St.Paul's passages for justification, righteousness, etc

Apologetics Sacred Scripture
#1

Biblical Passages from Romans on Justification and Righteousness

1: 17 For in it is revealed the uprightness of God, through faith and for faith, as it stands written, The One who is upright shall find life through faith.
[Galatians 3: 11 And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear, for “**the one who is righteous by faith will live.”]

Jcb, Messiah is a possible answer. Also, IT is the Gospel. And in it God’s uprightness is revealed. So, Power of God reveals His uprightness.
Righteous/Uprightness (dikaiosynē**)**

2: 13 For it is not those who listen to the law who are upright before God; rather, those who observe the law will be justified before him.
Observe (doers/poietes) [God does it. But we do it because he does it in and through us. One hundred percent him…one hundred percent us…]

3: 5 If our wickedness brings forth the uprightness of God, what are we to say? Is God unjust to bring wrath upon us (I am speaking, of course, in human terms)?

3: 20 …since no human being will be justified before him through deeds prescribed by the law; for through the law comes real knowledge of sin.
Be justified (dikaioō**)**

3: 21 But now, independently of the law, the uprightness of God has been disclosed…the uprightness of God that comes through faith in Jesus Christ toward all who believe, toward all, without distinction.

3: 23-24 For all alike have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; yet all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that comes in Christ Jesus.
(5: 18 So, just as through one trespass condemnation came upon all, through one act of righteousness justification and life came to all human beings.)
Righteousness (dikaioma), Justification (dikaiōsis)

3: 25…This was to be a manifestation of God’s uprightness for the pardon of past sins committed in the time of his forbearance, a manifestation of his uprightness also at the present time to show that he is upright and justifies the one who puts faith in Jesus.

3: 28 For we maintain that a human being is justified by faith apart from deeds prescribed by the law.

3: 30 For God who will justify both [the circumcised in virtue of their faith and the uncircumcised through their faith] is one.

#2

From The Book of Romans

4: 2 If Abraham was justified by deeds, he has reason to boast, but not before God.

4: 3 For what does scripture say? Abraham put his faith in God, and it was credited to him as uprightness. (jcb- faith IN God.)

4: 5 But when one does not labor, yet puts faith in him who justifies the godless, his faith is credited as uprightness. (CREDITED, Faith IN God).

4: 6 So too David utters a beatitude over the human being to whom God credits uprightness apart from deeds: Blessed are those whose iniquities have been forgiven, whose sins have been covered up; blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not credit.

Beatitude (makarismos, ***declaration of blessedness, from makarizō, pronounced blessed) **
Psalm 32: 1, 2 Blessed (’esher***, happy, blessed) **

4: 9 Is this beatitude uttered, then, only over the circumcised, or over the uncircumcised too? We maintain that “faith was credited to Abraham as uprightness.”

4: 11 He accepted the sign of circumcision as the seal of uprightness that comes through faith while he was still uncircumcised. Thus he was to be the father of all who believe when uncircumcised, so that uprightness might also be credited to them.

**Seal (***sphragis, *a seal placed upon a book, signet ring, confirmed, proved, authenticated, jcb-notarize)

4: 13 It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham or to his posterity that he would inherit the world, but through the uprightness that came from faith.
(It states several times in Genesis that Abraham and his descendants received the land—he was justified. Isaac was born of him. Abraham was justified.)

4: 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body to be already as good as dead (being about a hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 Yet he never weaved in disbelief about God’s promise, but, strengthened in faith, he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was capable indeed of doing what he promised. 22 That is why Abraham’s faith was credited to him as upright.

4: 24…It is also going to be credited to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was handed over (to death) for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

5: 1 Therefore, now that we are justified through faith, we are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…

#3

**From the Book of Romans

**[LEFT] 5: 7 Rare, indeed, is it that one should lay down’s one’s life for an upright person…

5: 9 And so since we are now justified by his blood, we shall all the more certainly be saved by him from the wrath to come.

5: 16 Moreover, the gift is not like the result of one man’s sin; for judgment resulting from one trespass became condemnation, whereas the gift following upon many trespasses brought justification.

5: 17 If by the trespass of one man death came to hold sway through that one man, how much more will those who receive the abundance of God’s grace and his gift of uprightness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

5: 18 So, just as through one trespass condemnation came upon all, through one act of uprightness justification and life came to all human beings.

5: 19 Just as through the disobedience of one man many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one man many will be made upright.

5: 20 The law slipped in that trespasses might increase; but where sin increased, grace has abounded all the more, 21 so that, just as sin held sway in death, grace too might reign through uprightness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

6: 13 Do not put your members at sin’s disposal as weapons of wickedness, but instead put yourselves at God’s disposal as those who have come to life from death and offer your members to God as weapons of righteousness.

6: 16 Do you not know that, if you put yourselves at anyone’s disposal in obedience, you become slaves of the one you obey—whether of sin, which leads to death, or real obedience, which leads to uprightness.

6: 18 Freed then from sin, you have become slaves of uprightness.

6: 19…so now put them slavishly at the disposal of uprightness, which leads to holiness.

6: 20 When you were slaves of sin, you were free from uprightness.

7: 12 Yet the law is holy, upright, and good.

8: 10 But if Christ is in you, though the body be dead because of sin, the spirit has life because of uprightness.

