Romans 3:26

Romans 3:26. For the exhibition. The noun is the same as in Romans 3:25, but a different preposition has been chosen, perhaps for euphony. This verse, however, points more to the historical demonstration, Romans 3:25 to the purpose.

Righteousness, as in Romans 3:25.

In the present time, when the historical demonstration has taken place, in contrast with ‘formerly'(E. V. ‘past'), not with ‘in the forbearance of God.'

That he might himself be. This is the purposed result, the final aim of the whole transaction. ‘Himself' rives an emphasis to the fact that it is the personal God whose character is to be displayed; this alone is a fitting end, ‘Might be,' in this connection, is equivalent to ‘might be shown and seem to be;' but it does not refer merely to the human estimate. What God did (Romans 3:25), actually had as its purpose and result that He was just and the justifier, etc. Not just and condemning, but ‘just and justifying' (the comma after ‘just' is unnecessary). By setting forth Christ, in His blood, as a propitiation, to be appropriated by faith, God not only demonstrated His judicial righteousness which had been obscured in past ages, but also and mainly, He accomplished this purpose and result, that His own character was displayed, as just and justifier, as righteous and accounting righteous him that hath faith in Christ. Not one without the other; not one in contrast with the other; but both in harmony. Every notion of making righteous confuses and weakens the whole passage, but especially this phrase. God could not show Himself righteous in any simpler way than by making men righteous; the gospel paradox is that He is righteous and accounting righteous believing sinners. The fact that ‘righteousness' in the immediate context refers to God's judicial righteousness, as well as the leading thought of ‘propitiation,' combine with the lexical requirements of the passage itself in warranting the statement, that every reference to sanctification is a gratuitous importation, the result of theological prejudgment. Plain facts in the history of God's people warrant the further assertion, that such an importation ultimately leads away from God's method of sanctification.

Of him who is of faith in Jesus; lit., ‘him of faith of Jesus.' More fully expressed: ‘him who is of the part of faith,' whose essential characteristic is faith. The object of this faith is ‘Jesus,' called here by His human name, probably with tender emphasis. At the close of this profound passage our thoughts are led back to the personal Redeemer. In the death of Christ, God punished sin and saved the sinner; Divine justice was vindicated in the culminating act of redeeming love. The Son voluntarily, and in accordance with the holy love of the Father, assumed the whole curse of sin, and, as the representative Head of the human family, in its stead and for its benefit, satisfied the demands of Divine justice. His sacrifice was a real propitiation, in contrast with the types of the Old Testament. The design was that God might righteously account the believer righteous. To this view , the only one exegetically defensible, it has been objected that it seems to conflict with morality, that God's design is to make men holy; but the sufficient answer is, that the sacrificial death of Christ has taught most of God's righteousness, that God's freely accounting men righteous has done most to make them righteous.