God’s Wondrous Way of Salvation in His Only-Begotten Son: the Righteousness of God by Faith (Romans 3:21–24)

The holy Paul has proven that both Jews and Gentiles are without defense, guilty before God, and must be subject to judgment and condemnation—the wrath of God revealed from heaven (Rom. 1:18). — By this he has aroused fear in them about their eternal fate and at the same time a desire to escape the threatening disaster. Having brought everyone into such a frame of mind, he now offers them where they might take refuge if they do not wish to perish. God, he says, has ordained for all a way of salvation in His Son: turn to Him in faith and “you will be saved.” The blessed Theodoret writes: “The Apostle spoke of those who lived outside the law and under the law and exposed that some transgressed the natural law, while others transgressed the law of Moses, and both deserve the harshest punishment. In this he imitated the best physician, who first shows the suffering what the weight of their sickness is, and then offers healing medicine in aid. For thus he, having exposed the lawlessness of both groups and shown that they are subject to accountability and worthy of punishment—finally offers the remedy of faith and reveals the loving-kindness of the Divine economy.” The holy Chrysostom says: “After the Apostle increased fear, he now begins to speak of the gifts of grace and, having aroused in his listeners a strong desire to receive forgiveness of sins, he says:”

Rom 3:21. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.

But now—after both the Gentiles and the Jews have been sufficiently taught by experience that neither those nor these can attain true righteousness before God and therefore have no ground for hope of salvation. The Apostle by his preceding rebuke did not forcibly impress the sense of guilt and misery upon them, but uncovered what was dimly or clearly lying already on everyone’s conscience. He merely brought to light or more precisely defined what was already there. Therefore “but now”—can be explained: after the fulfillment of the time ordained for Christ’s coming.

“Apart from the law”—which law? Certainly that given to the Jews. But since below he speaks of righteousness “in all and upon all who believe; for there is no distinction” (Rom. 3:22); by the word: “apart from the law”—one can understand a hint at all that, before Christ’s coming, man hoped to justify himself before God by—that is, not only written law, but also unwritten. He speaks of written law because it was the immediate subject of the preceding discussion, and because if “apart from it”—then all the more apart from everything else. The Apostle proposes something wondrous: for “if those who lived in the law not only did not escape punishment, but even brought the heaviest upon themselves; how can one without the law not only escape punishment, but also be justified?” (the holy Chrysostom). Therefore “apart from the law”—does not mean: in violation of the law—but means that the offered new way of justification, though it is “apart from the law,”—is such, however, that through it all the law will be fulfilled and righteousness will appear in perfection: for apart from righteousness, there is no salvation.

“The righteousness of God has been manifested.” The righteousness of God, or Divine righteousness, perfect and complete, or “the righteousness bestowed by God” (Oecumenius). One can combine both: the complete righteousness bestowed by God. God has ordained and offers to all such a way of salvation in which all by the power of God are brought into perfect righteousness. — “Has been manifested”—has been revealed, being until now hidden, only as promised. The holy Chrysostom says: “The Apostle said not simply: ‘righteousness,’—but: ‘the righteousness of God,’—proving by the dignity of the person the greatness of the gift and the firmness of the promise, since all things are possible for God. And he did not say: righteousness has been given—but: ‘has been manifested,’—so that they could not accuse him of introducing something new. For only that which existed before but was hidden can be manifested.”

Or “has been manifested”—has been revealed in deed. He points as it were to the Christians: neither you, Jews, nor you, Gentiles, have righteousness, but look at the Christians—how all of them are holy. Here is where righteousness is manifest for all to see.

“Being witnessed by the law and the prophets.” He confirms that this is not a novelty; it was thus ordained from the beginning and thus foretold and foreshadowed in the law and the Prophets. It is not my teaching. Look in the law and the Prophets, and you will see that all this ought to be thus according to God’s foreordainment. “Do not be troubled by the fact that the righteousness of God is given only now, the Apostle says, and do not be disturbed by this as something new and extraordinary. Of this the law and the Prophets spoke of old. The Apostle proved this partly above, and will prove it partly later. Above, when he cited the words of Habakkuk: ‘the righteous shall live by faith,’—and later, when he will point to Abraham and David, who spoke the same thing there. For among the Jews both Abraham and David were held in high regard; one as patriarch and prophet, the other as king and prophet; and promises about this were given to both of them” (the holy Chrysostom).

