generally has a menial connotation. In the NT, however, where the root idea is supplying beneficial service, διακονεῖν is dignified by the highest associations and employed with a wide range of application. Christian apostles are ministers of Christ (1 Cor 3:5; 1 Tim 1:12), while even heathen magistrates are ministers of God (Rom 13:4). Angels are ministering spirits sent forth to serve the heirs of salvation (Heb 1:14). Paul says that Christ became a minister to the circumcised (Rom 15:8), while Jesus described Himself as “one who serves” (Luke 22:27). By contrast with the old ministry of the law which was a ministry of condemnation, a new ministry of the Spirit has now been inaugurated as a ministry of righteousness (2 Cor 3:7-9).

In relation to the Christian community διακονεῖν is used to denote: (1) discipleship in general (John 12:26); (2) the full sweep of ministrations and activities by means of which Christ’s work is carried on in the Church and in the world (Acts 21:19; 1 Cor 16:15; Eph 4:11; Col 4:17; 2 Tim 4:5); (3) the preaching and teaching of the Word (Acts 6:4); (4) a special divine “gift” for various spiritual and temporal services (Rom 12:7; 1 Cor 12:5); (5) specific benevolent ministries such as the distribution of welfare assistance in the church at Jerusalem (Acts 6:1), and contributions from Gentile churches for impoverished believers at Jerusalem (2 Cor 8:4); (6) personal services like those which Tychicus rendered to Paul (Eph 6:21); (7) the office of deacon (Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 3:8, 12).
III. The nature and purpose of ministry

A. Ministry as mission. All ministry, whether of Christ or the Church, is divine in its origin and sanction. In the fourth gospel Jesus characteristically refers to Himself as having been sent by God, thereby claiming both a general divine commission and specific divine authority for utterances and actions which sometimes outraged the religious scruples of His contemporaries (John 5:36, 37; 6:29ff.; 7:28, 29, etc.; cf. Matt 15:24; Mark 9:37; Luke 9:48; 10:16). He employs the same language when commissioning His disciples to carry on His ministry after His Ascension (John 20:21). The Church’s ministry is a mission, and in rendering its service to the world the Church demonstrates its obedience to the command of its Lord (Matt 28:18-20).

B. Ministry as service. To describe the Church’s ministry, the NT writers chose out of various possibilities the word διακονία, G1355, a familiar term for lowly service, which they apply indiscriminately to the service of all believers alike. The comprehensiveness of this term is brought out by its wealth of association in the NT. Apostles and their co-workers are διάκονοι of God (2 Cor 6:4; 1 Thess 3:2), of Christ (2 Cor 11:23; Col 1:7; 1 Tim 4:6), of a new covenant (2 Cor 3:6), of the Gospel (Eph 3:7; Col 1:23), of the Church (1:24, 25), or in an absolute sense (1 Cor 3:5; Eph 6:21; Col 4:7). Ministry likewise is a διακονία, G1355, of apostleship (Acts 1:17, 25), of the Word (Acts 6:4), of the Spirit (2 Cor 3:8), of righteousness (3:9), of reconciliation (5:18), of serving tables (Acts 6:2), and of financial aid for fellow believers in distress (2 Cor 8:4; cf. 8:19, 20). It is received from the Lord (Col 4:17), who calls all His followers to participate in it (Eph 4:12). It should be noted that Christian ministry is not exclusively oriented to the spiritual, but encompasses the physical dimensions of life as well (cf. Rom 15:25).

The spirit of humility which animates Christian ministry, already evident in the term διακονία, G1355, is intensified when believers are called slaves of Christ and of God (Acts 4:29; 1 Cor 7:22; 1 Pet 2:16; cf. Rom 12:11; 1 Thess 1:9). No ground for human vanity and pride remains when even apostles bear the name of slave (Rom 1:1; James 1:1; Jude 1). Yet where gratitude reigns in hearts redeemed by the Lord who took the lowest place of service in love (Phil 2:7, 8), offering His life as a ransom for His own (Mark 10:45), even the calling to be His slave is gladly embraced as the noblest, most privileged vocation of all.

B. The charismatic character of ministry. The NT identifies all forms of ministry as divine “gifts” (χάρισμα, G5922, grace-gift) of the ascended Lord who bestows them on the Church through His Spirit (Eph 4:7-12). These gifts, which are wholly of grace—the same grace which is the source of the believer’s justification
1. Necessity. Possession of a supernatural endowment of the Spirit is indispensable for effective ministry. The NT envisions no possibility of service whatever apart from the Spirit’s gifts. It is misleading, therefore, to distinguish between so-called “charismatic ministries” (prophecy, tongues, miracles, etc.) and “non-charismatic” ministerial orders (elder and deacon). All of the essential functions associated with ministerial orders in the NT are included in the Pauline catalogues of spiritual gifts (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:4-11, 28-31; 14:1ff.; Eph 4:11, 12). The same apostle further regarded elders, who presumably held their office by some manner of human selection and ordination, as appointed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28). Since the apostolic Church required satisfactory evidence that a person was filled with the Holy Spirit before entrusting him with the most ordinary service (6:3), one may assume that candidates for official ministerial orders were chosen from among those persons in whom the Spirit’s gifts were most conspicuous. In any event, all ministry is charismatic, so that it is the Spirit’s gifts which decisively qualify men for service.

