Romans 3:25

hath set forth Lit. did set forth; the aorist (see on Romans 3:23). The Gr. verb bears also the derived meaning "to purpose, design," (so Ephesians 1:9), which would not be unsuitable here. But the E. V. is made more probable by the context, which dwells on the fact of the manifestationof redemption.

a propitiation The Gr. word is only found elsewhere in N. T., Hebrews 9:5, where it means the golden lid of the Ark, the "Mercy-seat." (In 1Jn 2:2; 1 John 4:10, where E. V. has "propitiation," the Gr. has another but cognate word.) The translation "Mercy-seat" is insisted on here by many commentators, and it is a fact on their side that in the LXX. the Gr. word is always used locally, of the Mercy-seat, or the like. But on the other side are the facts (1) that the word, as to its form, can quite well mean a price of expiation; (2) that it is found, though very rarely, in that sense in secular Greek; and above all (3) that the context here is strongly in favour of the sense "an expiatory offering." He becomes"a propitiation" to the soul "through faith in His blood;" an expression which naturally points to the Victim, not the Mercy-seat, as the type in view.

through faith This, as always in the Scripture doctrine of salvation, is the necessary medium of application. In Himselfthe Saviour is what He is, always and absolutely; to the soulHe is what He is, as Saviour, only when approached by faith; i.e. accepted, in humble trust in the Divine word, as the sole way of mercy. The progress of the Epistle will be abundant commentary.

in his blood The same construction as in Gr. of Mark 1:15: "believe inthe Gospel." The idea is of faith as a hand, or anchor, finding a hold inthe object. Here first in the Epistle the holy Blood is mentioned; once again at ch. Romans 5:9, in precisely the same connexion. For similar mentions see Matthew 26:28; John 6:53-56; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:20; Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 9:22; Hebrews 10:19; Hebrews 12:24; Hebrews 13:12; Hebrews 13:20; 1Pe 1:2; 1 Peter 1:19; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5; Revelation 5:9; Revelation 7:14; Revelation 12:11.

to declare his righteousness Lit. to be a demonstration, or display, of his righteousness. The Redeemer's expiatory death, and the gift of pardon solely "through faith in" it, explainedbeyond all doubt that the Divine mercy did not mean indifference to the Divine Law. Many questions regarding the atonement may be beyond our knowledge; but this at least is "declared," as the sinful soul contemplates it. Here, probably, the phrase "Righteousness of God" bears a sense (suggested in the note) exceptional to the rule given in note on Romans 1:17. But the meaning as in Romans 1:17 is not wholly out of place.

for the remission, &c. Lit. on account of the letting-pass of the fore-gone sins in the forbearance of God. Almost every word here needs special notice. "Letting-pass:" a word weaker than full and free pardon, and thus specially appropriate to God's dealings with sin before the Gospel, when there was just this reserveabout the forgiveness, that the Reason of it was not fully revealed. "Fore-gone, or fore-done, sins:" i.e., those before the Gospel. These are specially mentioned here, not because sin was more, or less, sinful then than now, but because the matter in hand here is the display of the righteousness of the Divine pardon of any sin. Cp. Hebrews 9:16. "In the forbearance, &c.:" perhaps = in the time when God forebore, i.e. did not punish sin, though without a fully-revealedpropitiation. But the words may mean, practically, as E. V., through, &c.; i.e. "His forbearance was the causeof that letting-pass; of that -obscure" pardon." Lastly, "On account of the letting-pass:" the point of this phrase will now be clear. The pardon of sinners under the O. T., being (in a certain sense) unexplained, demandedsuch a displayat last of the Righteousness of Pardon as was made in the Cross.