October 2018 TRANSCRIPT

Romans Class SRL, Medellin

Prepared by: Walter Eriksen
LESSON 11 Romans 3:21-30
God’s Righteousness for Justification (3:21–5:21)
Righteousness through Faith

Scripture for lesson: 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the
Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who
believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by
his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by
his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he
had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and
the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law

of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works 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 God is one—who will justify the
circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no
means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. ESV

1. ON VERSE 21: But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law
and the Prophets bear witness to it—
1.1. But now a righteousness of God, a right standing: revealed, without the law, apart from the law; of works.
1.2. A “righteousness of God” (dikaiosynē theou) a narrative, moving from need to solution, from old to new.
1.3. A new work of God: His righteousness, witnessed to by the law and the prophets, anticipated by them.
1.4. has been manifested: grammar; verb is perfect passive; established with existing results by God not man.
1.5. This is not a human discovery; has not evolved; not a move to correct a mistake or blunder.
1.6. From eternity past God foreknew his plan to save his people.
1.7. It began in shadow (not fully understood but not made clear) but now seen in the person of Jesus Christ.
2. ON VERSE 22-23: the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is
no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
2.1. It, (righteousness from God) flows from him alone, from heaven, to us in Christ.
2.2. through faith in Jesus Christ: Faith found in Jesus Christ. Faith is the instrument linking us to Christ.
2.3. “there is no distinction” an important element of Paul’s presentation in 1:18–3:20; the phrase however is
most difficult for those outside of Jesus Christ; everyone weighs the balance between good and evil
2.4. All have sinned shows the human condition. For tells why there is no difference.
2.4.1. Grammar: aorist, active, indicative third person; past and completed condition. It’s who we are.
2.5. fall short Grammar: present passive (it just keeps happening to me) meaning to miss out on something.
through one’s own fault, to miss, fail to reach,1
2.6. of the glory of God: From Leon Morris: “The linking of God’s glory with man’s sin is intriguing. It would
seem that God intended people to share in his glory (the story of Eden). sin cut Adam off, and his
descendants are still.”
3. ON VERSE 24: and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus
3.1. Calvin, John: There remains nothing for men, as to themselves, but to perish, being smitten by the just
judgment of God, they are to be justified freely through his mercy

1
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New
Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 1043). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
 3.1.1. There is, perhaps, no passage in the whole Scripture which illustrates in a more striking manner
the efficacy of his righteousness
3.1.2. For it shows that God’s mercy is the efficient cause,
3.1.3. Christ with his blood is the meritorious cause,
3.1.4. That the formal or instrumental cause is faith in the word,
3.1.5. and that, moreover, the final cause is the glory of the divine justice and goodness.2
3.2. and are justified: Grammar: verb, present passive participle. Not future but happening now continually.
God is saving his people from their sins
3.3. by his grace: By his grace alone
3.4. Redemption: ‘buying back’ a slave or captive, i.e. ‘making free’ by payment of a ransom (λύτρον, q.v.;
prisoners of war could ordinarily face slavery)3
3.5. Morris Leon: Never is there any mention of the recipient of the price.
3.5.1. It tells us is that a great price was paid to purchase sinners out of their slavery to sin (7:14)
3.5.2. out of their sentence of death (6:23).
3.5.3. Now they are to live in freedom (notice the connection between being set free with “the freedom
of the glory of God’s children” and redemption, 8:21–23 that the creation itself will be set free from
its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know
that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not
only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait
eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies4 ).5 Have someone read
3.6. Our righteous status has been secured by God with his definite and decisive action on His own part.
3.7. Sproul, R.C.: The ransom or the purchase price is not paid to Satan. It is paid to God, for it is to God that
we are in debt.6
4. ON VERSE 25: whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to
show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
4.1. Calvin, John: God is propitious to us as soon as we have our trust resting on the blood of Christ; for by
faith we come to the possession of this benefit.
4.1.1. by his blood by it we are cleansed. The whole work of expiation.
4.1.2. God is reconciled in Christ, so he now adds, that this reconciliation is obtained by faith,
mentioning, at the same time, what it is that faith ought mainly to regard in Christ—his blood.7
4.2. a propitiation: Greek ἱλαστήριον can be “means of expiation” or “place of propitiation.” In Hebrews
9:5 speaking of the ark of the Covenant same word is translated “mercy seat”