2. Diversity. All gifts originate with the same Spirit; however, they display a diversity which accords with the division of labor within the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:4-11). The grace of the Spirit assumes many varieties of forms and flows through many different channels. Although useful in their own right, not all gifts are of equal value. Paul regarded tongues, for example, as inferior to prophecy (1 Cor 14:1-5), while esteeming love as the highest gift of all (1 Cor 13, which follows without interruption the detailed discussion of gifts in ch. 12).

3. Universality. Just as every organ in the human body performs its own unique function, so every member of the body of Christ has his special contribution to make to the well-being and usefulness of the whole (1 Cor 12:7; Eph 4:7, 16; 1 Pet 4:10). The NT is entirely innocent of the common distinction between clergy and laity, which regards the clergy as “ministers” and the laity as mere spectators. Laity (λαός, G3295) means the people of God and embraces all members of Christ’s body, while all members are His servants. In sovereign freedom the Spirit distributes to individual believers the gifts that render their service possible (1 Cor 12:11). While the same believer may possess multiple endowments (2 Tim 1:11), there is no monopoly of the Spirit’s gifts. Every believer has one gift or more, held in trust for the common good.

4. Sufficiency. All ministry is designed to build up the body of Christ in living union with its Head (1 Cor 14:3ff.; Eph 4:11, 12). Determined in accordance with this purpose, the Spirit’s gifts are by their very nature and bestowal the pledge and guarantee of its fulfillment. Nothing else is needed. Drawing on its vast wealth of spiritual resources the ministering Church advances toward its completeness in Christ.

C. Varieties of spiritual gifts. Of the several passages in which Paul catalogues the Spirit’s gifts three deserve special notice. Romans 12:6-8 lists prophecy, service (διακονία, G1355), teaching, exhortation, liberality, giving of aid (rule, KJV, or management), and acts of mercy. 1 Corinthians 12:28-31 mentions apostles, prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, healers, helpers, administrators, speakers in tongues, and interpreters of tongues. Ephesians 4:11, 12 specifies apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.

4. Teachers and Pastors. That persons who had the gift of teaching were highly esteemed in the apostolic Church is evident from their association with apostles and prophets (Acts 13:1; 1 Cor 14:28; cf. 1 Tim 2:7; 2 Tim 1:11). Including women in their number (Titus 2:3-5), they gave instruction in matters of Christian faith and ethical duty. In the Gentile churches esp. they trained converts from paganism in the knowledge and interpretation of the OT, while they also expounded the words of Jesus and the apostolic doctrine contained in the growing body of tradition. They sometimes actively participated in the services of worship (1 Cor 14:26), but much of their ministry was conducted more informally among groups of believers. In Ephesians 4:11 teachers are also called “pastors” (ποιμήν, G4478, shepherd), a term which suggests general oversight of a local congregation, as well as instruction.

SOVEREIGN GOD,

Thy cause, not my own, engages my heart,
      and I appeal to thee with greatest freedom
  to set up thy kingdom in every place
    where Satan reigns;
Glorify thyself and I shall rejoice,
  for to bring honour to thy name is my sole desire.
I adore thee that thou art God,
  and long that others should know it, feel it,
    and rejoice in it.
O that all men might love and praise thee,
  that thou mightest have all glory
    from the intelligent world!
Let sinners be brought to thee for thy dear name!
To the eye of reason everything respecting
    the conversion of others is as dark as midnight,
But thou canst accomplish great things;
  the cause is thine,
  and it is to thy glory that men should be saved.
Lord, use me as thou wilt,
  do with me what thou wilt;
    but, O, promote thy cause,
  let thy kingdom come,
  let thy blessed interest be advanced
    in this world!
O do thou bring in great numbers to Jesus!
  let me see that glorious day,
  and give me to grasp for multitudes of souls;
  let me be willing to die to that end;
  and while I live let me labour for thee
    to the utmost of my strength,
    spending time profitably in this work,
    both in health and in weakness.
It is thy cause and kingdom I long for,
    not my own.

Valley of Vision, Banner of Truth

I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" —Isaiah 6:8

When we talk about the call of God, we often forget the most important thing, namely, the nature of Him who calls. There are many things calling each of us today. Some of these calls will be answered, and others will not even be heard. The call is the expression of the nature of the One who calls, and we can only recognize the call if that same nature is in us. The call of God is the expression of God’s nature, not ours. God providentially weaves the threads of His call through our lives, and only we can distinguish them. It is the threading of God’s voice directly to us over a certain concern, and it is useless to seek another person’s opinion of it. Our dealings over the call of God should be kept exclusively between ourselves and Him.


