Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Romans 3:22

"even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction;" — Romans 3:22 (ASV)

God’s righteousness becomes operative in human life “through faith in Jesus Christ.” This statement is more explicit than the initial mention of faith in connection with the Gospel (1:16–17), since it specifies Jesus Christ as the necessary object of faith. A problem lies beneath the surface, however, in that a literal translation is “through faith of Jesus Christ.” This raises the possibility that our Lord’s own faith, or more precisely, his faithfulness in fulfilling his mission, is the thought intended (note 3:3, where pistis [“faith”; GK 4411] is translated “faithfulness”). However, Mark 11:22 makes it clear that the pistis of God can also mean faith in God, as the situation there requires. What should settle the matter here in v.22 is the precedent in Gal 2:16, where we find the identical phrase “through faith of Jesus Christ,” followed by the explanatory statement “we believed in Christ Jesus.” Incidentally, it is never said that people are saved on account of their faith in Christ, as if our faith makes a contribution to our salvation. On the contrary, faith is simply that which appropriates God’s gift; it adds nothing to it. And the way of salvation is the same for everyone, for “there is no difference” (cf. 3:9).