Righteousness Through Faith (Romans 3:21-31)
Romans 3:24 speaks about "redemption that came by Christ Jesus". We do not event think about that, but this redemption has on its background very strong ancient contextual image. Redemption is not just ordinary synonym for salvation, but it concerns literal redeeming of a slave (there is a Greek word ἀπολύτρωσις [apolytrósis]). Picture of slavery is quite known to us even today. Such a slave does not have quite high value, rather he is just a thing. In a certain manner it could be said that he is a "machine", which will is suppressed (he does not belong to himself).
Paul is concerned mainly with spiritual realm of slavery in this verse, where man is ruled by sin. It is not a good master, because it forces man to do things against his own will (Rom 7:15.20). However Christ redeems enslaved mankind from the power of this slave master by his death. Therefore man is only truly free because of Christ.
Vocabulary
Word | Meaning | |
---|---|---|
ὁ, ἡ, τό | el, la, lo | |
διά | a través de (con G); para, por cause de (con A) | |
πίστις, εως, ἡ | fe | |
νόμος, ου, ὁ | ley | |
θεός, οῦ, ὁ | Dios | |
καί | y, también | |
αὐτός, ή, ὁ | mismo, por uno mismo | |
δικαιοσύνη, ης, ἡ | justicia, rectitud | |
δικαιόω | justificar, declarar justo | |
ἐν | en (con D) |