The call of God is not a reflection of my nature; my personal desires and temperament are of no consideration. As long as I dwell on my own qualities and traits and think about what I am suited for, I will never hear the call of God. But when God brings me into the right relationship with Himself, I will be in the same condition Isaiah was. Isaiah was so attuned to God, because of the great crisis he had just endured, that the call of God penetrated his soul. The majority of us cannot hear anything but ourselves. And we cannot hear anything God says. But to be brought to the place where we can hear the call of God is to be profoundly changed.

Ephesians 4:11-16English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)


11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[a] and teachers,[b] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[c] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Read more of the series here


Tuesday 17 May 2016

ROGUE ONE: A Star Wars Story TRAILER (2016)

Jesus paid it all , all to Him I owe The Believer's Justification & Propitiation, Romans 3 NASB, The In-depth Series



Romans 3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

All the World Guilty

3 Then what [a]advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What then? If some [b]did not believe, their [c]unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written,

“That You may be justified in Your words,
And prevail when You [d]are judged.”

5 But if our unrighteousness [e]demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? [f]Their condemnation is just.

9 What then? [g]Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written,

“There is none righteous, not even one;
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17 And the path of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are [h]under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works [i]of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for [j]through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.



Calvary Covers it all, Hillsongs


Justification by Faith

21 But now apart [k]from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [l]who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all [m]have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a [n]propitiation [o]in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, [p]because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who [q]has faith in Jesus.

27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 [r]For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works [s]of the Law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God who will justify the [t]circumcised [u]by faith and the [v]uncircumcised through faith is one.

31 Do we then nullify [w]the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.


NIV Application Commentary

The Righteousness of God by Faith (3:21–22a)

In verses 21–22a, Paul reveals the very heart of the good news: God’s righteousness is available to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. This righteousness is the same as Paul already announced in 1:17. It is better translated “the righteousness of God.” Paul refers to a definite “righteousness”: the process by which God acts to put people in right relationship with himself. The “but now” that opens the paragraph contrasts the situation in the time period before Christ, which Paul has described in the previous chapters, with the situation that now exists after his coming (see also 1 Cor. 15:20; Eph. 2:13; Col. 1:22). In other words, Christ’s coming announces a decisive shift in salvation history.

God’s plan of salvation unfolds in stages—a “history”—and the coming of Jesus the Messiah inaugurates a new stage in that plan. Paul elaborates this idea in the two contrasting phrases “apart from law” and “to which the Law and the Prophets testify.” Some interpreters think Paul is saying that God has made known a new kind of righteousness—one that is “apart from law,” that is, a righteousness not based on the law (the niv translation suggests this interpretation). But it fits Paul’s focus on salvation history better to take the phrase with the verb “make known”; note the nab rendering, that “the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law.” “Law,” then, as usually in Paul, refers to the Mosaic law.

Paul beautifully captures in just a few words the continuity and discontinuity in God’s plan of salvation. The discontinuity? God reveals his righteousness in Christ “apart from” the law of Moses. Like the “old wineskins” of Jesus’ parable (Mark 2:22), the Mosaic covenant simply cannot contain the “new wine” of the gospel. The continuity? The entire Old Testament (“the Law and the Prophets”) testifies to this new work of God in Christ. The cross is no afterthought, no “Plan B”; it has been God’s intention from the beginning to reveal his saving righteousness by sending his Son as a sacrifice for us.

At the beginning of verse 22, Paul reiterates another point already made in 1:17: This righteousness of God is available only “through faith.” Now, however, Paul is more explicit: God’s righteousness “comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” The translation “faith in Jesus Christ” appears in almost all modern translations. But another translation is possible and is being supported by a growing number of scholars: “faith of Jesus Christ.” The debated construction is a genitive: pisteos Iesou Christou. The niv takes this genitive to be “objective”; that is, “Jesus Christ” is the object of the noun “faith.” But it can equally well be a “subjective” genitive, with Jesus Christ being the subject of “faith” (note the identical construction in 4:16, pisteos Abraam, which means “the faith Abraham exercised”).

This alternative is particularly attractive here because it removes what otherwise seems to be a needless repetition: “faith in Jesus Christ” and “to all who believe.” Paul would then be making clear that our salvation comes about both because of Christ’s “faith” or “faithfulness” to the task God gave him to do as well as from our faith in him. This idea is theologically acceptable, and Paul does use the noun pistis to refer to God’s faithfulness in 3:3.

