The Gospel: Righteousness (Part 1)

Romans 1:17

¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

(Verse 17) - The fourth key word Paul uses here regarding the gospel is righteousness, a term he uses over thirty-five times in the book of Romans alone. Faith activates the divine power that brings salvation, and in that sovereign act the righteousness of God is revealed. A better rendering is from God, indicating that He imparts His own righteousness to those who believe. It is thereby not only revealed but reckoned to those who believe in Christ (Rom. 4:5). Let’s look at the passage in more detail:

For - This word implies that he is now about to give a “reason” for what he had just said, a reason for all that he has just said – it stands as a sort of summary idea as to why Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel. That reason is stated in this verse. It embodies the substance of all that is contained in the Epistle. It is the doctrine which he seeks to establish; and there is not perhaps a more important passage in the Bible than this verse; or one more difficult to be understood.

Therein - In it, that is, in the gospel. All that is aid concerns specifically the Gospel. It is in the Gospel that the righteousness of God is revealed from heaven. It is not in ANY other mechanism.

Is the righteousness of God - There is not a more important expression to be found in the Epistle than this. It is capable of only the following interpretations.

(1) Some have said that it means that the attribute of God which is denominated righteousness or justice, is here displayed. It has been supposed that this was the design of the gospel to make this known; or to evince his justice in his way of saving people. There is an important sense in which this is true Rom. 3:26. But this does not seem to be the meaning in the passage before us. This is for at least the following reasons:

(a)   The leading design of the gospel is not to evince the justice of God, or the attribute of justice, but the love of God; see John 3:16; Eph. 2:4; 2 Thess. 2:16; 1 John 4:8. There are other aspects of the plan and purpose of God that are designed to show His justice – the Gospel is no so designed.

(b)   This is precisely what we see in the normal interpretation of the passage. The attribute of justice is not, in fact, what is principally evinced in the gospel. It is rather mercy, “or mercy in a manner consistent with justice,” or that does not interfere with justice.

(c)   The passage, therefore, is not designed to teach simply that the righteousness of God, as an attribute, is brought forth in the gospel, or that the main idea is to reveal his justice.

(2) A second interpretation which has been affixed to it is, to make it the same as goodness, the benevolence of God is revealed, etc. But to this there are still stronger objections. This is because:

(a)   It is not consistent with the design of the apostle’s argument.

(b)   It is a departure from the established meaning of the word “justice,” and the phrase “the righteousness of God.” For it to be reference to the goodness of God we would have to make that phrase mean that God would act righteously in His treatment of His people – and that does not seem to be the normal sense of the words.

(c)   Also, if this had been the design, it is remarkable that the usual words expressive of goodness or mercy had not been used. Another meaning, therefore, is to be sought as expressing the sense of the phrase.

(3) A third idea here is that  the phrase “righteousness of God” is equivalent to God’s “plan of justifying people; his scheme of declaring them just in the sight of the Law; or of acquitting them from punishment, and admitting them to favor.” The important idea is that in this sense it stands opposed to man’s plan of justification, that is, by his own works: God’s plan is by faith. The way in which that is done is revealed in the gospel. The object contemplated to be done is to treat people as if they were, in fact righteous. Man attempted to accomplish this by obedience to the Law. The plan of God was to arrive at it by faith. Here the two schemes differ; and the great design of this Epistle is to show that man cannot be justified on his own plan, to wit, by works; and that the plan of God is the only way, and a wise and glorious way of making man just in the eye of the Law. No small part of the perplexity usually attending this subject will be avoided if it is remembered that the discussion in this Epistle pertains to the question, “how can mortal man be just with God?” The apostle shows that it cannot be by works; and that it “can be” by faith. This latter is what he calls the “righteousness of God” which is revealed in the gospel.

To see that this is the meaning, it is needful only to look at the connection; and at the usual meaning of the words. The word to “justify,” means properly “to be just, to be innocent, to be righteous.” It then means to “declare,” or treat as righteous; as when a man is charged with an offence, and is acquitted. If the crime alleged is not proved against him, he is declared by the Law to be innocent. It then means to “treat as if innocent, to regard as innocent;” that is, to pardon, to forgive, and consequently to treat as if the offence had not occurred. It does not mean that the man did not commit the offence; or that the Law might not have held him answerable for it; but that the offence is forgiven; and it is consistent to receive the offender into favor, and treat him as if he had not committed it. In what way this may be done rests with him who has the pardoning power. And in regard to the salvation of man, it rests solely with God, and must be done in that way only which he appoints and approves. The design of Paul in this Epistle is to show how this is done, or to show that it is done by faith. It may be remarked here that the expression before us does not imply any particular manner in which it is done; it does not touch the question whether it is by imputed righteousness or not; it does not say that it is on legal principles; it simply affirms “that the gospel contains God’s plan of justifying people by faith.”

The primary meaning of the word is, therefore, “to be innocent, pure, etc.” and hence, the name means “righteousness” in general. For this use of the word, see Matt. 3:15; 5:6, 10, 20; 21:32; Luke 1:75; Acts 10:35; 13:10; Rom. 2:26; 8:4, etc.

In the sense of pardoning sin, or of treating people as if they were innocent, on the condition of faith, it is used often, and especially in this Epistle; see Rom. 3:24, 26, 28, 30; 4:5; 5:1; 8:30; Gal. 2:16; 3:8, 24; Rom. 3:21-22, 25; 4:3, 6,13; 9:30, etc.