Chapter: Exegetical Essay on Justification
Biblical passages have been abused to promote the false doctrine of Universal Objective Justification. People need to be armed against the frequent claims that “God has already declared the entire world forgiven.” The following pages will show that the UOJ argumentation is groundless and a base perversion of the Word of God. These studies began with laymen urging me to study these issues, so I am writing this chapter with them in mind. For that reason I am using my Greek text but offering an explanation that does not require knowledge of that language.
The LCMS Brief Statement
Of Justification
17. Holy Scripture sums up all its teachings regarding the love of God to the world of sinners, regarding the salvation wrought by Christ, and regarding faith in Christ as the only way to obtain salvation, in the article of justification. Scripture teaches that God has already declared the whole world to be righteous in Christ, Rom. 5:19; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Rom. 4:25; that therefore not for the sake of their good works, but without the works of the Law, by grace, for Christ's sake, He justifies, that is, accounts as righteous, all those who believe, accept, and rely on, the fact that for Christ's sake their sins are forgiven. Thus the Holy Ghost testifies through St. Paul: "There is no difference; for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," Rom. 3:23, 24. And again: "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law," Rom. 3:28.
The Missouri Synod approved the Brief Statement of 1932, the final effort of Francis Pieper, who was drafted by C. F. W. Walther to follow… in his steps. Unfortunately, many have treated this document as superior to the Book of Concord, supplanting the Confessions by making the Brief Statement of a Midwestern sect the final word on all doctrinal matters. Since this paragraph ties their doctrine to three passages, they need to be examined in context.
Romans 4:25 and 5:19
“The sins of the world were forgiven the moment Christ rose from the dead.”
KJV Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
That is a common claim, one that bears scrutiny. If the verse does not say what is claimed, the false foundation is removed. Clearly, the citation is only part of a statement, but the statement itself is found within the context of a chapter. We all know that chapter divisions in the Bible are rather arbitrary, assigned many centuries after the fact. Nevertheless, they follow the change in themes clearly visible in Romans.
Romans 4
Romans 4 has a theme, clearly articulated. The chapter teaches us about Abraham as the father of faith. He is the example to follow in this matter of justification, being declared free of sin by God.
KJV Romans 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. 9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
In Romans, Paul offers the alternatives of faith or works, justification by faith (already established) or justification by works.
KJV Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
KJV Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Throughout the Bible and the Confessions, justification is always justification by faith, as the most ardent UOJ advocates have admitted. This is especially true of Abraham, because the issue is raised – How was he counted or reckoned as righteous?
Romans 4: 9Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
No one can claim from this section that anyone is counted righteous without faith.
KJV Romans 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
The champions of UOJ rail against faith, belittling faith, mocking faith as if it were bad, dangerous, and a work of man! This shows the effect of false doctrine, hardening and blinding men, so they see what God extols as bad. Abraham was not righteous because of a work—circumcision—but received circumcision as the seal of the righteousness of faith.
Abraham was justified by faith before he was circumcision:
KJV Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Abraham was justified by faith before God commanded circumcision, which can be seen in the time between his justification and the instigation of circumcision.
KJV Genesis 17:10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
Lenksi:
Abraham’s faith was so reckoned. His faith reached out to the Heir, to Christ. The moment it did this it became in God’s accounting perfect righteousness for him. He is our spiritual father, and all of us, like him, are accounted righteous by God in the same blessed way. He is never our ancestor due only to an outward religious connection of Christianity with Judaism.
4) There are two kinds of reckoning. Paul carefully distinguished between them, for only the one kind applies here. Now to the one working the pay is not reckoned according to grace but according to obligation; but to one not working (at all) but (only) believing on him who declares the ungodly one righteous his faith is reckoned for righteousness.
Lenski, R. C. H. (1936). The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans (291). Columbus, Ohio: Lutheran Book Concern.
