Justification Versus Reconciliation Order in Romans
The order and relationship between justification and reconciliation in Romans is a theologically contested topic across Christian traditions. In Romans 5:1, the Apostle Paul writes, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" [4]. This verse establishes a connection between justification and peace with God, which is closely related to the concept of reconciliation.
Justification is understood as a forensic term, referring to God's judicial act of pardoning sins and declaring believers righteous [1]. Reconciliation, on the other hand, involves a change from enmity to friendship between God and humanity. According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, reconciliation is mutual, involving a change in both parties [2].
The Reformed tradition, represented by Charles Hodge, views justification as preceding reconciliation. Hodge argues that justification secures a restoration to God's favor and fellowship, implying that reconciliation follows justification [3]. Similarly, John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion suggest that justification and reconciliation are closely linked, with justification being the basis for reconciliation [5].
In contrast, some traditions emphasize the objective nature of reconciliation, where God is the primary actor. For instance, the Lutheran Augsburg Confession states that faith receives forgiveness and justification through Christ's mediation, implying that reconciliation is a prerequisite for justification [8].
The Eastern Orthodox tradition, as represented by John Chrysostom, focuses on the transformative aspect of justification and reconciliation. Chrysostom's Homilies on Acts & Romans emphasize the importance of living a virtuous life after justification, suggesting that reconciliation is an ongoing process [7].
The order and relationship between justification and reconciliation are understood differently across traditions. While some view justification as the basis for reconciliation, others see reconciliation as the broader context in which justification occurs. The Baptist/Reformed commentary by John Gill on Romans 5:1 highlights the importance of understanding justification by faith as the foundation for peace with God [4].
The complexities surrounding the order and relationship between justification and reconciliation in Romans reflect the diverse theological perspectives within Christianity. one commentary tradition by Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 5:10 notes that reconciliation is a change wrought in our disposition toward God, while Romans 5:10 refers to God's reconciliation to humanity [2, 6].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Justification — A forensic term, opposed to condemnation. As regards its nature, it is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon (q.v.) of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; an”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Reconcilation — A change from enmity to friendship. It is mutual, i.e., it is a change wrought in both parties who have been at enmity. (1.) In Col. 1:21, 22, the word there used refers to a change wrought in the personal character of the sinner who ceases to be an enemy to God by wicked works, and yields up to him his full confidence and love. In 2 Cor. 5:20 the apostle beseeches the Corinthians to be "reconciled to God", i.e., to lay aside their enmity. (2.) Rom. 5:10 refers not to any change in our disposition toward God, but to God himself, as the party reconcile”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 19: of God; until he apprehends that his sins have been punished, as the Apostle says ( Rom. viii. 3 ), in Christ. Again, we are said to be reconciled to God by the death of his Son. ( Rom. v. 10 .) But pardon does not produce reconciliation. A pardoned criminal may be restored to his civil rights, so far as the penalty remitted involved their forfeiture, but he is not reconciled to society. He is not restored to its favour. Justification, however, does secure a restoration to the favour and fellowship of God. We become the sons of God by fai”
- Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 5:1: Therefore being justified by faith,.... Not that faith is at the first of our justification; for that is a sentence which passed in the mind of God from all eternity, and which passed on Christ, and on all the elect considered in him, when he rose from the dead; see Rom 4:25; nor is it the chief, or has it the chief place in justification; it is not the efficient cause of it, it is God that justifies, and not faith; it is not the moving cause of it, that is the free grace of God; it is not the matter of it, that is the righteousness of Christ: we are not justified by f”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 66: 22. Both of these become perfectly clear from the words of Paul: “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” He then subjoins the sum of his embassy: “He has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him,” ( 2 Cor. 5:19-21 ). He here uses righteousness and reconciliation indiscriminately, to make us understand that the one includes the other. The mode of obtaining this righteo”
- Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 3:26: To declare . . . at this time--now for the first time, under the Gospel. his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus--Glorious paradox! "Just in punishing," and "merciful in pardoning," men can understand; but "just in justifying the guilty," startles them. But the propitiation through faith in Christ's blood resolves the paradox and harmonizes the discordant elements. For in that "God hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin," justice has full satisfaction; and in that "we are made the righteousne”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts & Romans: For after having said much on the subject of faith, he had set it before righteousness which is by works, to prevent any one from supposing what he said was a ground for listlessness, he says, “let us have peace,” that is, let us sin no more, nor go back to our former estate. For this is making war with God. And “how is it possible,” saith one, “to sin no more?” How 1329 1329 3 mss. If thou wilt consider how, etc. was the former thing possible? For if when liable for so many sins we were freed from all by Christ, much more shall we be able through Hi”
- Augsburg Confession (Lutheran) “Augsburg Confession (Lutheran, 1530), 9 First, that our works cannot reconcile God or merit forgiveness: 9 First, that our works cannot reconcile God or merit forgiveness of sins, grace, and justification, but that we obtain this only by faith when we believe that we are received into favor for Christ’s sake, who alone has been set forth the Mediator and Propitiation, 1 Tim. 2:5, in order that the Father may be reconciled through Him. 10 Whoever, therefore, trusts that by works he merits grace, despises the merit and grace of Christ, and seeks a way to God without Christ, by human strength, al”