Romans 3:28 and it's understanding

[Against_Heresy]

In Romans 3:28 says “We conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from works of Law”.

Is this verse rejecting the works of the Mosaic Law or works of debt (Not of grace). I was first thinking of the Mosaic Law because Paul was speaking of circumcision but then I noticed in the Greek there is no article before the word “law” and then that made me think Paul is condemning works of Law which are separated from grace (works of Debt). Or maybe it is speaking of both.

Can someone help me out a bit, thanks guys.

 

[onemangang]

A great book to read that will put this in perspective is Not by Faith Alone by Robert Sungenis

 

[Jesus_123]

:bible1:
Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets.
I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
- Matthew 5:17

:bible1:
For amen I say unto you,
till heaven and earth pass,
one jot, or one tittle shall not pass of the law,
till all be fulfilled.
- Matthew 5:18

+The Mosaic Law of God . . . *to place it in its most holy context *. . . is the exquisite sacred holy inspired revelation/portrait of the very nature and being of our . . . **Most Holy Triune God **. . . and . . . a portrait of mankind as **God **intended him to be when he was originally created and acknowledged as wonderfully “good” by God . . . prior to mankinds fall into sin and death in the holy Garden of Eden of our God . . . prior to the Church (Body/Bride of Christ) **Age of Grace **in which we now live . . .

The easiest way to understand . . . in the context of **God’s **Holy Word . . . the referenced portion of Holy Scripture you are addressing . . . is too look at the way our wonderful Holy :bible1: Bible is constructed . . . our Teaching Holy Mother Church has divided it into two parts . . .

THE OLD :bible1: TESTAMENT

*(which denotes the life of the UNREDEEMED sinful children of men under the **Holy Schoolmaster - as it is taught by St. Paul - and Holy Regulations of the Mosaic Law of **God, His priests and His prophets . . . before . . . Jesus . . . the Blessed Christ . . . God Incarnate . . . the Promised Messiah . . . in the fullness of time . . . was sent by our Gracious Heavenly Father as the Redeemer of mankind ) . . . *​

and

THE NEW :bible1: TESTAMENT
*(which denotes the life of the REDEEMED sinful children of men during this **Age of Grace **in which we live . . . which was accomplished through our . . . Wonderful Lord’s . . . Jesus Christ’s . . . redemptive work upon the Holy Cross . . . wherein through Baptism we live, breathe and have our being within the Holy Sacred Body of Christ . . . His Holy Church . . . here on earth . . . and through the Holy Grace of the indwelling **Holy Spirit **we are empowered as new creatures . . . redeemed by the Precious Shed Blood of Jesus . . . to grow in Him as REDEEMED children of God) . . . *​

The Biblical passage of **Romans 3:28 . . . :bible1: “For we account a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law.” . . . denotes salvation in this **Age of Grace **in which we live wherein by the **Grace of God **we are saved by grace through faith in Christ . . .

The **Work of God **among mankind in this age is of a very different nature and activity . . . than it was prior to the coming of **Christ our Lord **. . . i.e. the giving of the law, the Levitical priesthood and the holy prophets . . . in the centuries of time of preparation for the coming of the Promised Messiah . . . for the salvation of souls . . .

:bible1: Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God; [9] Not of works, that no man may glory. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus in good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them.
​

. . . all through Jesus+
. . . thank You Dear Lord+
. . . thank You Gracious Heavenly Father+
. . . thank You Sweet Spirit of our Holy God+
. . . thank you Blessed Holy Mother of God+
​

 

[Irish_Polock]

In Romans 3:28 says “We conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from works of Law”.

Is this verse rejecting the works of the Mosaic Law or works of debt (Not of grace). I was first thinking of the Mosaic Law because Paul was speaking of circumcision but then I noticed in the Greek there is no article before the word “law” and then that made me think Paul is condemning works of Law which are separated from grace (works of Debt). Or maybe it is speaking of both.

Can someone help me out a bit, thanks guys.

Paul is speaking of “works of debt” in Romans 3:28, we cannot put God in our debt by our “works”. In the context of the previous chapter, you would have to conclude this, or you would have a contradicting teaching on justification.

6 For he will render to every man according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. (Romans (RSV) 2)

13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. (Romans (RSV) 2)

Also, of course, James 2:24.

I hope I haven’t misunderstood what you are asking.

 

[Pitcharan]

In Romans 3:28 says “We conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from works of Law”.

Is this verse rejecting the works of the Mosaic Law or works of debt (Not of grace). I was first thinking of the Mosaic Law because Paul was speaking of circumcision but then I noticed in the Greek there is no article before the word “law” and then that made me think Paul is condemning works of Law which are separated from grace (works of Debt). Or maybe it is speaking of both.

Can someone help me out a bit, thanks guys.

Paul is only echoing our Lord’s teaching that justification is not achieved by ‘observing the Law’ but by ‘fulfilling the Law’. He uses the term ‘works’ to mean ‘observing the Law’.

When the Law was revealed through Moses the means to fulfill the Law was also revealed together with it. The stiff-necked Israelites neglected the means and foolishly believed in mere observance of the Law.

Our Lord exposed them and emphasised the means for fulfilling the Law, viz. "Love of God and neighbor’

Faith and Good works are inseparable and interlinked. This verse will make it clear:
“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.” (John 14:12)

 

[Luvtosew]

One can’t work their way into heaven, without faith good works is worthless.

Jesus 123, nice post, beautifu but I have such a hard time reading yellow

 

[pablope]

In Romans 3:28 says “We conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from works of Law”.

Is this verse rejecting the works of the Mosaic Law or works of debt (Not of grace). I was first thinking of the Mosaic Law because Paul was speaking of circumcision but then I noticed in the Greek there is no article before the word “law” and then that made me think Paul is condemning works of Law which are separated from grace (works of Debt). Or maybe it is speaking of both.

Can someone help me out a bit, thanks guys.

Here is a journal that contrasts both catholic and protestant views on this…written by former protestants…chnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/salvation.pdf

 

[promethius]

*Paul is only echoing our Lord’s teaching that justification is not achieved by ‘observing the Law’ but by ‘fulfilling the Law’. He uses the term ‘works’ to mean ‘observing the Law’.

When the Law was revealed through Moses the means to fulfill the Law was also revealed together with it. The stiff-necked Israelites neglected the means and foolishly believed in mere observance of the Law.

Our Lord exposed them and emphasised the means for fulfilling the Law, viz. "Love of God and neighbor’

Faith and Good works are inseparable and interlinked. This verse will make it clear:
“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.”* (John 14:12)

The fact that we are supposed to have intrinsic goodness in addition to external goodness is certainly true, but I don’t think that your exegisis here is correct. *
*
When Paul refers to works of the law being no longer required, he is not talking about the “Law of Moses” at all, which refers to the Divine Law commandments on Morality… rather he is refering to the Levitical laws which were sacrificial laws tied part and parcel to the old covenant. THAT law is fulfilled with the fulfillment of the old covenant, while the Divine Law, which is eternal, lives on.

 

[Jesus_123]

The fact that we are supposed to have intrinsic goodness in addition to external goodness is certainly true, but I don’t think that your exegisis here is correct.

When Paul refers to works of the law being no longer required, he is not talking about the “Law of Moses” at all, which refers to the Divine Law commandments on Morality… rather he is refering to the Levitical laws which were sacrificial laws tied part and parcel to the old covenant. THAT law is fulfilled with the fulfillment of the old covenant, while the Divine Law, which is eternal, lives on.

+I can’t even count the number of times I’ve heard this passage in **Sacred :bible1: Scripture **taught . . . and it has always been linked to the Mosaic Law . . . below is the commentary on this from the renown Catholic Haydock’s Commentary . . .

**. . . :coffeeread: . . .**Ver. 20. & c.

To the end of this chapter, the apostle shews that the Jews cannot be truly justified, and sanctified by the works of the written law of Moses only****; that a knowledge of sin, or of what is sinful, came by the law, but if they did not comply with the precepts of the law, this knowledge made them more guilty.

Now, at the coming of Christ, the justice of God, that is, the justice by which he made others just, and justified them, cannot be had without faith in** Christ**, and by the grace of our Redeemer Jesus Christ, whom God hath proposed to all, both Gentiles and Jews, as a sacrifice of[3] propitiation for the sins of all mankind, by faith in his blood; that is, by believing in him, who shed **his **blood and died for us on the cross. It is he alone, (ver. 26.) that is the just one, and the justifier of all. And as to this, there is no distinction. The Gentiles are justified and sanctified without the written law, and the Jews who have been under the law, cannot partake of the justice of God, that is, cannot be justified, sanctified, or saved, but by the faith and grace of Christ Jesus.

St. Paul does not pretend that the virtue of faith alone will justify and save a man; nothing can be more opposite to the doctrine of the gospel, and of the apostles in many places, as hath been observed, and will be shewn hereafter. He tells us in this chapter **(ver. 20. and 28.) **that man is justified without the works of the written law: and he teaches us, that no works of the law of Moses, nor any works that a man does by the law of nature, are sufficient to justify a man, and save him of themselves, that is, unless they be joined with faith, and the grace of God. And when he seems to say, that men are justified or saved by faith, or by believing, as he says of Abraham in the next chapter, (ver. 3. and 5.) he never says (as some both ancient and later heretics have pretended) that faith alone is sufficient.

And besides by faith, he understands the Christian faith and doctrine of Christ, as opposite to the law of Moses, to circumcision, and the ceremonies of that law, as it evidently appears by the design of the apostle, both in this epistle and in that to the Galatians.

He teaches us in this epistle (chap. ii. 6.) that God will judge every man according to his works: (chap. ii. 13.) that “not the hearers of the law,” but the doers, shall be justified. See also chap. vi. He tells the Galatians (chap. v. ver. 6.) that the faith, by which they must be saved, must be a faith working by charity. He also tells the Corinthians (1 Corinthians vii. 19.) that circumcision is nothing, nor uncircumcision, but the keeping of the commandments of God. That though a man should have a faith, that so he could remove mountains, it would avail him nothing without charity. How often does he tell us that they who commit such and such sins, shall not inherit or possess the kingdom of God? Does not St. James tell us, that faith without good works is dead? See chap. ii. Of this more hereafter. (Witham)

- Haydock’s Catholic Bible Commentary​

. . . all for Jesus+​