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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Romans 3:19-31

From all this Paul infers that it is in vain to look for justification by the works of the law, and that it is to be had only by faith, which is the point he has been all along proving, from Rom. 1:17; and which he lays down (Rom. 3:28) as the summary of his discourse, with a quod erat demonstrandum?which was to be demonstrated. We conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law; not by the deeds of the first law of pure innocence, which left no room for repentance, nor... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 3:19-26

3:19-26 We know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are within the law, and the function of the law is that every mouth should be silenced and that the whole world should be known to be liable to the judgment of God, because no one will ever get into a right relationship with God by doing the works which the law lays down. What does come through the law is a full awareness of sin. But now a way to a right relationship to God lies open before us quite apart from the law, and it is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 3:25

Whom God had set forth to be a propitiation ,.... Redemption by Christ is here further explained, by his being "a propitiation": which word may design either Christ the propitiator, the author of peace and reconciliation; or the propitiatory sacrifice, by which he is so; and both in allusion to the mercy seat, which was a type of him as such. The apostle here uses the same word, which the Septuagint often render כפרת "the mercy seat", by; and Philo the Jew calls it by the same name, and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 3:25

Whom God hath set forth - Appointed and published to be a propitiation, ιλαστηριον , the mercy-seat, or place of atonement; because the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled on and before that, in order to obtain remission of sin, punishment, etc. The mercy-seat was the lid or cover of the ark of the covenant, where God was manifest in the symbol of his presence, between the cherubim; therefore the atonement that was made in this place was properly made to God himself. See the note on Luke... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 3:25

Verse 25 25.Whom God hath set forth, etc. The Greek verb, προτίθεναι, means sometimes to determine beforehand, and sometimes to set forth. If the first meaning be taken, Paul refers to the gratuitous mercy of God, in having appointed Christ as our Mediator, that he might appease the Father by the sacrifice of his death: nor is it a small commendation of God’s grace that he, of his own good will, sought out a way by which he might remove our curse. According to this view, the passage fully... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 3:21-26

"No difference." The Bible presents us with three pictures of man's condition and character. They are very different, and yet they are all true pictures. There is the picture of man before the Fall, as he walked with God in primeval innocence of heart and sinless purity of life. There is the picture of man after the Fall, with the Divine image marred and stained by sin. And then there is the picture of man renewed again—man an object of Divine mercy, man a subject of Divine grace, man... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 3:21-26

Redemption working righteousness. A whole system of theology is compacted into these few words. The keystone of the arch. We have here—redemption; righteousness. I. REDEMPTION . The redemption centres in Christ; it touches on either side God and man. Originating in the purposes of God, and actualized in the work of Christ, it is appropriated in the consciousness of man. These verses deal with one aspect of Christ's work and of man's salvation—justification through Christ's atoning... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 3:21-31

(4) The righteousness of God, manifested in Christ and apprehended by faith, is the sole remedy, and available for all. The position enunciated in Romans 1:18 being now sufficiently established, the apostle enters here on his main argument, announced in Romans 1:17 . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 3:21-31

Justification through faith in Christ. The design of the Law, to intensify our sense of sin, having been made plain, the apostle, in the present paragraph, proceeds to show where justification comes from. It does not come from the Law; for the Law can only give us condemnation. It comes from a source foretold in "the Law and the prophets"—from Jesus Christ, our Propitiation. And more than justification, as we shall now see, proceeds from this marvellous source. Three leading thoughts... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 3:24-26

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. δικαιούμενοι agrees with πάντες in Romans 3:23 . "Repente sic panditur scena amaenior" (Bengel). δωρεὰν and τῆ αὐτοῦ χάριτι are opposed to the impossible theory of justification by law . And, as all sinned, so all are so justified potentially, the redemption being for all; cf. especially Romans 5:18 . But ... read more

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