Romans 3:21 – Yet now..! 

Yet now, apart from law, a righteousness of God is manifest, being attested by the law and the prophets

Romans 3:21 represents the mighty turnaround in the apostle’s argument thus far. Started by the “Yet now…!”. In the foregoing, Paul has shown at length that all are under sin and that no one is righteous on the basis of merit. However, the “now” indicates that GOD is going to handle things completely differently. He does not demand righteousness from man. In that case, there would be justice based on what the law requires. No, what GOD makes public is completely “separate from law”.

It is not about human righteousness but about “righteousness of GOD”. That does not mean, as Luther translated, “righteousness valid before God.” No, when “the righteousness of GOD has been made manifest”, it means that GOD himself has acted righteously. That is to say, GOD has done justice, of which the law and the prophets witness. In other words: He has fulfilled the promises and predictions and fulfilled them. Those are the glad tidings of GOD’S righteousness! He fulfills what He promises. Independent of every (dis) performance of people. 

Delen: