Our Only Boast is in Christ Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Romans 3:27,28 Paul now re-opens his ‘diatribe’ (c.f. 3:1-8), his discussion with
We are All Equal at the Foot of the Cross Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Is God the God of Jews only? Is
What Does “We Uphold the Law” Mean? Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the
The Prime Old Testament Example What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” … David says the same
Abraham Had Nothing to Boast About What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one
Blessedness is not From Something Earned But From Something Received David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against
Is Anything More Than Faith Crucial to Salvation? Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! And he
Abraham is the Father of All Who Believe And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And
Thy Will be Done Paul outlines in the letter we know as Romans more than anywhere else in his writings, a picture of the final day of judgement. Reading Romans, it is simply untrue to characterise the Old Testament as portraying judgement fairly exclusively, in contrast to the New Testament which portrays mercy fairly exclusively.
