This chapter consists of two main sections: A and B. In A we are shown that the basic result of justification by faith is peace with God. Other blessings are associated with it. In B the main emphasis is on the generous character of the salvation provided by God.

A. (verses 1-11) Paul has reached a new phase in the discussion of justification by faith. He begins to fix the attention of the hearers-readers on the favorable effects resulting from justification. First of all he mentions “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” As 5:10 makes clear, this peace is basically “reconciliation with God through the death of his Son.” Associated with this peace are such other blessings as access to God by faith and a joyful looking forward to the marvelous salvation God has in store for those who have placed their trust in him. Even present suffering for the sake of Christ and his kingdom cannot dim the luster of the glory that is to come and in principle is being experienced even now. In fact, such suffering is really a link in the chain of blessings: suffering, perseverance, proven character, firmly anchored hope. This hope is kept alive and strengthened by God’s love “poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (verses 1-5).

Christ’s timely death for the “ungodly” is a demonstration of God’s love. By way of rare exception someone might be willing to sacrifice his life for a worthy person, but God demonstrated his own love by means of Christ’s death for us while we were still sinners (verses 6-8).

Not only has our legal standing been changed from “guilty” to “righteous,” i.e., from condemnation to justification, but our personal relation to God has also changed. Through Christ’s death former enemies were changed into friends. It was God himself who brought about this reconciliation. Now if God has reconciled to himself enemies, he will certainly save friends. Believers need not become alarmed about any future divine wrath. With a view to all these blessings, present and future, even now “we exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (verses 9-11).

B. (verses 12-21) In a sentence beginning with verse 12, recaptured (as to essence) in verse 18a, and completed in verse 18b, the apostle states, “Just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, since all sinned; that is, as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all men, so also one act of righteousness resulted for all men in justification issuing in life.”

“In Adam’s fall we sinned all.” Adam, by means of his transgression of an express divine command, involved all mankind in his sin and guilt. The entire human race is viewed as being already “in” Adam. Moreover, being involved in sin implies being involved in death. The reality of sin did not depend on the establishment of the Mosaic law. Even during the period Adam-Moses sin was taken into account, for God’s law had been written in man’s heart (cf. 2:14, 15). This explains why it is right to state that death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin by transgressing an express command, as did Adam (see Gen. 2:16, 17; 3:1-6). In this connection Paul calls Adam “a type of him who was to come,” Adam being considered the head of fallen humanity; Christ, the head of redeemed humanity (verses 12-14).

In the remainder of the chapter the apostle shows that as all men were included in Adam, so also “all men,” that is, all those who belong to Christ, whether they be Jews or Gentiles by race, are included in Christ. The parallel Adam-Christ is, however, mainly one of contrast, as now becomes very clear. Paul says, “For if, by reason of the trespass of the one the many died, much more did God’s grace, and the gift that comes by the grace of this one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many.” Adam’s transgression brought condemnation. Christ’s voluntary sacrifice of himself for his people brought justification issuing in life. Moreover, grace is ever far more effective than sin. “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” Did grace merely offset sin and death, so that mankind returned to the state of innocence, that of Adam before the fall? On the contrary, grace changed death into a gain, substituted righteousness for sin, and everlasting life for death. All this “through Jesus Christ our Lord” (verses 15-21).

Having set forth the truth that the state of righteousness in God’s sight cannot be achieved by means of human works but is God’s gift, the apostle now, in harmony with 4:21, elaborates on the fact that this representation is not a novelty but is thoroughly scriptural.

In this connection he fixes the attention of the hearer and/or reader on the manner in which Abraham obtained this great blessing: “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). He comments, “Now to the one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a favor but as a debt. On the other hand, to the person who does not work but rests his faith on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.” God counted for righteousness that which Abraham appropriated by faith, namely, the righteousness of Another, that is, of Jesus Christ, which was imputed to Abraham. Cf. Rom. 4:6, 11, 25; 5:6-21; cf. Isa. 53:4-6, 8, 12.

By means of a quotation from Ps. 32 the apostle proves that what was true with respect to Abraham holds for all believers: “Blessed (are) those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”

Returning to Gen. 15:6, Paul asks, “Is this blessing then pronounced only upon the circumcised or also upon the uncircumcised?” He shows that it was long before Abraham was circumcised that his faith was reckoned for righteousness. As a result Abraham became “the father of all believers”; that is, of those uncircumcised as well as of those circumcised; in other words, of Gentile as well as of Jewish believers (verses 1-12).

In close connection with the immediately preceding, Paul now emphasizes the importance of God’s promise and its fulfilment. It was not through the law that Abraham received the promise. Human works or merit had nothing to do with it. It was faith in the promise that mattered. Cf. Gal. 3:9, 29. God promised Abraham that he would be “the father of many nations,” therefore “heir of the world” (Gen. 17:5). Abraham did not waver in unbelief but was strengthened in faith. He rested his faith on him “who imparts life to the dead, and calls things that are not as though they were.” In view of the fact that Abraham was almost a hundred years old and Sarah was barren, this faith of Abraham was indeed remarkable. The patriarch believed that whatever God promised he would also do. Moreover, the words “It was reckoned to him for righteousness” were meant not only for him but for all who rest their faith on God, the One who “raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.”

The Savior “was delivered up for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.” This probably means that our trespasses made it necessary for Jesus to be delivered over to death, and that he was raised to life in order to assure us that his vicarious sacrifice had been accepted. As a result believers are, in the very sight of God, without sin and therefore righteous (verses 13-25).

