Verse by Verse

8 “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

David knew the Lord forgave him while the Law condemned him, but he didn’t understand why.

Abraham was the father of circumcision, David was under the Law. So Paul deals with circumcision in verses 9-12 and with the Law in verses 13-25.

⁶ just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

⁷ “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;

David is used in addition to Abraham because Jewish law required two witnesses and because Abraham was before the Law and David was under the Law. Faith was without works for both, but in the Old Testament, sins were covered (guilt removed) not removed.

Blessedness — not just happiness, by a pronouncement by God.

Verse 7 is a quote from Psalm 32, after David was forgiven for his sin with Bathsheba. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered (Psalm 32:1).

⁴ Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

⁵ But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,

works = fulfilling the requirements of the law

debt — if justification is owed due to works, it isn’t by grace

Works are forbidden as a means to justification.

³ For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Paul’s answer to his question in verse one isn’t from logic, but from Scripture. And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:6).

Count (reckon, impute) = lay to one’s charge, charge to one’s account

The man who trusts Christ becomes, in Him, all that God requires a man to be.

Abraham believed God that his seed should be a nation. He didn’t know about Christ — who actually saved him). But his belief in God and what God said was reckoned as righteousness until the cross.

1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?

² For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

Our father — speaking of the Jews

Not before God — If Abraham was justified by works, he could glory before men. But before God, he would just be doing his duty and not worthy of glory.

²⁹ Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,

³⁰ since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

³¹ Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

There is one God (a foundational truth of the Jews), therefore, He is God to Jews and Gentiles.

Faith doesn’t void the Law, it completes it and fulfills it.

By faith = out of faith, as opposed to “out of law”

Through faith = by means of, with no Law to be saved out of.

The Jews were justified by faith, by way of works, whereas Gentiles are justified directly by way of faith.

Christ satisfied the Law, therefore He established justification by the Laws’ demands (verse 31).

 ²⁸ Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

Therefore — should be “for.” It’s a confirmation, not a conclusion.

Justification is by grace alone, through faith alone, to God alone be the glory.

Law = Mosaic Law in its entirety, ceremonial and moral.

²⁷ Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.

If we could be saved by works, we would have reason to boast. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Excluded = shut out, no room

Law (in this verse) = principle of procedure. By what sort of principle has boasting been excluded?

The law of faith = (The “the” should not be there.) Again, a principle. Justification is by the procedure of faith, not the procedure of works. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work (Romans 11:6).

²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Jesus had to die for past sins to show His justice.

Just and justifier — refers to the character of the judge and the sentence in keeping with that character. The act of justification is consistent with the character of Jesus Christ.

²⁵ whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

Propitiate = appease an offended party. Christ is our Mercy Seat where our sins were atoned by His blood.

Our faith is to be in the person of Jesus Christ, not in His blood. The propitiation is through His blood. So, it should be read “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation in His blood, through faith.”

In the Old Testament, blood is a “type.” In the New Testament, blood is always Jesus Christ’s.

Sins that are past = sins before the cross that had gone unpunished. Those who sinned between the fall of Adam and the cross received mercy from God prospectively, looking forward the Christ’s death.

Forbearance = temporary suspension of justice.