John Calvin Commentary Romans 3:21

"But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;" — Romans 3:21 (ASV)

But now without the law, etc. It is not certain for what distinct reason he calls the righteousness of God that which we obtain by faith; whether it is because it alone can stand before God, or because the Lord in His mercy confers it on us. As both interpretations are suitable, we contend for neither.

This righteousness, then, which God communicates to man, and alone accepts, and acknowledges as righteousness, has been revealed, he says, without the law, that is, without the aid of the law. The law is to be understood as meaning works, for it is not proper to refer this to its teaching, which he immediately adduces as bearing witness to the gratuitous righteousness of faith.

Some confine it to ceremonies, but this view I will soon show to be unsound and cold. We ought to know, then, that the merits of works are excluded. We also see that he does not blend works with the mercy of God; but having taken away and wholly removed all confidence in works, he sets up mercy alone.

I am aware that Augustine gives a different explanation, for he thinks that the righteousness of God is the grace of regeneration. This grace he allows to be free, because God renews us, when we are unworthy, by His Spirit; and from this he excludes the works of the law, that is, those works by which men of themselves endeavor, without renovation, to make God indebted to them (Deum promereri — to oblige God). I also know well that some new speculators proudly present this view, as though it were revealed to them today. But that the Apostle includes all works without exception, even those which the Lord produces in His own people, is evident from the context.

For undoubtedly Abraham was regenerated and led by the Spirit of God at the time when the Apostle denies that he (Abraham) was justified by works. Hence Paul excluded from man’s justification not only morally good works, as they are commonly called, and those done by the impulse of nature, but also all those which even the faithful can perform. Again, since this is a definition of the righteousness of faith, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, there is no question about this or that kind of work; but with the merit of works abolished, the remission of sins alone is established as the cause of righteousness.

They think that these two things agree well—that man is justified by faith through the grace of Christ, and that he is yet justified by the works which proceed from spiritual regeneration; for God gratuitously renews us, and we also receive His gift by faith. But Paul takes up a very different principle: that the consciences of men will never be set at peace until they rely on the mercy of God alone.

Hence, in another place, after having taught us that God is in Christ justifying men, he expresses the manner: by not imputing to them their sins. Similarly, in his Epistle to the Galatians, he puts the law in opposition to faith with regard to justification, for the law promises life to those who do what it commands (Galatians 3:12), and it requires not only the outward performance of works, but also sincere love to God.

It therefore follows that in the righteousness of faith, no merit of works is allowed. It then appears evident that it is merely a frivolous sophistry to say that we are justified in Christ because we are renewed by the Spirit, inasmuch as we are the members of Christ—that we are justified by faith because we are united by faith to the body of Christ—that we are justified freely because God finds nothing in us but sin.

But we are in Christ because we are outside of ourselves; and justified by faith, because we must rely on the mercy of God alone and on His gratuitous promises; and freely, because God reconciles us to Himself by burying our sins. Nor can this indeed be confined to the commencement of justification, as they dream; for this definition—Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven—was applicable to David, after he had long exercised himself in the service of God. Abraham, thirty years after his call, though a remarkable example of holiness, still had no works for which he could glory before God, and hence his faith in the promise was imputed to him for righteousness. And when Paul teaches us that God justifies men by not imputing their sins, he quotes a passage which is daily repeated in the Church.

Furthermore, the conscience, by which we are disturbed on account of works, performs its function not for one day only, but continues to do so throughout life. It therefore follows that we cannot remain, even to death, in a justified state, unless we look only to Christ, in whom God has adopted us and now regards us as accepted. Hence also their sophistry is confuted, who falsely accuse us of asserting that according to Scripture we are justified by faith only, while the exclusive word only, is nowhere to be found in Scripture. But if justification depends neither on the law nor on ourselves, why should it not be ascribed to mercy alone? And if it is from mercy only, it is then by faith only.

The particle now may be understood adversatively, and not with reference to time, as we often use now for but. But if you prefer to regard it as an adverb of time, I willingly admit it, so that there may be no room to suspect an evasion. Yet, the abrogation of ceremonies alone is not to be understood, for it was only the Apostle’s design to illustrate by a comparison the grace by which we excel the fathers.

Then the meaning is that by the preaching of the gospel, after the appearance of Christ in the flesh, the righteousness of faith was revealed. It does not, however, therefore follow that it was hidden before the coming of Christ, for a twofold manifestation is to be noticed here: the first in the Old Testament, which was by the word and sacraments; the other in the New, which contains the completion of ceremonies and promises, as exhibited in Christ Himself. And we may add that by the gospel it has received a fuller brightness.

Being proved [or approved] by the testimony, etc. He adds this lest, in conferring free righteousness, the gospel should seem to conflict with the law. Since, then, he has denied that the righteousness of faith needs the aid of the law, so now he asserts that it is confirmed by its testimony. If, then, the law offers its testimony to gratuitous righteousness, it is evident that the law was not given for this purpose: to teach men how to obtain righteousness by works. Hence, those who turn it to serve any purpose of this kind pervert it.

Furthermore, if you desire proof of this truth, examine in order the chief things taught by Moses. You will find that man, having been cast from the kingdom of God, had no other restoration from the beginning than that contained in the evangelical promises through the blessed seed—by whom, as it had been foretold, the serpent’s head was to be bruised, and through whom a blessing to the nations had been promised. In the commandments you will find a demonstration of your iniquity, and from the sacrifices and oblations you may learn that satisfaction and cleansing are to be obtained in Christ alone. When you come to the Prophets, you will find the clearest promises of gratuitous mercy. On this subject, see my Institutes.