Romans 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
This language is especially important, because it is reflected in one of the Formula of Concord’s articles – The Righteousness of Faith. One of the best ways to change doctrine is to get people used to a new vocabulary. The righteousness of faith bridges the historical gap between Paul, the 1580 Book of Concord, and us. New terms and meanings must come from the outside, alien to the long line of faithful Gospel teachers. Objective Justification, Subjective Justification, General Justification, and Universal Justification are new words, foreign to Lutherans and opposed to the clear and precise Promises of God.
10] These treasures are offered us by the Holy Ghost in the promise of the holy Gospel; and faith alone is the only means by which we lay hold upon, accept, and apply, and appropriate them to ourselves. 11] This faith is a gift of God, by which we truly learn to know Christ, our Redeemer, in the Word of the Gospel, and trust in Him, that for the sake of His obedience alone we have the forgiveness of sins by grace, are regarded as godly and righteous by God the father, and are eternally saved.
Book of Concord, Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article III, The Righteousness of Faith.
KJV Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Faith is not opposed to grace because the word means trust in God, Who moves us to believe in His mercy in Christ because of the Holy Spirit working in the Gospel Promises. This is the Christ-centered and God-glorifying doctrine of the Christian Church, no matter who has changed or diluted or amalgamated it. True, the revivalists have damaged the original Biblical meaning of faith, by making man’s faith a healing and saving virtue. But, to paraphrase Luther, we should not be like the man who knifed his brother to death when trying to protect him from an attacking bear. The solution to revivalism and New Age salvation-by-positive-thinking is to teach against it, using the Word of God as a weapon, not to copy and paste sermons and ape their pathetic attempts at entertainment evangelism.
Romans 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness
The context is Abraham believing he will be the father of many nations and acting on that Promise of God. Once again, this important term “imputed” (counted, reckoned) is used. He believed and he was counted righteous. His actions were works of faith, which glorify God, not works of the Law, which cause men to boast (see the Pharisee and the publican parable).
Highpoint of Romans 4
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
The Holy Spirit revealed through Paul that Abraham was the first of many, not just a single figure in the Bible. The Word of God teaches us that we are also counted righteous (imputation, reckoning) if we believe on Him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. The entire sentence should be quoted and cited and not just Romans 4:25 in a misleading way.
Romans 4:25 explains the glorious work of God in the Atonement (delivered for our offences) and the resurrection. There is no claim that the world was absolved of its sin and forgiven the moment Christ rose from the dead.
Lenski:
“Our” transgressions, “our” being declared righteous, as in other similar expressions, speak of the believers alone because in them the purpose of Christ’s death and his resurrection is fully realized. The fact that Christ died also for those who deny him and bring swift destruction on themselves (2 Pet. 2:1) does not need to be introduced here. The two “our” prevent us from making “because of our justification” signify the justification of the whole world instead of “our justification,” “our” referring to us believers (personal justification). It is this justification with which the entire chapter deals and constantly also emphasizes faith.
Lenski, R. C. H. (1936). The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans (328–329). Columbus, Ohio: Lutheran Book Concern.
Transition to Romans 5:1-2
The highpoint of Romans 4 is the transition to Romans 5:1-2, the classic statement of justification by faith. All of Romans 4 should be read as the introduction to Romans 5 – that is, as an extended explanatory passage teaching faith in the Word of God. Very much like the Gospel of John, Paul begins with a spiritual truth and expands upon it by repetition, giving more and more meaning to the term as it is repeated and explained. Justification by faith in Romans 3, 4, and 5 is like the Bread of Life in John 6 or the Good Shepherd in John 10.
KJV Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
To derive justification without faith (UOJ) from Romans 4:25, right in the middle of Paul’s justification by faith chapters, is an act of criminal dishonesty. The Missouri Synod absorbed the toxins of UOJ slowly, not even reflecting them in their 1905 catechism. Once established as a doctrinal norm, UOJ sped the transition to the doctrines of Enthusiasm and the works of the flesh.