Rom 3:22. The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and upon all who believe; for there is no distinction.

For those terrified by judgment, yet yearning for salvation, it was most comforting to hear: “now the righteousness of God has been manifested.” But how much more irresistible might have been the desire to know more clearly what this righteousness of God is. Tell us quickly—what is this righteousness? and where is it? — Here it is! — “The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ,”—that is, through faith in Jesus Christ. How righteousness is accomplished by this means, the Apostle explains below, namely: that he who believes receives forgiveness of sins and the grace of the Holy Spirit, which, having entered the heart, casts out sin from it and dwells righteousness within it. Here he only states the general position: the righteousness of God is possible and really manifests itself only through faith in Jesus Christ, meaning by faith in Jesus Christ all the New Testament economy of salvation, appropriated by sincere, heartfelt faith in the Lord. Theodoret writes: by these words “is repeated what was said before, to complete what was lacking. Since the Apostle said: ‘the righteousness of God has been manifested,’—and then introduced something else into the discourse; then, by necessity repeating this word, he indicates that they benefit from this righteousness by faith in the Master Christ, whether those wishing to obtain it be Jews or Greeks.”

“To all and upon all”—our interpreters understand in the following way following Theodoret: “saying ‘to all,’—he means the Jews, and saying ‘upon all’—those who believed from other nations.” This understanding is justified by the following words: “for there is no distinction.” One can also understand that the Apostle by this repetition wished to affirm more strongly the thought of the universality of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, implying also that this is the only way of salvation for all and that it is open to all and offered to all, and no one is excluded from it. One can further understand thus: “to all,” εἰς,—within all, and “upon all,” ἐπί,—over all, above all. The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ works and is accomplished within all—and extends over all. The former refers to those who believed and have tasted righteousness, while the latter points to the power of Christ’s economy, which is sufficient for all mankind, extending into all centuries and over all. There the believers are called blessed; here those not yet believing are invited, pointing to the saving power of Christ that overshadows them.

“To all and upon all who believe.” The power of Christ’s economy extends to all, but is appropriated only by believers—those who with sincere faith receive the Gospel message and fulfill what it requires, those, that is, who decide, having renounced ungodliness and worldly desires, to live “soberly, godly, and righteously” in the world. In the words: “through faith in Jesus Christ”—is indicated the economy of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ; and in the words: “to all and upon all who believe”—is indicated the appropriation of it by faith—the fact that in the blessings of this economy one can become a participant only through living faith.

“For there is no distinction.” Only one thing is required: believe sincerely; all other distinctions by which people and nations differ from one another have no significance in this matter—neither “for” nor “against”—give no right and take none away. Sincere faith smooths away all distinctions and equally opens the entrance to all into the court of God’s righteousness. By placing this word, the Apostle humbles some—the Jews—and encourages others—the Gentiles. To them he says as it were: you have no cause to boast, and to these: you have no cause to despair. No one has a right, but neither is anyone excluded by lack of right. Whoever comes is clothed in righteousness not by anything else but by faith. When there is no faith, whoever you may be, you will receive nothing; and when there is faith, whoever you may be, you will not be shut out. Bring faith—and you will buy the garment of righteousness, clothe yourself in it and shine brightly in it, however low your former condition may have been.

Rom 3:23. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

One aspect, in what respect there is “no difference,” is that all have sinned and are deprived because of it of the glory of God; the other is that all are justified “freely” (Rom. 3:24). That all have sinned, the Apostle proved above, bringing both the Gentile and the Jew to judgment. They knew how they ought to live, yet lived contrary to it; they sinned, therefore, with knowledge of sin, resisting and suppressing their conscience, they sinned a mortal sin. “Do not say to me: that one is a Greek, that one a Scythian, that one a Thracian (while I am a Jew); all are equally guilty. If you received the Law, you learned only one thing from the Law—how to discern sin, not how to avoid it” (Holy Chrysostom).

