Righteousness Through Faith (Romans 3:21-31)

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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 the
διά through (with G); for, therefore (with A)
πίστις, εως, ἡ faith
d5R8EMFN4TohnpleQK6ZIkXCAar7YqcVs9D14338 νόμος, ου, ὁ law
θεός, οῦ, ὁ God
καί and
αὐτός, ή, ὁ he; self
δικαιοσύνη, ης, ἡ justice, righteousness
δικαιόω justify, declare righteous

Biblical text

3:21Νυνὶ δὲ χωρὶς νόμου δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ πεφανέρωται, μαρτυρουμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν,22δικαιοσύνη δὲ Θεοῦ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἰς πάντας τοὺς πιστεύοντας· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν διαστολή·23πάντες γὰρ ἥμαρτον καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ,24δικαιούμενοι δωρεὰν τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι διὰ τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ·25ὃν προέθετο Θεὸς ἱλαστήριον διὰ πίστεως ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι, εἰς ἔνδειξιν τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ διὰ τὴν πάρεσιν τῶν προγεγονότων ἁμαρτημάτων26ἐν τῇ ἀνοχῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ, πρὸς τὴν ἔνδειξιν τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν δίκαιον καὶ δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ.27Ποῦ οὖν καύχησις; ἐξεκλείσθη. διὰ ποίου νόμου; τῶν ἔργων; οὐχί, ἀλλὰ διὰ νόμου πίστεως.28λογιζόμεθα γὰρ δικαιοῦσθαι πίστει ἄνθρωπον χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου.29 Ἰουδαίων Θεὸς μόνον; οὐχὶ καὶ ἐθνῶν; ναὶ καὶ ἐθνῶν,30εἴπερ εἷς Θεός, ὃς δικαιώσει περιτομὴν ἐκ πίστεως καὶ ἀκροβυστίαν διὰ τῆς πίστεως.31νόμον οὖν καταργοῦμεν διὰ τῆς πίστεως; μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλὰ νόμον ἱστάνομεν.