The first eight chapters of Paul’s letter to the Romans emphasize the need for justification before God. This justification or to be justified seems to be when a person is made righteous in God’s eyes. Although the Jews are God’s people, justification is not limited to just Jews, it is open to everyone for one main reason: sin. Paul writes, “For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin…” (Romans 3:9). It is understood that Jews and Greeks/Gentiles alike submitted to the desires of the human body and realm and “became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened” (Romans 1:21). It is necessary that people be justified before God because it provides a clear path to salvation.
For many Jews, salvation can be achieved through the Law. However, the Jewish laws only play a minor role in becoming righteous in God’s eyes because salvation is comprised of more than just following the Law. The application of the Law is merely to show that humankind is…
The Law plays a role in justification because it can be used to further establish one’s faith (Romans 3:31). Paul tells the story of Abraham, the ancestor to all, and how “he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised…” (Romans 4:11). The first eight chapters of Paul’s letter to the Romans expresses that justification can result from faith in Jesus Christ, which can be further established through the Jewish Law, instead of resulting exclusively from it. Overall, if Paul’s goal was to persuade Jews that the Law was not only way to salvation, he is effective in presenting an argument that would appeal to the Jews that mainly followed the Law. He utilizes a key figure in Jewish faith in addition to supporting the Law with respect to faith even though he rejects it as a sole contributor to…
