The Torah, at least the inner Torah, in the apostle's words, only reveals to a person his own sinfulness; by it "sin is known." But where is the way out? What can free a person from sin? Paul answers: righteousness...
The Torah, at least the inner Torah, in the apostle's words, only reveals to a person his own sinfulness; by it "sin is known." But where is the way out? What can free a person from sin? Paul answers: righteousness that is greater than the Torah. The Torah and the Prophets bear witness to God's righteousness; in Paul's time this was the name for what we today would call Holy Scripture. Only the manifestation of this divine righteousness ("the righteousness of God") can free a person from the power of sin. Here Paul remains faithful to the rabbinic tradition: the Torah was never an end in itself; it was needed as a means of establishing a person on the path of righteousness.
But into the traditional rabbinic understanding of the problem of Torah and righteousness the apostle introduces a new, messianic interpretation: he speaks of the manifestation of the Messiah's righteousness, the righteousness of Christ, and of faithfulness to Christ ("faith in Jesus Christ") as the only possibility for a person to share in this righteousness. God's righteousness has been revealed to the world by Christ; the blood He shed becomes for those faithful to Him what sacrificial blood was for believing Yahwists of the pre-Christian era.
At that time the blood of a sacrificial animal offered for the sin of a particular person cleansed that person from the consequences of the sin he had committed and opened to him the possibility of sharing in God's righteousness in the relative measure that was open to people before the coming of Christ. Now the Messiah Himself opens to everyone who has entrusted himself to Him the whole fullness of God's righteousness possible for a human being, a fullness made available to the world through His path and His sacrifice.
It is no accident that the apostle speaks of redemption, of ransom: the Savior's death on the cross, the blood He shed, became payment for human sin in the same way that the blood of the animals slaughtered at the altar had previously become payment for human sins. As animals then gave their lives in order to open a path to God for a person, so now the Messiah gives His life in order to open for a person the path into the Kingdom.
But then both purification and sharing in God's righteousness were partial; now they become complete. And this is not because the "works of Torah" can somehow help a person, but because God's righteousness has been revealed to the world by the One who Himself bears it in all its fullness. Yet the Torah is not devalued by this, at least if we are speaking of the inner Torah. Faithfulness to Christ is unthinkable without the path of righteousness and outside it, and therefore it is unthinkable without the inner Torah as that spiritual dynamic without which there is no path of righteousness. That is why the apostle says that everything he has said about salvation through faithfulness to Jesus Christ by no means devalues the Torah, but only establishes it all the more.
3
3:21 But now the righteousness of God - That is, the manner of becoming righteous which God hath appointed.Without the law - Without that previous obedience which the law requires; without reference to the law, or dependence on it. Is manifested - In the gospel. Being attested by the Law itself, and by the Prophets - By all the promises in the Old Testament.
3:22 To all - The Jews. And upon all - The gentiles That believe: for there is no difference - Either as to the need of justification, or the manner of it.
3:23 For all have sinned - In Adam, and in their own persons; by a sinful nature, sinful tempers, and sinful actions. And are fallen short of the glory of God - The supreme end of man; short of his image on earth, and the enjoyment of him in heaven.
3:24 And are justified - Pardoned and accepted.Freely - Without any merit of their own. By his grace - Not their own righteousness or works. Through theredemption - The price Christ has paid. Freely by his grace - One of these expressions might have served to convey the apostle's meaning; but he doubles his assertion, in order to give us the fullest conviction of the truth, and to impress us with a sense of its peculiar importance. It is not possible to find words that should more absolutely exclude all consideration of our own works and obedience, or more emphatically ascribe the whole of our justification to free, unmerited goodness.
3:25 Whom God hath set forth - Before angels and men.A propitiation - To appease an offended God. But if, as some teach, God never was offended, there was no need of this propitiation. And, if so, Christ died in vain. To declare his righteousness - To demonstrate not only his clemency, but his justice; even that vindictive justice whose essential character and principal office is, to punish sin. By the remission of past sins - All the sins antecedent to their believing.
3:26 For a demonstration of his righteousness - Both of his justice and mercy. That he might be just - Showing his justice on his own Son. And yet the merciful justifier of every one that believeth in Jesus. That he might be just - Might evidence himself to be strictly and inviolably righteousin the administration of his government, even while he is the merciful justifier of the sinner that believeth in Jesus.The attribute of justice must be preserved inviolate; and inviolate it is preserved, if there was a real infliction of punishment on our Saviour. On this plan all the attributes harmonize; every attribute is glorified, and not one superseded no, nor so much as clouded.
3:27 Where is the boasting then of the Jew against the gentile?It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay - This would have left room for boasting. But by the law of faith - Since this requires all, without distinction, to apply as guilty and helpless sinners, to the free mercy of God in Christ.The law of faith is that divine constitution which makes faith, not works, the condition of acceptance.
3:28 We conclude then that a man is justified by faith - And even by this, not as it is a work, but as it receives Christ;and, consequently, has something essentially different from all our works whatsoever.
3:29 Surely of the gentiles also - As both nature and the scriptures show.
3:30 Seeing it is one God who - Shows mercy to both, and by the very same means.