Intentionality in Romans 3:24–26: An Exegetical Study

Seminary Room N135

Romans 3:21–26 is central to understanding soteriology and justification in Paul. Especially debated is the question of what exactly Paul is referring to when speaking of God’s righteousness in verses 25 and 26 of the passage: God’s saving action (iustitia salutifera) or distributive justice (iustitia distributiva). This paper argues that the historical and linguistic background of the epistle seems to support the iustitia distributiva view. More importantly, the literary structure and syntax of the passage, as well as Paul’s choice of words, point toward an intentionality on God’s part, an aspect that seems to have been overlooked. This intentionality demonstrates that God had a specific interest in setting Jesus forth as a propitiation, namely to remove all doubts about his righteous character.