[/LEFT]

#4

**St.Paul’s Letter to the Romans

**[LEFT] 9: 30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles who did not pursue uprightness have attained it, an uprightness based on faith, whereas Israel, which was pursuing a law of uprightness, did not achieve it?

10: 3 For being unaware of God’s punishment and seeking to set up their own righteousness, they have not submitted to the uprightness of God.

10: 4 For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be uprightness for everyone who believes.

10: 5 For Moses writes thus of uprightness that comes from the law: “The one who does these things will find life in them.”

10: 6 But the uprightness that comes from faith speaks thus: *“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ ” *(that is, to bring Christ down); or “ ‘*Who will go down into the abyss?’ “ *(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

10: 10 Such faith of the heart lead to uprightness; such profession of the lips to salvation.

14: 17 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but uprightness, peace and joy.
[/LEFT]

#5

Other Pauline letters with righteousness/uprightness, etc
I Corinthians 1: 30 It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.”

I Corinthians 6: 11. That is what some of you used to be; but now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified; you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

II Corinthians 3: 9 For if the ministry condemnation was glorious, the ministry of righteousness will abound much more in glory.

II Corinthians 5: 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

II Corinthians 6: 7 …in truthful speech, in power of God; with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left…

II Corinthians 6: 14 Do not be yoked with those who are different, with unbelievers. For what partnership do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

II Corinthians 9: 9 As it is written: “He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”

#6

II Corinthians 9: 10 The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteous.

II Corinthians 11: 15 So it is not strange that his ministers also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. Their ends will correspond to their deed.

Galatians 2: 16 [yet] who know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified, 17 But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are found to be sinners, is Christ then a ministers of Sin? Of course not!

Galatians 2: 21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

Galatians 3: 11 And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear, for “**the one who is righteous **by faith will live.”
[Romans 1: 17 For in it is revealed the uprightness of God, through faith and for faith, as it stands written, *The One who is upright shall find life through faith]

Galatians 3: 21 Is the law then opposed to the promises [of God]? Of course not! For if a law had been given that could bring life, then righteousness would in reality come from the law.

Galatians 3: 24 Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian for Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian.

Galatians 5: 4 You are separated from Christ, you who are trying to be justified by the law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we await the hope of righteousness.

Ephesians 4: 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth

Ephesians 5: 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light, 9 for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.

Ephesians 6: 14 So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feat shod in readiness for the gospel of peace.

#7

(Cf. I Thessalonians 5: 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet that is hope for salvation.

Philippians 1: 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 3: 6 in zeal I persecuted the church, in righteousness based on the law I was blameless.

Philippians 3: 9 and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but righteousness from God, depending on faith

II Thessalonians 1: 5 This is evidence of the just (righteous) judgement of God, so that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God for which you are suffering.

II Thessalonians 1: 6 For it is surely just (righteous) on God’s part to repay with afflictions those who are afflicting you…

I Timothy 1: 9 with the understanding that law is meant not for righteous person but for the lawless and unruly, the godless and sinful, the unholy and profane, those who kill their fathers or mothers, murderers….

I Timothy 3: 16 Undeniably great is the mystery of devotion, Who was manifested in the flesh, vindicated (justified) in the spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.

I Timothy 6: 11 But you, man of God, avoid all this. Instead, pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.

II Timothy 2: 22 So turn from youthful desires and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord with purity of heart.

II Timothy 3: 16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

II Timothy 4: 8 From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just (righteous) judge, will award me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.

I Titus 3: 4 But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, 5 not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, 7 so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.

#8

Hebrews 1: 9 You loved justice (righteousness) and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, anointed you with the oil of gladness about your companions…

Hebrews 5: 13 Everyone who lives on milk lacks experience of the word of righteousness, for he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the nature, for those whose faculties are trained by practice to discern good and evil.

Hebrews 7: 2 And Abraham apportioned to him “a tenth of everything.” His name first means righteous king, and he was also “king of Salam,” that is king of peace.

Hebrews 11: 7 By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen, with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household. Through this he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith.

Hebrews 12: 11 At that time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.

#9

The problem with Protestant interpretation is that they miss the entire historical context. In fact, you could say Protestantism is a product of its own time within it’s own historical context. Luther was very scrupulous, when he read these passages he interpreted them in such as way as to give himself assurance that faith alone was all that was needed for salvation. The Church was also dealing with corruption at the time so it gave more of a reason for Luther and the reformers to interpret Paul in a mongergistic sense. The thing is, Paul is neither dealing with the issue of mongergism or synergism. Paul is dealing with the Judaizers and the question on whether one has to follow the law. The Judaizers believed one had to follow the law of Moses in order to be apart of the new covenant. Paul on the other hand believed faith was enough in order to enter into the covenant and attain salvation, not following the law. I recommend N.T Wright on this one. Instead of interpreting these passages in a Lutheran/Reformed way, he interprets them in their true historical context.

#10

Pope Benedict XVI on the subjects of Faith and Works in St. Paul

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20081119_en.html

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20081126_en.html (scroll down)

Plus earlier one:

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2006/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20061108_en.html

Readers: be sure to read them all…and slowly…

#11

Bookcat:

Great, great, great article from Pope Benedict.

I have only read the first one. I will study the others!

It was perfect for me!

THANKS!

#12

Bookcat:

Again, they were perfect for me.

THANKS!

All of them are now bookmarked.

THANKS!

#13
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