Abstract
The theological significance of Romans 4 is undisputed and within it the explicit citation in Romans 4:3 is pivotal. It has informed theological thought, stimulated debates, and shaped faith communities for millennia. But does the concept of ‘justification by faith’ or ‘righteousness through faith’, as portrayed in Romans 4:3, hold enough essential universal elements for it to inform faith communities in particular and society in general? How did Paul arrive at the idea that through faith one can be declared righteous? Is there any hint in Romans 4:3 to a conceptual relationship between justice and righteousness? The aim of this paper is to critically investigate Romans 4:3 within its literary conceptual context to determine if it has anything significant to offer for societal concepts of justice and righteousness. Such a critical enquiry must include considering Paul’s concept of justice and righteousness in comparison to a more modern concept of these terms. This investigation will also demand a critical reflection on Genesis 15:1-21 and Paul’s interpretation of the text. One also ought to deal with this matter within the literary context of Romans 3:21-4:25.
Highlights
What makes Romans 4:3 such an intriguingly significant verse is the fact that it is foundational for the concept of ‘righteousness through faith’ or ‘justification by faith’ developed in Romans 3:21-4:25.2 The explicit citation taken from Genesis 15:6, as reflected in Romans 4:3, contributes to the significance of the passage and the concept of ‘justification by faith’ while the interrogative pronoun Τί together with the conjunction οὖν, formulated as a rhetorical question, sanction Romans 4’s dependence on chapters 1-3.3 Together they form a noteworthy theological framework dealing with ‘sin’, ‘guilt’, ‘judgment’ and the concept of ‘justification by faith’
Paul interpreted being reckoned ‘righteous’ by the Hebrew deity as only possible through faith. This claim can be corroborated by the fact that he decided on Genesis 15:6 as an explicit citation and proof text as well as the extrapolation from Romans 3:21 onwards
Paul seems convinced that Abraham did not at any point doubt God’s promise when he says that there was no ‘doubting in unbelieve’ “εἰς δὲ τὴν ἐπαγγελῒαν τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ διεκρίθη τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ”, Romans 4:20a, but he was strengthened in faith on what God will provide “ἀλλ’ ἐνεδυναμώθη τῇ πίστει, δοὺς δόξαν τῷ θεῷ”, Romans 4:20b
Summary
What makes Romans 4:3 such an intriguingly significant verse is the fact that it is foundational for the concept of ‘righteousness through faith’ or ‘justification by faith’ developed in Romans 3:21-4:25.2 The explicit citation taken from Genesis 15:6, as reflected in Romans 4:3, contributes to the significance of the passage and the concept of ‘justification by faith’ while the interrogative pronoun Τί together with the conjunction οὖν, formulated as a rhetorical question, sanction Romans 4’s dependence on chapters 1-3.3 Together they form a noteworthy theological framework dealing with ‘sin’, ‘guilt’, ‘judgment’ and the concept of ‘justification by faith’.4 This concept has become a terminus technicus which poses a threat to its theological and societal value. Paul interpreted being reckoned ‘righteous’ by the Hebrew deity as only possible through faith This claim can be corroborated by the fact that he decided on Genesis 15:6 as an explicit citation and proof text as well as the extrapolation from Romans 3:21 onwards (see Rom 3:27, 28, 30; 4:3, 5, 9, 11, 22; 5:1). In March of this year, the ruling of culpable homicide was overturned and Oscar Pistorius was found guilty of murder, resulting in the moral and legal perspectives to coincide During such legal procedures one would hardly hear the term ‘righteousness’ or even being declared ‘just’. In Paul’s mind being declared ‘just’ or ‘righteous’ is a divine act based on faith of a mortal as is imminent from Genesis 15:1-21 from where he quotes and which informs his hermeneutical processes in this regard.
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