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What Does Scripture Say?Dr. Kane has given us an extended philosophical discourse setting forth his opinions about Romans 3:19-28. We appreciate his well-honed lawyer-like powers of persuasion. But conscience forces us to inquire what the Bible text actually says, word for word, irrespective of hermeneutical attempts to "interpret" it. Romans 3:23, 24: In chapters 1-3 Paul has been discussing the universal guilt of the whole world ("all the world may become guilty before God", vs. 19), and the universal condition of sin ("all alike have sinned," vs. 23, NEB; the aorist tense of the verb—action accomplished in the past). In verse 24 he sets forth God’s solution to the universal problem—His cross: "And all are justified by God’s free grace alone, through His act of liberation [redemption, KJV] in the person of Christ Jesus." Dr. Kane limits the "all [who] are justified by God’s free grace" to those who believe, contending that "the overall context" requires that limitation. We would respectfully respond that the actual language of the text governs the context. Paul has the authority to say what he believes; we have no authority to re-interpret his plain words to make them deny their obvious meaning. The fact that he has several times in chapter 3 mentioned experiential justification by faith does not forbid him to mention also the legal basis on which that experience rests. He says, "All have sinned" (aorist) and in the same sentence with the same subject of the sentence says they are "being justified freely by his grace." The "all" is clearly defined as those that "sinned." The NEB recognizes the obvious grammatical construction by translating verse 24, "and all are justifed by God’s free grace alone." Such grammar cannot be controverted. The KJV correctly translates the "justified" for what it is—a present participle, "being justified freely." The participle is dependent on the tense of the main verb of the sentence, which in this case is past tense (aorist). In other words, the "being justified" takes place when the "all sinned." Paul’s use of the aorist tense requires the understanding that they "sinned" corporately "in Adam," as he explains later in chapter 5. He does not deny that "all" have continued to sin individually and personally, for in 3:23 he says that they (present tense) "come short of the glory of God." There is no "context" that can overthrow this grammatical structure. While in previous verses he has discussed the experience of justification by faith, he has every right in this sentence to explain the prior legal basis on which that experience rests. In verse 24 Paul specifically omits any reference to the "all" being justified by faith. Rather, they are being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus which was set forth (aorist again) at the cross. Verse 25 makes clear that the death of the cross ("whom God hath set forth," aorist) is a "propitiation" to reconcile the alienated heart to God. The one being propitiated is not God, but the sinner, "through faith in His blood." The blood was shed before the sinner could believe. Further, there is another word introduced in verse 24 that clarifies his meaning as to when and how the justification of "all" took place: it was "through the redemption" ("act of liberation," NEB; "ransom," Conybeare). When did the "redemption" take place? At the cross "through His blood" which was shed there, "by means of death" (vs. 25; Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:15). In whom have we received this "redemption"? "In Christ Jesus" who was God’s gift to the human race, in His person when He sacrifced Himself for us. Thus "the redemption" or "act of liberation" at the cross is the basis of the justification that applies to "all." What did Christ redeem by His sacrifice? The world. The cross accomplished "the redemption of the purchased possession" Jn. 3:16, 17; Eph. 1:14). Ellen White says that "all men are one family" through His redemption (PK 369), and "every blessing man enjoys" is the gift of His sacrifice (Ed 101). He redeemed "sinful humanity" (COL 118). Christ died for the world. The Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world. This is not saying that Christ "saved" the whole world eternally. Our opponents cannot fairly impute this idea to us. But He paid the price for the world’s redemption, so that legally it was redeemed by His objective sacrifice. This is the only reason that physical life can continue on the planet. |
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