Other considerations, however, lead me to keep the usual translation here, “faith in Jesus Christ.” In the present context Paul consistently uses pistis to denote the response of believers to God (see, e.g., 3:25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31; also throughout ch. 4). Moreover, Paul’s failure ever to make Jesus the subject of the verb pisteuo (believe, entrust) makes it difficult to think that Iesou Christou is a subjective genitive. Adding “to all who believe” is not needless repetition, because Paul continues to be especially concerned to show that God’s work in Christ is for everyone. His righteousness is “activated” only for those who believe, but it is also for all those who believe.

The Backdrop of Universal Sinfulness (3:22b–23)

Why does God’s righteousness need to be available for “all who believe”? Because “all have sinned.” Paul here inserts a brief reminder of his teaching in 1:18–3:20, which we need to understand to appreciate the universal dimensions of the gospel. As Paul has argued, there is no basic “difference” or “distinction” (diastole; see also 10:12) between people, especially between Jew and Gentile. All are under sin’s power, and all “fall short of the glory of God.”

God’s glory (doxa) in the Bible is, first of all, his own awesome presence. But the Bible teaches that God’s people are destined to share in that glory; thus doxa also describes the eternal destiny of believers (see esp. Rom. 8:18; Phil. 3:21; 2 Thess. 2:14). Jewish texts speak of Adam’s having lost the “glory” of being like God at the time of the Fall, and all human beings since him share that fate. But what the first Adam lost, the second Adam, Christ, will restore.

Matthew Henry's Commentary

Verses 19-31

2. But now how is this for God’s glory?

(1.) It is for the glory of his grace (Rom. 3:24): Justified freely by his grace—dorean te autou chariti. It is by his grace, not by the grace wrought in us as the papists say, confounding justification and sanctification, but by the gracious favour of God to us, without any merit in us so much as foreseen. And, to make it the more emphatic, he says it is freely by his grace, to show that it must be understood of grace in the most proper and genuine sense. It is said that Joseph found grace in the sight of his master (Gen. 39:4), but there was a reason; he saw that what he did prospered. There was something in Joseph to invite that grace; but the grace of God communicated to us comes freely, freely; it is free grace, mere mercy; nothing in us to deserve such favours: no, it is all through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. It comes freely to us, but Christ bought it, and paid dearly for it, which yet is so ordered as not to derogate from the honour of free grace. Christ’s purchase is no bar to the freeness of God’s grace; for grace provided and accepted this vicarious satisfaction.

(2.) It is for the glory of his justice and righteousness (Rom. 3:25, 26): Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, etc. Note, [1.] Jesus Christ is the great propitiation, or propitiatory sacrifice, typified by the hilasterion, or mercy-seat, under the law. He is our throne of grace, in and through whom atonement is made for sin, and our persons and performances are accepted of God, 1 John 2:2. He is all in all in our reconciliation, not only the maker, but the matter of it—our priest, our sacrifice, our altar, our all. God was in Christ as in his mercy-seat, reconciling the world unto himself. [2.] God hath set him forth to be so. God, the party offended, makes the first overtures towards a reconciliation, appoints the days-man; proetheto—fore-ordained him to this, in the counsels of his love from eternity, appointed, anointed him to it, qualified him for it, and has exhibited him to a guilty world as their propitiation. See Matt. 3:17; 17:5. [3.] That by faith in his blood we become interested in this propitiation. Christ is the propitiation; there is the healing plaster provided. Faith is the applying of this plaster to the wounded soul. And this faith in the business of justification hath a special regard to the blood of Christ, as that which made the atonement; for such was the divine appointment that without blood there should be no remission, and no blood but his would do it effectually. Here may be an allusion to the sprinkling of the blood of the sacrifices under the law, as Exod. 24:8. Faith is the bunch of hyssop, and the blood of Christ is the blood of sprinkling. [4.] That all who by faith are interested in this propitiation have the remission of their sins that are past. It was for this that Christ was set forth to be a propitiation, in order to remission, to which the reprieves of his patience and forbearance were a very encouraging preface. Through the forbearance of God. Divine patience has kept us out of hell, that we might have space to repent, and get to heaven. Some refer the sins that are past to the sins of the Old-Testament saints, which were pardoned for the sake of the atonement which Christ in the fulness of time was to make, which looked backward as well as forward. Past through the forbearance of God. It is owing to the divine forbearance that we were not taken in the very act of sin. Several Greek copies make en te anoche tou Theou—through the forbearance of God, to begin Rom. 3:26; and they denote two precious fruits of Christ’s merit and God’s grace:—Remission: dia ten paresin—for the remission; and reprieves: the forbearance of God. It is owing to the master’s goodness and the dresser’s mediation that barren trees are let alone in the vineyard; and in both God’s righteousness is declared, in that without a mediator and a propitiation he would not only not pardon, but not so much as forbear, not spare a moment; it is owning to Christ that there is ever a sinner on this side hell. [5.] That God does in all this declare his righteousness. This he insists upon with a great deal of emphasis: To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness. It is repeated, as that which has in it something surprising. He declares his righteousness, First, In the propitiation itself. Never was there such a demonstration of the justice and holiness of God as there was in the death of Christ. It appears that he hates sin, when nothing less than the blood of Christ would satisfy for it. Finding sin, though but imputed, upon his own Son, he did not spare him, because he had made himself sin for us, 2 Cor. 5:21. The iniquities of us all being laid upon him, though he was the Son of his love, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, Isa. 53:10. Secondly, In the pardon upon that propitiation; so it follows, by way of explication: That he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth. Mercy and truth are so met together, righteousness and peace have so kissed each other, that it is now become not only an act of grace and mercy, but an act of righteousness, in God, to pardon the sins of penitent believers, having accepted the satisfaction that Christ by dying made to his justice for them. It would not comport with his justice to demand the debt of the principal when the surety has paid it and he has accepted that payment in full satisfaction. See 1 John 1:9. He is just, that is, faithful to his word.