“And are deprived of the glory of God. Are deprived,” ύστεροϋνται—do not have the glory of God, there is no glory of God in them. Yet this may also carry the sense: there is in them or from them no glory to God. They sinned—and there is from them no glory to God, God is not glorified in them and through them, but rather the name of God is blasphemed by them. Thus Oecumenius: “they fell away from the glorification of God—all have fallen short of rendering to God the honor due Him; Jews as transgressors of the Law’s commandments, Gentiles as worshippers of idols.” Yet more directly here is the thought that by reason of their sins they are deprived of the glory with which they would have been clothed by God if they had not sinned, but had walked in His will and kept His commandments. Those who cling to God and remain faithful to Him bear upon themselves the radiance of God’s glory. God clothes them with this glory on account of the godlikeness that works in them. So it was ordained from the beginning; and so it was in the first-created. After the transgression of the commandment, this glory faded and remains faded; and not only is it not restored by man, but becomes ever more darkened. They did not honor God aright through faithfulness to His commandments, and God stripped from them the glory predestined for them. Holy Chrysostom says: “that the Jews might not say: though we sin, we do not sin as the Gentiles do, the Apostle added: ‘and are deprived of the glory of God.’ Though your sins are not identical with the sins of others, yet you too are equally deprived of glory. For you have also offended God; and the offender belongs not to the glorified, but to the shamed.” Theophylact writes: “If he (the Jew) has not sinned as much as the Gentile, yet he is equally deprived of glory; because he has offended God, and such an offender reaps the fruit not of glory, but of dishonor.”

Yet not only the Jews are such, but all who have sinned generally. In recalling this glory, the Apostle wishes to stir their zeal—to take measures to restore it. For what could be more worthy of our striving than to be clothed with the glory of God? But this stirring of zeal could be replaced by despair because of the universal sinfulness, depicted earlier by the Apostle, from which to escape there is no strength, and therefore to become worthy of glory is impossible. To prevent this, the Apostle hastens to point to the divinely-appointed way to righteousness, offered by the Gospel: “being justified freely” and so forth—as if to say: “But do not fear; I said this not to plunge you into despair, but to show the loving-kindness of the Master” (Holy Chrysostom).

Rom. 3:24. Being justified freely by His grace, by the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

“Being justified,” δικαιούμενοι—which means both receiving the forgiveness of sins—being exonerated, and receiving righteousness, being made righteous. The work of salvation necessarily consists in both; both therefore can and should be joined together in this one word.

As for the flow of the discourse itself, this word can be connected with what precedes thus: and they are justified already by grace—or: so that they are justified already by grace. The thought here is: they are in such a state that they cannot be justified except by grace; or: if there is for them any possibility of justification, it is not except by grace, which God has established for them. It is made clear that everything is already prepared; come only and take. All that went before is no good; the only prosperous thing is the justification I offer “by grace freely.”

“Grace” here means goodness and loving-kindness. There was no need on God’s part for this; all has been established by God’s goodness alone. And we, mankind, on our part presented and could present nothing such by which this wondrous justification would be deserved. The boundlessly loving God took pity on us and established for us freely a way of justification. Grace denotes the source or cause in God of the economy of our salvation; the means to it is redemption.

“By the redemption, which is in Christ Jesus. By redemption,” δια της άπολυτρώσεως—that is, through redemption. Redemption—that is the only way of justification! One redeems when payment of money is made for someone and he is freed from the bonds of slavery. Mankind through the fall of the first parents fell into slavery to sin and the devil, who held it because of its guilt, which brought upon it and kept over it the curse of God. For its salvation it was necessary to remove the curse, giving a righteous basis for its exoneration, and then to infuse into it new strength to destroy the power of sin and thereby to overthrow the power of the devil. All this was accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Only-begotten and God, having taken upon Himself human nature and having died in it on the cross, having risen, having ascended to the heavens, having sat at the right hand of the Father, and having sent the Holy Spirit upon the holy Apostles, and through them to all mankind. All this in its entirety is the economy of our salvation, or the redemption of mankind. Those who come to it through faith receive the forgiveness of sins, and afterward the grace of the Spirit through the mysteries, and appear not only exonerated but righteous in their inner nature. By redemption is sometimes meant not the entire economy of salvation, but solely that action of it by which the Lord by His death on the cross freed us from the condemnation that lay upon us and the curse of God that weighed upon us. As ransom for us—unpayable debtors—He gave His blood. And it cries out more than Abel’s, yet calls from above not for punishment, but for complete justification upon all who believe.