Pietisten

Vol. XII, No. 1 Herald of Awakening and Spiritual Upbuilding Spring 1997

Waldenstrom's Commentary

Romans 3:21-25 and Waldenström's Commentary

Epistle Lesson for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

by Paul Peter Waldenström and translated by Tommy Carlson

[Dr. Paul Peter Waldenström based his comments on a Greek New Testament text that he translated into Swedish. Tommy Carlson has translated both the Biblical text and Waldenström's comments from the Swedish text, 2nd Edition, 1892. — Ed.]

Verse 21 — But now1 God's righteousness which was testified to by the law and the prophets,2 has been revealed outside the law,3 (Genesis 15:6; Isaiah 53:11; Jeremiah 23:6; John 5:46)

  1. The original text strongly emphasizes the word now.
  2. The law and the prophets constitute the two main parts of the Hebrew Scriptures. The law, the five books of Moses and the prophets, and all the rest of the books. See comments to Matthew 5:17. Paul could quote from both the law and the prophets about the righteousness of faith (compare chapter 1:17, 4:2).
  3. By God's work through Christ in the manner Paul describes in verses 24-26. No flesh can be righteous before God by works of the law, but now God's righteousness is revealed as a righteousness which is complete irrespective of the law and works of the law.

Verse 22 — namely God's righteousness trough the faith of Jesus Christ1 to all who believe.2 Because there is no distinction:3 (Romans 10:12; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11)

  1. Through faith in Jesus Christ (compare verse 26).
  2. This righteousness comes to all who believe. Another reading of this message is: to all and overall those who believe, but this passage is not supported by the earliest manuscripts.
  3. Between a Jew and a heathen or for that matter any people. The road to righteousness is the same for all.

Verse 23 — for all have sinned and are without God's glory1 (Romans 11:32; Galatians 3:22)

  1. The glory which God gives. This surely alludes to the glory which is to come in God's kingdom.

Verse 24 — Being justified by a gift through his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus1

  1. That is to say, redeemed in Jesus Christ. Just as "peace in Jesus" is that peace which someone has by being in Jesus and as "life in God" is that life which someone lives because he or she is in God, so "redemption in Jesus" is redemption from sin which a person wins by being in Jesus. Redemption is a descriptive word for salvation.

Verse 25 — whom God has brought forward as a means of reconciliation1 through faith2 in his blood,3 as proof of this righteousness,4 as a consequence of the indulgence for the sins which were committed before because of God's patience.5

  1. The Greek original means a way of reconciliation in general. In the seventy interpreters' Greek translation of the Hebrew Scripture [LXX], the word generally represents the throne of grace. In Ezekiel 43:14ff. it appears as a term for the ledges on the altar for burnt offerings. As an expression of an offering for our redemption, it never appears among the seventy interpreters but it does among other Greek authors. One must, therefore, stop at the actual and common meaning of the word.
  2. God has brought forward Christ as a means to reconciliation through faith. That is, Christ is the INSTRUMENT God has given for humankind's reconciliation; THROUGH FAITH in him RECONCILIATION HAPPENS. Moreover, it must be noted that Scripture has two different expressions for what we call reconciliation. These expressions represent two different ideas of reconciliation. The expression always used in the LXX means HUMANKIND'S CLEANSING FROM SIN as we can see in a distinct explanation in Leviticus 1690. The other expression means that human kind is placed in a different, correct circumstance with God. Compare I Corinthians 7:11 where it is used to describe a woman's reconciliation with her man from whom she was separated (divorced).
  3. By giving Christ up to death for us. Compare Chapter 5:8.
  4. In connection with the apostle's word in verses 22 and 24, Luther understands the expression God's righteousness as synonymous with the righteousness that God gives through faith. This explanation is without a doubt the only correct one. There is no reason to think that the apostle means something else by God's righteousness other than what he explained with emphasis in verse 22. In verse 21, the apostle points out that God's righteousness by faith has been revealed and in verse 25 he says how this revelation happened — God brought forth Christ as a means of reconciliation through faith.
  5. As a consequence of the indulgence that God had for sins that were committed before under his patience. This indulgence is explained now that God has revealed his righteousness in Christ. During the pre-Christ era, God was indulgent with sins, intending in the fullness of time to reveal his righteousness, that is, to send his only begotten son to vindicate sinners. This means that God revealed righteousness as a CONSEQUENCE of this indulgence. In the same way, it is often said that God's deeds in the New Testament appear as a CONSEQUENCE of the promises given in the Hebrew Scriptures (Matthew 1:22, 12:17).