Asbury Bible Commentary
A. Righteousness Through Faith (3:21-26)

Against the background of sin and judgment, another aspect of God's righteousness is revealed. As in the OT, the righteousness of God provides salvation for human beings.

But now (v. 21) marks both temporal and logical contrasts with the preceding section. Before this time, God's righteousness in providing salvation was not yet manifested. It was revealed only as the wrath of God. Yet the wrath of God is not entirely in the past. There still will be a future wrath of God (5:9). Therefore, the contrast is not merely temporal. It is logical as well.

Through his provision of salvation, God grants to men and women the good standing of right relationship with him. This relationship is not earned by them through the works of the law of the OT. Yet the OT testifies to it. It is a free gift of God. All who believe can receive it through faith in Jesus Christ.

This provision of salvation is necessary because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (v. 23). In v. 23 Paul summarizes 1:18-3:20. In 1:18-3:20 Paul indicates that men and women refuse to acknowledge and glorify God. The Jews' lack of obedience to the law is a manifestation of this negative attitude toward God.

Fundamentally, sin is not relating to God properly. The relationship between God and human beings is estranged. As a result, they fall short of the glory God intended for them to have—the glory Adam had before his fall (Barrett, 74). This includes the good standing of right relationship with God, which issues in intimate fellowship with him. When that relationship was destroyed, God made a provision through Jesus Christ so that he could graciously grant to them the good standing of right relationship with him. The granting of this relationship is called justification. In this section Paul uses two concepts to explain the provision God made in Jesus Christ.

The first concept is redemption (v. 24), which is release of a captive by payment of a price or ransom (Clarke, on v. 24). The redemption came by Christ Jesus. He came to give his life as a ransom for many (Mt 20:28). The recipient of the ransom price is not a part of this concept. God redeemed Israel from Egypt (Ex 15:13). However, God never paid any ransom to the Egyptians. The expression merely indicates that it cost God something to bring Israel out of Egypt. Probably this is the meaning of God's redeeming Israel with an outstretched arm (Ex 6:6). Likewise, Paul merely indicates that it cost God a great deal, the life of his own Son, to provide this salvation. What we are freed from is treated later in Romans.

The second concept is sacrifice of atonement (v. 25). This is a translation of the Greek word hilastērion. The NIV footnote indicates two possible interpretations: as the one who would turn aside his wrath or taking away sin. NASB translates it as propitiation, and RSV as expiation. A person who is angry or offended is propitiated, i.e., appeased. Propitiation may refer to the gift given to appease or to the act of appeasing the angry or offended person. Sin and guilt that weigh upon the conscience of an offender are expiated, i.e., removed or wiped away. Expiation refers to the means or the act of removing the sin and guilt.

The Bible Panorama

Romans 3

V 1–8: ADVANTAGED? This chapter asks a lot of questions. First, if acceptance with God is a circumcision of the heart, and not an outward circumcision, what advantage does a Jew have in being a member of the circumcision? Paul confirms the great privileges of being a physical Jew. Of course, he knows this as a Jew himself. They have the Scriptures as the ‘oracles of God’. The sinful unbelief of some of the Jews does not negate God’s faithfulness in giving them these privileges. The very sinfulness of the Jews demonstrates the wonder of those Scriptures and the righteous and holy standards of God by which they are judged. That is not to say that Jews must sin more to make God’s standards of holiness appear greater. God loves holiness and will judge the world for being unholy.

 V 9–20: BETTER? Paul asks if Jews are better than Gentiles, and concludes, ‘Not at all.’ Everyone is unrighteous, self-seeking not God-seeking, practising evil in word and deed, and living without the conscious fear of God. As the whole world is guilty, then there is no one in the world who can be justified by anything he or she does.

