Romans 3:22

‘Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them who believe, for there is no distinction,'

And this righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. The reason for adding ‘to all who believe' is in order to include the Gentiles. ‘Faith in Jesus the Messiah' may well otherwise have been seen as exclusive to the Jews. But here it is made clear that it is for all. And this is so, whether they be Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For all have the same need, and there is no distinction between them. (This is assuming that ‘there is no distinction' applies to the word ‘all').

Some, however, argue that the two references to faith make one of them redundant and therefore see the verse as signifying that the righteousness of God is ‘through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ' and is given to all who believe. The theology of that is perfectly acceptable and in accordance with Romans 5:19. The main problem with that view is that it gives a meaning to pistis which is different from all the other uses of it in the passage, and is different from Paul's overall usage. It would therefore require compelling reasons for it to be acceptable, and there are none.

Some see ‘for there is no distinction' as meaning that there is no distinction between the way that we are condemned (by being declared as having sinned and come short of the glory of God) and the way that we are justified (by being declared righteous). In both cases it is a judicial verdict. And that is undoubtedly true. But in context the most suitable antecedent is undoubtedly ‘all'