AUTHORIZED VERSION. : of works? Nay but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 29 Is he the God of the Jews only is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: 30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. 28 29 REVISED VERSION, kind of a law? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. 28 We reckon, then, that a man is justified by faith without works of law. 29 Is God (the God) of Jews only? Is he not, on the contrary, (the God) of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gen30 tiles also; 30 seeing it is one God who shall justify circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. 31 Do we then abolish law through faith? Far be it! On the contrary, we establish law. 31 RELATION OF ROMANS III TO THE CONTENTS OF THE EPISTLE IN GENERAL. THE Third Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans is a wheel The situation of Chapter III,-relatively to the com- plicated mass of the Epistle in general,—is in the special department of theological argumentation, (Chapters I—XI), as distinguished from the special department of religious exhortation, (Chapters XII-XVI). And if we partition off the special department of theological argumentation into sections, we find that Chapter III occupies the centre of that great and important section, (Chapters I-V), which treats of justification, as distinguished from that In the first twenty verses of the Chapter, the argumenta- tion is linked on to that portion of the Apostle's discussion in which he shows that all men need some gracious method of justification,—Chapter I 18-Chapter III 20. In the remaining verses,-21 to 31,-it is linked on to to all men, a gracious method of justification, through a righteousness provided by God Himself,-Chapter III 21— Chapter IV. The meridian line that divides these two hemispheres of argumentation runs between verses 20 and 21. In what lies on the one side of this line, the Apostle shows that Jews, privileged though they had been, as compared with Gentiles, are nevertheless unrighteous, and therefore need some gracious method of justification. In what lies on the other side of the line, he shows that, both for Jews and Gentiles, without distinction, and notwithstanding their sins, justification is a grand possibility. It is a possibility through the righteousness of God-the Propitiation of Christ. ANALYSIS OF ROMANS III. THE Third Chapter of Romans is quadripartite in its structure. In the first part,-verses 1st-8th,-the Apostle meets an objection, that might be suggested by his remarks at the conclusion of Chapter II in reference to the true Jew and the true circumcision. In the second part,verses 9th-20th,-he establishes the fact of the unrighteousness of both Jews and Gentiles, and their consequent need of justification by grace. In the third part,―verses 21st-26th, he exhibits the gracious method of justification which God has devised, and which is equally available to Jews and Gentiles. In the fourth and last part,verses 27th-31st,-he jubilantly crowns his exhibition of the gracious plan of justification with a wreath, or cluster, of doctrinal corollaries, each of momentous moral significance. The discussion in the first two sections of the Chapter, -verses 1st-8th, 9th-20th,-is a pendant on the great discussion which is prosecuted throughout the Second Chapter of the Epistle, and which has for its aim the establishment of the fact that the Jews, just as truly as the Gentiles, need a gracious method of justification. The evangelical exhibitions of the other two sections of the Chapter,-verses 21st-26th, 27th-31st,-connect themselves, evolutionally, with the theme of the whole Epistle, as announced, in brief, in the 16th and 17th verses of Chapter I. |