 V 21–26: CHRIST Only Jesus Christ can justify a sinner, be he Gentile or Jew. Given that ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’, it is the righteousness of God, put to our account when we put our faith in Christ, that is seen by God as ours and justifies us because we have no righteousness of our own. Not only that, but Christ shed His blood as a ‘propitiation’. That means that, when Christ died on the cross for our sins, our wicked rebellion that offended our holy God was punished by His wrath falling on Christ in our place. Thus cleansed by His precious blood and with His righteousness put to our account, we find that, as we put our faith in Him, we are justified by Him who is both just and the Justifier.


 V 27–31: DIFFERENCE? The six questions put in this short section basically ask a more fundamental question: what difference does this make? It excludes boasting because we are justified by faith, not by our own deeds. He is the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews because all can come to Him by faith. God’s law is not annulled by faith in Christ, but rather it is fulfilled, because His just sacrifice fulfils the law for us. We have a desire to walk in that law through Christ, not in order to be justified, but to obey Him.

Dictionary of Bible Themes

6677 justification, necessity of

Sinful, law-breaking humanity needs a means of justification because of its failure to keep God’s law and live up to God’s requirements.

Justification in human relationships

The acquittal of the innocent Dt 25:1 See also Pr 17:15; Isa 43:9,26; Ro 8:33

Justification of oneself Job 32:2 See also Lk 10:29; Lk 16:15; Lk 18:9-14

The need for justification

The reality of God’s righteousness Ps 11:7 See also Ps 33:5; Ps 35:28; Jer 23:6; Mt 6:33; Jn 17:25; Ro 1:17; Ro 3:22

The reality of God’s justice Ps 9:8 See also Job 36:3; Ps 11:7; Ps 33:5; Isa 5:16; Jer 9:24; Lk 18:7; Rev 19:11

The reality of God’s judgment Ge 18:25 See also Jdg 11:27; Ps 51:4; Mic 6:2; Mt 12:36; Ro 2:16

The reality of God’s law Jas 4:12 See also Ex 20:2-17 pp Dt 5:6-21; Ps 19:7; Isa 33:22; Ro 7:12,16; Ro 8:3-4; 1Ti 1:8

Human guilt shows the need for justification

Ps 143:2 See also Ro 3:23; 1Jn 1:8,10

People are unable to justify themselves, even through the law

Isa 64:6; Ro 3:20-21; Gal 2:15-16 See also Am 4:4; Mt 5:20; Lk 10:29; Lk 16:15; Lk 18:9-14; Ro 1:17; Ro 3:20; Gal 2:21; Gal 3:2-3; Gal 2:11 Paul opposes Peter’s position on circumcision; Gal 5:4; Php 3:4-8

6678 justification, and Jesus Christ’s work

On account of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the demands of the law of God are met, and believers are granted the status of being righteous in the sight of God.

Justification is grounded in the death of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ’s death shields believers from God’s wrath Ro 5:9 See also Ro 3:24; Ro 4:25; Ro 5:18; 1Pe 2:24

Jesus Christ’s death fulfils the demands of the law of God Ro 8:3-4 See also Ro 3:25-26; Gal 3:13; 1Jn 2:2

Justification is grounded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Ro 4:25; Ro 10:9-10 See also Ac 2:22-39; Ac 4:10-12; Ac 17:30-31; 1Pe 3:18-21

Justification means believers are reckoned as righteous through the death of Jesus Christ

Ro 5:19; 1Co 1:30; 2Co 5:21 See also 1Co 6:9-11; Php 3:8-9 The term “imputation” is used to refer to the process by which God treats believers as being righteous in his sight on account of Jesus Christ’s death.

Justification is received by faith

Ro 1:17 pp Gal 3:11 See also Hab 2:4; Ro 5:1; Eph 2:8

The example of Abraham Ge 15:6 See also Ro 4:1-5,9-22; Gal 3:6-9,16-18

The example of David Ro 4:6-8; Ps 32:1-2

Apostolic teaching on the need of faith for justification Ac 13:39 See also Ro 3:22,25,27-30; Ro 4:5; Ro 5:1; Ro 9:30-32; Ro 10:10; 1Co 6:11; Gal 2:16; Gal 3:8,14; Eph 2:8

Justification is a gift of God’s grace

Ro 3:24 See also Ro 5:15-17; Ro 8:33; Tit 3:7

Not by works or the law Gal 3:11 See also Ro 3:20; Ro 4:5; Gal 2:16,21; Gal 3:2-5,24; Gal 5:4-6; Eph 2:8-9

Dictionary of Bible Themes

6712 propitiation
The satisfaction of the righteous demands of God in relation to human sin and its punishment through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ upon the cross, by which the penalty of sin is cancelled and the anger of God averted. [The NIV is distinctive at this point, in that it generally translates this term by “atonement” and related words.].

