Romans 3:21 Commentary and Bible Study

Then these wonderful words: ‘But now the righteousness of God’, the perfections of God himself, something so precious, ‘without the law’, beside the law, in addition to the law, quite separate from the law, ‘is manifested’, shown. This is the righteousness of God found in the gospel which Paul has already told us he is not ashamed of. It is not the righteousness which belongs to God himself, but the righteousness with which he clothes those he wishes to justify. Nevertheless it is a righteousness acceptable to God, and because of where it came from it can be called the righteousness of God. There in chapter 1 verse 16-17 he tells us by way of anticipation what will be the theme of this epistle, and now he has reached the place where he is ready to explain it fully. His exposition of the law has brought all to the point where they are guilty, and it is evident that there is no help or hope for man kind in the law, or in a righteousness that he can earn for himself. But he remains in desperate need of righteousness, and this is exactly what the gospel provides. ‘But’ – it is the greatest ‘but’ in this letter to the Romans. ‘But now the righteousness of God’, the righteousness which comes from God, which is freely given by God. I do not have to accomplish my own righteousness to secure heaven. There is a righteousness which comes to me as a gift from God without the law, that is to say, without having to earn it by obedience to the law. It is witnessed by the law and the prophets; the whole of the Old Testament is full of this, and he will prove this in some detail in chapter 4. There is available to men and women a given righteousness from God. ‘Without the law’, or ‘apart from the law.’ This phrase makes clear that Paul is not speaking of the righteousness which belongs to God personally, because it goes without saying that his own righteousness is without the law – only the creature can be under his law. This righteousness of God is without the law, because it is given to us without us having to carry out the deeds of the law. This is in contrast to verse 20 where Paul proved that all are condemned by the law, and found guilty by it. They lack righteousness. But now a righteousness is provided by God on an entirely different basis.