In Psalm 32, David urges his hearers to confess their sins to God, receive His forgiveness, and thereby gain release from the burden of guilt:

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD" -- and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found.... (Psalm 32:3-6a, NIV)

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. (Psalm 32:1-2).

Centuries later, the Apostle Paul used this Psalm to describe the blessings brought by Christ's sacrificial death.

At Mount Sinai, God had established the Mosaic Covenant with the Jewish nation. Under this covenant, God provided forgiveness of sins through a system of animal sacrifices, along with daily guidance in the form of 613 Mosaic Laws.

In this Jewish context, the term "righteousness" (Greek dikaiosyne) refers to what a person does to establish or maintain a covenant. Accordingly, the Mosaic Covenant rests on a "righteousness of Law."

Most Jews of Paul's time believed that, through this "righteousness of Law," they could gain salvation -- that is, resurrection from the dead to eternal life with God. But Paul explains that God never intended the Law to bring salvation. Instead, salvation comes only through the New Covenant established by Christ's sacrificial death (see 1 Corinthians 11:25, discussed in Bare Roots 7.1). This New Covenant rests not on the Law, but on "faith" (pistis) -- that is, commitment to God/Christ as Lord of one's life (see Bare Roots 1.2). Paul writes:

...if a Law had been given that could impart [eternal] life, then [saving] righteousness would certainly have come by the Law. Instead,...the Law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be reckoned righteous by faith. (Galatians 3:21-24)

Paul's Jewish opponents strongly objected to this gospel of salvation through faith apart from the Law. They said, Our Bibles only mention the "righteousness of Law." We see nothing in the Scriptures -- nothing in the Law and the Prophets -- about a "righteousness of faith"! Paul, you are nullifying the Scriptures by this teaching!

In response, the Apostle writes:

Do we [Christians], then, nullify the Law/Scriptures by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the Law/Scriptures. (Romans 3:31)

Paul then begins to break down their argument by quoting texts from their own Bible (the Old Testament) that speak of "righteousness" apart from Law-keeping.

First, he cites Genesis 15:6:

What does the Scripture say? "Abraham put his faith in God, and it (his faith -- not his Law-keeping) was credited to him as righteousness ." (Romans 4:3)

Next, in a very subtle, rabbinical-style argument, Paul quotes Psalm 32:1-2a:

David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works [of the Law]: "Blessed are they whose Law-lessness is forgiven, whose sins are covered. [In other words,] blessed is the man to whom the Lord will never reckon sin (= the man to whom the Lord will reckon righteousness)." (Romans 4:6-8)

Both texts speak of "righteousness," or a covenant relationship with God, for persons who do not keep the Mosaic Law. If Paul can convince his opponents that such a thing is possible, then it will be easier for them to accept his gospel -- the gospel of righteousness through faith in Christ, apart from the Mosaic Law.

[NOTE: It is often difficult to follow the logic of Paul's letters because scholars do not translate Paul's Greek into English in a consistent manner. For example, they translate (1) dikaiosyne as both "righteousness" and "justification," (2) pistis as both "belief" and "faith," (3) logizomai as both "reckon" and "count," and (4) anomia as both "transgression" and "lawlessness." In the preceding paragraphs, I have generally followed the NIV. However, I have translated these terms consistently in order to better capture the flow of Paul's argument. -- CD]

Reflect...

1. What does Paul mean by the terms "covenant," "righteousness," "law," "works," "faith," and "salvation"?
   
   
2. Does God require Christians to obey the Mosaic Laws? Why or why not?
   
   
3. How does Psalm 32 contribute to Paul's argument in Romans 4?
   
   
4. Paul concludes his argument by saying, "The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for [Abraham] alone, but also for us" (see Romans 4:23-24). What Scripture is Paul quoting, and in what way is this text "also for us"?

Christopher A. Davis, Ph.D.
Professor of New Testament
Hope International University
Fullerton, California

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