The need for propitiation: God’s anger against sin

Ps 7:11; Ro 2:5 See also Ex 32:11-14; Nu 32:8-15; Dt 6:14-15; 2Ki 23:26; Ps 78:38; Isa 30:27-31; Da 9:16-19; Hos 11:8-9; Mt 25:41-46; Jn 3:36; Ro 1:18; Eph 5:6

The provision of propitiation: Jesus Christ the atoning sacrifice

The promise in the OT Isa 53:5-6 See also Isa 53:10-12

The fulfilment in the NT Ro 3:21-26 See also Ro 5:9-10; Col 1:21-22; Heb 2:17; Heb 9:11-14; 1Jn 2:2

The motivation for propitiation: God’s love

1Jn 4:10 See also Ps 85:2-3; Ps 103:8-12; Mic 7:18-19; Ro 5:6-8; 2Co 5:19

  
Easton’s Bible Dictionary

Justification

a forensic term, opposed to condemnation. As regards its nature, it is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon (q.v.) of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law (Rom. 5:1-10).

It proceeds on the imputing or crediting to the believer by God himself of the perfect righteousness, active and passive, of his Representative and Surety, Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:3-9). Justification is not the forgiveness of a man without righteousness, but a declaration that he possesses a righteousness which perfectly and for ever satisfies the law, namely, Christ's righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 4:6-8).

The sole condition on which this righteousness is imputed or credited to the believer is faith in or on the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is called a "condition," not because it possesses any merit, but only because it is the instrument, the only instrument by which the soul appropriates or apprehends Christ and his righteousness (Rom. 1:17; 3:25, 26; 4:20, 22; Phil. 3:8-11; Gal. 2:16).

The act of faith which thus secures our justification secures also at the same time our sanctification (q.v.); and thus the doctrine of justification by faith does not lead to licentiousness (Rom. 6:2-7). Good works, while not the ground, are the certain consequence of justification (6:14; 7:6).

Encyclopedia of The Bible

JUSTIFICATION (δικαίωσις, G1470, justification; δικαιοῦν, to justify). In Christian theology justification is that act of God by which the sinner, who is responsible for his guilt and is under condemnation but believes in Christ, is pronounced just and righteous, or acquitted, by God the judge (Rom 3:28; 4:25; 5:16, 18; 8:28-34). In the Scriptures God justifies by grace, for Christ’s sake, through faith.

14. Summary of doctrine of justification. The following items or aspects may be considered a summary of the doctrine of justification as taught in the Holy Scriptures: (1) Justification is an act of God. In both the OT and NT, God is the initiator and actor in the Covenant and man’s salvation. It is a once-for-all act which is already accomplished in Christ (Rom 5:16-18). (2) Justification is a forensic act of God. God declares the sinner or the ungodly righteous in His sight (5:8). (3) Justification is based upon the atonement of Christ. God justifies a sinner for Christ’s sake. Without the substitutionary atonement of Christ God could not forgive the sinner all his sins without being unjust (3:24). (4) Justification is objective or universal. In the Gospel God offers the forgiveness of sins gained by Christ to the whole world (John 3:16). Personal or subjective justification is impossible without universal justification. (5) Justification is remission or forgiveness of sins. Justification is the same as forgiveness of sins. God does not count man’s sins against him but forgives them and sets him free (Rom 4:7, 8). (6) Justification is remission of punishment. The justified believer is declared free from the demands of the law and all condemnation resulting from sin against the law (3:25; 6:7).

It is more than pardon of sin, but a declaration by God. The sinner, though guilty, is relieved of the consequences of his guilt and sin.

(7) Justification is reconciliation of the sinner to God. Justification by faith restores the sinner to personal relationship with God as Father. Mere acquittal or remission of sin would be tantamount to discharging a criminal from the court room in alienation. Justification implies that God looks upon a sinner as if he had not sinned since he is again His child (Luke 15:1ff.; Gal 3:6; 2 Cor 5:19, 20). (8) Justification is imputation of God’s righteousness. Since the sinner has no righteousness of his own by which to be justified in God’s spiritual court, the salvation which Christ wrought through His life and works is imputed to the Christian as his own righteousness (Rom 3:25, 26; 2 Cor 5:19, 20). (9) Justification excludes salvation by works. Scripture not only teaches that man is justified without works, but also denounces any introduction of works into God’s justification (Rom 10:2, 3; Gal 3:10-14; 5:4). (10) Justification presupposes God’s universal grace. By grace God justified man and not because of the influence of man on God (Eph 1:1-4). God loves and therefore justifies all men alike (John 3:16). (11) Justification is by faith. The fact that justification is “by faith alone” does not exclude God’s grace, Christ’s work, or the means of grace (Word and Sacrament). Being justified by grace, for Christ’s sake, through the Gospel, is being justified by faith alone to the exclusion of works. Faith alone is the instrument of receiving justification so that works are excluded (Rom 3:28; Eph 2:8-10). (12) Justification is bestowed through the means of grace. Although God justifies man, He offers His justification through the Word of the Gospel and the sacraments. Justification is pronounced in the Word of the Gospel (Rom 10:5-12). (13) Just ification is followed by good works and a life of faith. Although the presence of good works is not the condition to receive justification, justification through the Gospel by faith offers the power of the Holy Spirit in men’s lives so that they lead a life of good works (James 2:14, 15; Rom 6:1-6). (14) Justification is central to all Christian teaching. The teachings of God; the person and work of Christ, sin, anthropology, Word and Sacrament, law and Gospel, are all involved in the doctrine of justification. In this broad sense, “justification by faith” is theological shorthand for the various terms and concepts of Scripture to describe the entire action of God for man’s salvation. See Atonement.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Propitiation

