Righteousness — Apart from the Law

These are verses I return to again and again—not to interpret them, but to listen to them. The apostle Paul’s way of thinking cuts through centuries of religious noise with surprising freshness. Let’s read them slowly and let the words settle wherever they may.

Now we know that whatever the Law says
it speaks to those who are under the Law,
so that every mouth may be stopped,
and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
For by works of the Law no human being will be justified in His sight,
since through the Law comes knowledge of sin.
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested
apart from the Law,
although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—
the righteousness of God
through faith
in Jesus Christ
for all who believe.
For there is no distinction:
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
and all are justified by His grace as a gift,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus...
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..
Then what becomes of our boasting?
It is excluded.
For we hold that one is justified by faith
apart from works of the Law.
Or is God the God of Jews only?
Is he not the God of Gentiles also?
Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one.
—who will justify the circumcised by faith
and the uncircumcised through faith.
Romans 3:21-30

That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it,
that is, a righteousness that is by faith;
but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law.
Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone..
Romans 9:30

..we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.
How then was it counted to him?
Was it before or after he had been circumcised?
It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised*.
The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,
and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
Romans 4:9-12
*430 years before the Law (Gal 3:16-18)

Now, the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring.
It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.
This is what I mean: the (Jewish) Law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.
For if the inheritance comes by the Law,
it no longer comes by promise;
but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
Galatians 3:16-18

Assoc. articles:
Judgment – for whom?

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