Romans 3:26
It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse highlights a stunning paradox: God is not only just in His own character, but He also makes others just. The crucial insight is that His justice isn't compromised when He forgives believers; rather, the cross demonstrates His righteousness by satisfying both His justice and His mercy simultaneously.
Paul has just argued that all people, Jew and Gentile alike, are under the power of sin and unable to earn God's approval. Now, he explains that God's solution in Jesus Christ doesn't overlook past sins but rather demonstrates God's own righteousness by providing a way for Him to be both just in His judgment and the one who declares believers righteous. This happens through Christ's sacrifice, making Him the ultimate propitiation for sins.
Understand the original words
dikaiosynē · Greek Noun
The attribute of God referring to His absolute moral perfection, justice, and faithfulness to His own character and covenant promises. It signifies that God always acts in accordance with what is right and true.
dikaiounta · Greek Verb
To be declared righteous, acquitted, or placed in a right standing before God. It is a forensic, legal act whereby God credits the righteousness of Christ to the believer, removing the guilt of sin.
pistis · Greek Noun
Trust, reliance, or firm persuasion in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ. It is the instrument through which a person receives the gift of salvation and is justified before God.
This verse speaks to a pivotal moment in salvation history, where God's justice and mercy, seemingly in tension throughout the Old Testament, are perfectly reconciled through Christ's atoning sacrifice.
c. 2000 BC - 586 BC
Old Testament Period
Throughout the Old Testament, God's law revealed His righteousness, but humanity consistently failed to meet its demands, leading to condemnation. God's forbearance allowed sins to be 'passed over' without immediate punishment.
c. 586 BC
Exile and Temple Destruction
The Babylonian exile and destruction of Jerusalem represented a severe judgment, yet also a period where God's faithfulness to His covenant people was tested and reaffirmed.
c. 450 BC - 30 BC
Second Temple Period
After the return from exile, Jewish society rebuilt the Temple and grappled with maintaining faithfulness to God's law under foreign rule, highlighting ongoing human inability to achieve perfect righteousness.
c. AD 30— this verse
Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus Christ's sacrificial death on the cross, as the promised Messiah, served as the ultimate atonement for sin. This event fulfilled the requirements of God's justice.
This passage beautifully describes God's character as merciful and forgiving, yet also as one who will by no means clear the guilty. Romans 3:26 echoes this tension, showing how Christ's sacrifice satisfies both God's justice and His mercy towards believers.
Isaiah 42:21The prophet foretells that God would 'magnify his law, and make it honourable.' This verse in Romans reveals how God achieved this through the cross, vindicating His justice while simultaneously justifying sinners.
Hebrews 9:15This passage speaks of Christ as the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance they have been promised, 'because a death has occurred to pay the penalty for the sins that were committed under the first covenant.' It directly supports the idea in Romans 3:26 that Christ’s atoning work addresses past sins, demonstrating God's justice in a new way.
1 John 4:10John states that God's love is revealed in that He 'sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.' This aligns perfectly with Romans 3:26, highlighting Christ's sacrifice as the means by which God can be both just and the one who justifies believers.
ellicottRomans 3:26: "To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."
(26) To declare. —The second object of the death of Christ was to remove the misconceptions that might be caused by the apparent condoning of sins committed in times anterior to the Christian revelation. A special word is used to indicate that these sins were not wiped away and dismissed altogether, but rather “passed over” or “overlooked.” This was due to…
cambridgeRomans 3:26: "To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."
26 . at this time ] The word translated “time” means usually occasion , “special time,” “due time.” Same word as ch. Romans 5:6 . Such a sense is natural here. The “declaration” of God’s righteousness in pardon was made not only “at this time,” as distinct from a previous age (that of the O. T.), but “at this due time,” the crisis fixed by the Divine purpos…
This verse highlights a stunning paradox: God is not only just in His own character, but He also makes others just. The crucial insight is that His justice isn't compromised when He forgives believers; rather, the cross demonstrates His righteousness by satisfying both His justice and His mercy simultaneously.
Paul has just argued that all people, Jew and Gentile alike, are under the power of sin and unable to earn God's approval. Now, he explains that God's solution in Jesus Christ doesn't overlook past sins but rather demonstrates God's own righteousness by providing a way for Him to be both just in His judgment and the one who declares believers righteous. This happens through Christ's sacrifice, making Him the ultimate propitiation for sins.
Paul has just argued that all people, Jew and Gentile alike, are under the power of sin and unable to earn God's approval. Now, he explains that God's solution in Jesus Christ doesn't overlook past sins but rather demonstrates God's own righteousness by providing a way for Him to be both just in His judgment and the one who declares believers righteous. This happens through Christ's sacrifice, making Him the ultimate propitiation for sins.
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c. AD 50-60
Paul's Writing of Romans
The Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Romans during this period, likely while in Corinth or Ephesus, seeking to explain the depth of God's righteousness revealed in the gospel.
"It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." — This verse highlights a stunning paradox: God is not only just in His own character, but He also makes others just. The crucial insight is that His justice isn't compromised when He forgives believ…
