Albert Barnes Commentary Romans 3:24

"being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" — Romans 3:24 (ASV)

Being justified means being treated as if righteous; that is, being regarded and treated as if they had kept the law. The apostle has shown that they could not be so regarded and treated by any merit of their own, or by personal obedience to the law. He now affirms that if they were so treated, it must be by mere favor, and as a matter not of right, but of gift.

This is the essence of the gospel. To show this, and the way in which it is done, is the main design of this epistle. The expression here is to be understood as referring to all who are justified (Romans 3:22); the righteousness of God, by faith in Jesus Christ, is upon all who believe, who are all justified freely by His grace.

Freely—dwrean. This word stands in opposition to that which is purchased, obtained by labor, or is a matter of claim. It is a free, undeserved gift, not merited by our obedience to the law, and not something to which we have any claim. The apostle uses the word here in reference to those who are justified; to them it is a mere undeserved gift.

However, this does not mean that it has been obtained without any price or merit from anyone. The Lord Jesus has purchased it with His own blood, and to Him it becomes a matter of justice that those who were given to Him should be justified (1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Corinthians 7:23; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 Peter 2:9 (Greek); Acts 20:28; Isaiah 53:11). We have no offering to bring and no claim; to us, therefore, it is entirely a matter of gift.

By His grace. By His favor; by His mere undeserved mercy. (See Barnes on Romans 1:7).

Through the redemption—dia thv apolutrwsewv. The word used here occurs only ten times in the New Testament: Luke 21:28; Romans 3:24; Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 1:7, 14; Ephesians 4:30; Colossians 1:14; Hebrews 9:15; and Hebrews 11:35.

Its root—lutron lutron—properly denotes the price paid for a prisoner of war: the ransom, or stipulated purchase-money, which, once paid, sets the captive free. The word under discussion is then employed to denote liberation from bondage, captivity, or evil of any kind, usually maintaining the idea of a price or a ransom paid, as a result of which the delivery is effected. It is sometimes used in a broad sense to denote simple deliverance by any means, without reference to a price paid, as in Luke 21:28; Romans 8:23; and Ephesians 1:14.

However, it is apparent that this is not the sense here. For in the next verse, the apostle proceeds to specify the price that has been paid, or the means by which this redemption has been effected. The word here denotes that deliverance from sin and from the evil consequences of sin which has been effected by the offering of Jesus Christ as a propitiation (Romans 3:25).

That is in Christ Jesus. This means that redemption has been effected by Christ Jesus, or that He is its author and procurer. .