By means of corroborative evidence from the Old Testament Paul has made clear that the comforting doctrine of justification-hence salvation-by faith, on the basis of God’s sovereign grace, is indeed thoroughly scriptural.

By means of a chain of Old Testament passages Paul adduces the evidence for the proposition that by nature everybody is under the power of sin, and that accordingly “there is no one righteous, no, not one.” This being true, it follows that the attempt to gain salvation by performing works of obedience to God’s law will fail. “Therefore by law-works no flesh [mortal being] will be justified in his sight, for through law comes consciousness of sin” (3:9-20).

However, when for the sinner things begin to look very dark, the light of the gospel suddenly breaks through the gloom and dispels it: “But now, apart from law, a righteousness attested by the law and the prophets has been revealed, namely, a righteousness from God.” This righteousness, in order to be effective in the life of a person, must be appropriated by faith in Jesus Christ. This rule holds for everybody: Gentile and Jew alike, “for there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (verses 21-23).

The price paid by the Savior for the justification of those who place their trust in him, and through him in God Triune, was immeasurably heavy. It amounted to no less than the shedding of Christ’s blood, that is, the offering up of himself. This meant that the full burden of wrath was transferred from his people to himself, so that he, Lord Jesus Christ, bore it in their stead. All this took place in harmony with God’s design from eternity. What Jesus offered was therefore a voluntary wrath-removing sacrifice, made effective in the lives of God’s children by means of their God-given faith. Not until a person welcomes Christ into his heart and life by genuine, humble trust and self-surrender, does God pronounce him to be just; that is, free from every speck of guilt and therefore also bound to receive all the other blessings that are included in the term salvation.

Although it is true that this heavy penalty was not paid by Christ immediately upon the entrance of sin, and that accordingly throughout the entire old dispensation God treated with indulgence the sins of his people, punishment could not be delayed indefinitely. Divine justice had to be satisfied. During Christ’s entire life on earth and especially at Calvary the heavy price was paid: “God did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all” (Rom. 8:31). God did this “to demonstrate his justice in the present time, that he might be just and the One who justifies the person who has faith in Jesus” (3:24-31).

Having shown that the Gentiles are the objects of God’s wrath because of their sinful practices, the apostle now directs his attention to the Jews, and states that they are without excuse when they practice some of the very evils they condemn in others. Let not the Jew think that because he has not been abandoned by God to a life of most scandalous immorality, God must be very pleased with him. Rather, let him take to heart the fact that God’s kindness toward him should bring him to conversion (2:1-4).

Paul continues, “But by your hard and unconverted heart you are storing up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to every person according to his deeds … and who does not show partiality” (verses 5-11).

“All who have sinned in ignorance of the law will perish even though they did not know the law, and all who have sinned knowing the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God’s sight but it is the doers….”

The apostle then reveals that even the Gentiles, who do not have the written law, do have a conscience which at times condemns and at times commends them. God will take all this into consideration. He will judge with absolute fairness, not showing any partiality. All this will become clear on the day of the final judgment, when God, through Jesus Christ, will judge men’s secrets (verses 12-16).

The next paragraph may be condensed into this one big question, “Do you, who are a Jew, really practice what you preach?” More in detail, Paul asks, “Do you, who call yourself a Jew and rely on (the) law … and consider yourself a light for those in darkness, try to live in accordance with the law?” … “You, then, who teach someone else, don’t you teach yourself; you who preach that people should not steal, do you steal?” etc. He concludes this section with the accusation, “As it is written [see Isa. 52:5] ‘Because of you [i.e., your wickedness] the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles” (verses 17-24).

The Jew was of the opinion that because he had the law and had been circumcised, all was well for time and eternity. Paul answers, “Circumcision does indeed profit, but only if you put the law into practice … He is not a (real) Jew who is one only on the outside, nor is (true) circumcision something external and physical. But he is a (real) Jew who is one inwardly; and (real) circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from man but from God.” (verses 25-29).

At this point the apostle seems to hear an objection. It is as if someone is saying, “But Paul, do you mean that the Jews have no advantages, the most priceless of them being that the oracles of God have been entrusted to them?” (3:1, 2).

The question naturally arises, “But what if some of the Jews are unfaithful to that trust? Their unfaithfulness will not nullify God’s faithfulness, will it?” Paul answers, “By no means. Let God be true, and every person a liar. As it is written,

” ‘That thou mayest be proved right in thy words

And prevail in thy judging.’ ”

Since God is faithful, those Jews who are faithful to him and to their trust will certainly receive the promised goods. Human unfaithfulness, far from invalidating divine faithfulness, causes it to stand out in bold relief; just as, for example, David, by means of his wholehearted confession (Ps. 51), caused God’s righteousness in judging him to shine forth all the more brilliantly on the dark background of the adulterer’s own sinfulness. See II Sam. 11, 12.

This answer, however, leads to the question, “Since this is true, namely, that man’s unrighteousness brings out more sharply God’s righteousness, should not God be happy about that turn of events, instead of inflicting wrath on man for his sins?” This question is asked first in 3:5 and then, in a slightly different form, in verse 7. In both cases it amounts to, “Does not the end-namely, the revelation of God’s glorious attributes-justify the means, namely, man’s sinfulness?”

Paul’s answer is, “Perish the thought, and let the people who so wickedly misrepresent our gospel receive the punishment they deserve” (verses 3-8).