2
Calvin, J., & Owen, J. (2010). Commentary on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans (p. 141).
Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
3
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New
Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 117). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
4
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ro 8:21–23). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
5
Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 179). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans;
Inter-Varsity Press.
6
Sproul, R. C. (1994). The Gospel of God: An Exposition of Romans (p. 76). Great Britain: Christian Focus
Publications.
7
Calvin, J., & Owen, J. (2010). Commentary on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans (p. 143).
Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
 4.3. Murray, J.: Although the word used here by the apostle occurs only twice in the New Testament and in
the other instance (Heb. 9:4-5: the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a
golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant. 5 Above it
were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat.) plainly means the mercy-seat, the covering
of the ark of the covenant in the most holy place,
4.3.1. Here there is good reason for believing that in this case it means “propitiatory offering” and is to
be interpreted after the analogy of 1 John 2:2 ἱλασμός; 4:10 ἱλασμὸν; Heb. 2:17 (cf. Luke 18:13;
Heb. 8:12). Christ is therefore said to have been a propitiatory sacrifice.8
4.4. Sproul, R.C.: We must never get rid of the words propitiation and expiation. Those are two of the most
glorious words that we find anywhere in the New Testament.
4.4.1. Propitiation means to satisfy the demands of justice.
4.4.2. God places sin and evil under his judgment and decrees he is going to pour out his wrath upon it.
4.4.3. In New Testament terms, what we are saved from is God.
4.4.4. Propitiation satisfies completely the demands of God’s wrath and justice, which is what the cross
was all about. Christ as our substitute took upon himself the wrath that we deserve, to pay the penalty
that was due for our guilt to satisfy the demands of God’s justice. In his work of propitiation, Jesus
did something on a vertical level, something with respect to the Father, satisfying the justice of God
for us.
4.4.5. Expiation has to do directly with us. The prefix ex- means “away from” or “out of.”
4.4.5.1. One of the benefits of justification is the remission of sin, our sin being removed from us.
4.4.6. When the New Testament speaks about expiation, it is referring to the sense in which Christ
removes our sin from us and takes it away. The psalmist tells us, “As far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:12).9
5. ON VERSE 26: It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier
of the one who has faith in Jesus.
5.1. Calvin, John: That he might be just. This is a definition of that righteousness which he has declared was
revealed when Christ was given.
5.1.1. God is just, not as one among many, but one who has within himself all fulness of righteousness
5.1.2. He alone obtains the name and the honour of being just, while the whole human race is condemned.
5.1.3. God by no means keeps his riches laid up in himself, but pours them forth upon men.
5.1.4. Then the righteousness of God shines in us, whenever he justifies us by faith in Christ:
5.1.5. All were unjust and lost in themselves, until a remedy from heaven10
5.2. Morris Leon: At the present time: stands over against “the sins committed beforehand”. The sins were
done at an earlier time, but the demonstration of God’s righteousness is present.
5.2.1. God’s righteousness (or justice) is manifested in order that he may be (and, of course, be seen to
be) just and the one who justifies.11
5.3. Sproul, R.C.: There is no such thing as cheap grace. The gospel is not simply an announcement of pardon.
5.3.1. In justification God does not merely decide unilaterally to forgive us our sins.

8
Murray, J. (1968). The Epistle to the Romans (Vol. 1, p. 117). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co.
9
Sproul, R. C. (2009). Romans (p. 103). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
10
Calvin, J., & Owen, J. (2010). Commentary on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans (p. 146).
Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
11
Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (pp. 183–184). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B.
Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.
 5.3.2. God never negotiates his righteousness. God will never lay aside his holiness to save us.
5.3.3. God demands and requires that sin be punished. Christ had to die because, according to God, the
propitiation had to be made; sin had to be punished. Our sin has to be punished.12
6. ON VERSE 27-31: 27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of
works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works 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 God is

one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow
the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. ESV
6.1. Calvin, John: Where then is glorying? Paul says that self-glorying is beyond all doubt excluded
6.2. Paul leaves not a particle behind. Besides, since by faith glorying in works is so taken away, that faith
cannot be truly preached, without wholly depriving man of all praise by ascribing all to God’s mercy—
it follows, that we are assisted by no works in obtaining righteousness.13
6.3. Moo, D.J.: we hold that one is justified by faith justification must be by faith with no admixture of
“works of the law”; only so can God truly be the God of Gentiles as well as Jews.14
6.4. Morris, Leon: God of Jews only? Of Jews is in an emphatic position: “Or, of Jews is he the God only?”
Can monotheists really hold that the one God is the God exclusively of any one people? Is he not the God
of Gentiles too? is a question looking for an affirmative answer, and Paul obligingly supplies it himself,
Yes, of Gentiles too.
6.5. The God the Jews worshipped could not possibly be no more than “the God of the Jews”. Since there was
no other God, he must be the God of the Gentiles also, something that does not seem to have occurred to
the Jews. Monotheism means that God is not the exclusive property of any one nation (cf. Gen. 18:25;
Ps. 96:1, 7–8; 97:5; 98:2–3; 100:1; Jer. 10:7, etc.).
6.6. Monotheism is important to Paul, and so are its consequences. It means that the God the Jews had always
worshipped is the God of the Gentiles throughout the world. And that is an important conclusion.15
6.7. Sproul, R. C.: Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! Paul ends this chapter with a
strong reaffirmation of both the law and faith:
6.7.1. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
6.7.2. Some might wrongly conclude that since the advent of the gospel and the Pauline development of
justification by faith alone, the law is abrogated.
6.7.3. However, one does not invalidate the other, but rather each was given by God for particular
purposes. Functions such as the law’s revelatory character and moral instruction remain valid, the
tragedy of the contemporary evangelical church is its failure to know and establish the law of God.16

12
Sproul, R. C. (2009). Romans (p. 104). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
13
Calvin, J., & Owen, J. (2010). Commentary on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans (p. 147).
Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
14
Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 246). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
15
Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (pp. 187–188). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B.
Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.
16
Sproul, R. C. (1994). The Gospel of God: An Exposition of Romans (p. 80). Great Britain: Christian Focus
Publications.