The apostle Paul is a ruthless realist. Until now, he has spoken about the state of this world in his letter to the church in Rome. He pointed out the inadequacy of people. No man is good. No man seeks God. It’s frustrating, even discouraging. But it is not the end. There is a good news that speaks of a change. That’s what he’s coming to now:
“But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been manifested (witnessed by the law and the prophets), but a righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ, which is for all, and comes upon all who believe. For there is no difference; for all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:21-23
With these words, a new section in the Letter to the Romans begins. “But now” introduces the change. Whereas in the last section the injustice of man was central, now it is about the justice of God. It is not a lack of justice that is central here, but an abundance of justice. This is possible because of what God Himself has done. No man is righteous before God, but He has a solution ready: He wants to give us His own righteousness. That this is possible has everything to do with His Son Jesus Christ.
Structure of the Letter to the Romans
The structure of the Letter to the Romans has already been described in detail in the article “Structure of the Letter to the Romans”. In it, the section on the insufficiency of man is now followed by a section on the sufficiency of God. He can do what we cannot: Bring forth justice.
1,18-3,20: No man is righteous
3,21-4,25: Righteousness of God
God’s justice is made known
Let us try to imagine what these words mean:
“But now … God’s righteousness has been revealed!”
Rom 3,21
We are standing here on holy ground. Something wonderful and new is happening. God’s righteousness was “revealed,” that is, made known. It is something new, even though it was witnessed by “Law and the Prophets” (the Old Testament, or the Tenach). We see the dawn of God’s justice witnessed here. This is where the message unfolds. Here is an about-face in the letter.
It is not us or our unrighteousness that is central in these words, but Paul explains what God Himself has done.
What do you think of when you hear about God’s justice?
Paul speaks of God’s own righteousness. He does not speak of a righteousness that God demands of us, for example. Quite a few people, unfortunately, hear something quite different when people speak of God’s justice. For many, it is not a positive term. “God’s justice” sounds heavy and threatening. For too long, the inability of man has been placed centrally in the proclamation. However, the Gospel speaks above all of something else. Paul is not concerned with the problem, but with the solution. The solution to our injustice is justice from God Himself. God’s justice is not a punishment, not a demand, not a threat, but a gift.
The gift of God
Our injustice naturally leads to condemnation. God’s justice is quite different. We cannot measure up to God’s standards and “lack the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). This is a painful reality, palpable in our own mortality and the death that inevitably follows for every human being.
God, however, has a gift in store:
- He solves our unrighteousness by giving us His own righteousness
- He replaces our mortality with life.
These two things go together. Justice comes first and is the basis for His actions. Paul describes exactly how this works, and why, in the verses that follow. We end up in the core of the Pauline Gospel.
Please fasten your seatbelts, because now the good news really starts. As old as the Bible may be and difficult for some to read – it is about God’s confidence for you. Because He is for you, not against you. Paul bears witness to this here.
Let’s go!