that by which God is rendered propitious, i.e., by which it becomes consistent with his character and government to pardon and bless the sinner. The propitiation does not procure his love or make him loving; it only renders it consistent for him to execise his love towards sinners.

In Rom. 3:25 and Heb. 9:5 (A.V., "mercy-seat") the Greek word _hilasterion_ is used. It is the word employed by the LXX. translators in Ex. 25:17 and elsewhere as the equivalent for the Hebrew _kapporeth_, which means "covering," and is used of the lid of the ark of the covenant (Ex. 25:21; 30:6). This Greek word (hilasterion) came to denote not only the mercy-seat or lid of the ark, but also propitation or reconciliation by blood. On the great day of atonement the high priest carried the blood of the sacrifice he offered for all the people within the veil and sprinkled with it the "mercy-seat," and so made propitiation.

In 1 John 2:2; 4:10, Christ is called the "propitiation for our sins." Here a different Greek word is used (hilasmos). Christ is "the propitiation," because by his becoming our substitute and assuming our obligations he expiated our guilt, covered it, by the vicarious punishment which he endured. (Comp. Heb. 2:17, where the expression "make reconciliation" of the A.V. is more correctly in the R.V. "make propitiation.")

Encyclopedia of The Bible

PROPITIATION (ἱλασμός, G2662, propitiation; καταλλαγή, G2903, reconciliation). The word propitiation is closely related to the word expiation. The difference in meaning may be summarized as follows: a person who is angry or offended is propitiated, i.e., appeased; whereas sin and guilt, which weigh upon the conscience of the offender are expiated, i.e., removed or wiped away. A significant debate in current Biblical and theological studies concerns the question of whether or not the Bible ever speaks of God being propitiated. Because of this difference of opinion, the same passages of Scripture are sometimes tr. with the word “propitiation” that are rendered in other VSS by “expiation” (see Rom 3:25; 1 John 2:2; 4:10, where the KJV has “propitiation” and the RSV has “expiation”). In like manner, the same passages cited in an article on propitiation are in another article cited to illumine the idea of expiation. Behind this striking lack of concensus is a fundamental theological issue; namely how shall one conceive of the wrath of God?

In this context of God’s personal activity, hilaskomai and its derivatives, when used in the NT to interpret the work of Christ, should be understood in the sense of propitiation of the divine wrath. Perhaps the most important passage in this regard is Romans 3:25 (KJV). Paul is saying that God has set forth Christ as a “mercy seat” for sinners. He employs the same Gr. word, hilasterion, that is used in the LXX to designate the cover on the Ark that was the “place of propitiation” in the Day of Atonement ritual. Since, however, in this passage, Paul is not discussing the details of the sacrificial system, and since it is somewhat complicated to think of Christ as both the sacrifice and the place where the sacrifice was offered, many scholars prefer to understand the passage to say, Whom God set forth to be a “propitiatory sacrifice,” or a “propitiation,” through faith in His blood. In any case, the general meaning is that those who are out of favor are restored to favor, because of a change of mind, not in those who by faith plead the blood, but in the One to whom it is offered.

With this interpretation agrees the affirmation in Hebrews 2:17, where it is said that Christ had to share in our human nature, “in order that he might make propitiation with reference to the sins of the people” (orig. tr.). There being no direct reference in this passage to the divine wrath, it would be possible to argue that the verb means “to expiate,” taking its meaning from its object, “the sins of the people.” In the larger context of the epistle as a whole, Christ is the High Priest “in things pertaining to God,” which gives the passage a Godward rather than a manward reference.

John wrote, “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:1, 2 KJV). 1 John 4:10 declares that God “loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (KJV). Here the case for “expiation” is less plausible than in Hebrews 2:17, for Christ is called an “advocate with the Father” (1 John 2:1). Now if God is so related to the sinner that the latter needs an “advocate,” this implies that Christ does more than purge guilt; He stands between the sinner and God, which suggests propitiation. Furthermore, John alluded both to Christ’s blood and to the fact that He is the “righteous one,” which is reminiscent of the confluence of ideas (1:7; cf. Rom 3:25).


Yours by His Grace, for the sake of His Church & Kingdom

Be Blessed & Encouraged Today

Blair Humphreys,

Southport,  Merseyside, England



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