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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Romans 3:27 - 3:30
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Rom_3:27-30
27Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
Rom_3:27 "Where then is boasting" The presence of the article with "boasting" may reflect the pride of the Jews (cf. Rom_2:17; Rom_2:23). The gospel is humbling. Fallen mankind (Jews and Gentiles) cannot help themselves (cf. Eph_2:8-9). See hyperlink at Rom_2:17.
Just a brief further note to clarify my previous statement. Although humans cannot merit God's love and forgiveness does not imply they have no part in their own salvation. Humans must sense their sin/guilt and embrace God's offer in Christ. God deals with fallen humanity by means of "covenant." We must respond and continue to respond.
1. repentance
2. faith
3. obedience
4. perseverance
We do have a crucial part in our relationship with God. We are responders! But we must respond! Free will is as crucial a biblical doctrine as is sovereignty. The Bible, being an eastern book, presents truth in tension-filled pairs.
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▣ "It is excluded" This term (ek [out] plus kleiô [shut]) is used only here and in Gal_4:17. It literally means "to lock out."
▣ "by a law of faith" God's New Covenant of Jer_31:31-34 (Eze_36:22-38) is not based on performance, but on trust/faith/belief (pistis) in His gracious character and promises. Both the Old and New Covenants were meant to change fallen mankind into God's character (righteous, i.e., Lev_19:2; Mat_5:48; Rom_8:29).
Rom_3:28 "we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law." This is a summary of Rom_3:21-26 and a foreshadowing of Romans 4-8 (cf. 2Ti_1:9; Tit_3:5). Salvation is a free gift through faith in Christ's finished work (cf. Rom_3:24; Rom_5:15; Rom_5:17; Rom_6:23; Eph_2:8-9). However, maturity is a "cost everything" life of obedience, service, and worship (cf. Gal_5:6; Eph_2:10; Php_2:12; and see note at Rom_1:5).
Rom_3:29 God's purpose has always been to redeem all humans made in His image (Gen_1:26-27; Gen_5:1; Gen_9:6). The redemptive promise of Gen_3:15 is to all of Adam's children. He chose Abraham in order to choose the world (cf. Gen. 12:31; Exo_19:4-6; Joh_3:16).
This verse, like Rom_3:9, may reflect tension in the Roman church between believing Jewish leadership, who may have left Rome following Nero's edict forbidding Jewish worship which resulted in believing Gentile leadership, who replaced them. Romans 9-11 may also address this same tension.
Rom_3:30
NASB "since indeed God is one"
NKJV "since there is one God"
NRSV "since God is one"
TEV "God is one"
NJB "since there is only one God"
This is a first class conditional sentence which is assumed to be true from the author's perspective or for his literary purposes. If monotheism is true, then He must be the God of all people.
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▣ "He will justify the circumcised by faith" The Greek word "justify" is from the same root as "righteousness." See Special Topic at Rom_1:17. There is only one way to be right with God (cf. Rom_9:30-32). The two criteria for salvation are faith and repentance (cf. Mar_1:15; Act_3:16; Act_3:19; Act_20:21; see note at Rom_1:5). This is true for both Jews and Greeks.
▣ "by faith. . .through faith" There is obvious parallelism between these two clauses. The prepositions ek and dia are used here synonymously. No distinction is intended.