christiandiscussionforums.org/v/showthread.php?t=117564
The concept of ‘imputation’ is of central importance to the classical Protestant dogma of Justification by Faith Alone.
Protestants teach that justification is a declaration of righteousness. They teach that since fallen man is not righteous the only way God can declare them righteous is if the Righteousness of Another (Christ) is imputed to their unrighteous account. When God looks at the sinner He sees Christ’s Righteousness and declares that sinner righteous (though they remain unrighteous before and during the declaration of righteousness). Christ’s Righteousness is said to be imputed/reckoned/counted/etc to the sinner.
Catholics flatly disagree with this and say God cannot and will not declare someone other that what they really are.
NOW, the question is whether or not Scripture teaches the concept of imputing. If it does not, then Sola Fide is clearly false.
The most important word under consideration is the Greek word ‘logizomai’. It is TRANSLATED into ENGLISH into various (but usually equivalent) terms such as imputed, reckoned, credited, counted, etc.
The word appears in the ever important Genesis 15:6,
Abraham believed God, and it [faith] was credited to him as righteousness.
Protestants contend that this means a righteousness external to Abraham was imputed to him. Catholics say God credited the act of faith as evidence of Abraham’s actual righteousness.
Since it does no good to merely assert a definition, we must see how logizomai is used in the New Testament. For this thread we will look simply at the Book of Romans where logizomai is used 19 times. Of those 19 times, 11 occur in Romans 4, where the theme of imputed righteousness is repeated multiple times. I consider that we should look at how logizomai is used in the remaining 8 occurrences in Romans and see what we find.
The following are the 8 other occurrences of logizomai (highlighted in red) appear in Romans:
Rom 2:3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?
Rom 2:26 So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?
Rom 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
Rom 6:11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Rom 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Rom 8:36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
Rom 9:8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
Rom 14:14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Going through each of these passages I see the following “categories” appear:
- Romans 3:28, 6:11, 8:18, 9:8. In each of these passages what is being “logizomai” is in reference to what is a fact, the “account” itself is being looked at and not what is charged to an account from an external account. Verse 3:28 should be straight forward, Paul “maintains” that a man is justified by faith apart from works, and this is a factual statement because works of the law truly dont save. Thus “logizomai” in this situation means to come to the conclusion something is true that is inherently true. In 6:11 they are to “consider” themself dead to sin because they are in fact dead to sin. Same goes for 8:18, Paul “considers” the present sufferings cannot be compared to Heaven, and this is a fact because they cannot be compared. In Rom 9:8 the children of the promise are “regarded” as the descendants because they really are spiritual children of God which is what makes you a descendant.
In each of these there is no imputing something from one account to another external account (or vice versa) but instead the actual status of the person or object is being rightly considered.
- Romans 2:3, 8:36 and 14:14. In 2:3 the man who “supposes” he will escape judgment though applying a double standard is obviously deceiving himself. Thus to “logizomai” something that is not true, at least when it comes to judgment, is condemned. In 8:36 these people are “considered” as sheep to be slaughtered, but the people doing the “considering” here are enemies attacking God’s people. To “consider” an innocent person to be a sheep to be slaughtered is a sin. In 14:14 Paul is teaching nothing is unclean in itself, thus a brother who has trouble with food actually has a issue with his conscience and judgment and not the objective truth of the situation. Certainly God does not have trouble discerning objective truth.
In these examples we see to ‘logozomai’ something contrary to the truth of the situation makes that person anywhere from corrupt to confused to just plain wicked.
- Romans 2:26. This one is open for some debate, so I decided to add some context:
25Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26If those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27The one who is **not circumcised physically **and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.
CONTINUED
