Gratia sola: The Gift of Salvation
According to Paul, there is “no distinction; for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified [dikaioumenoi] by his grace as a gift, through the redemption [apolytrōseōs] that is in Christ Jesus: whom God set forth to be a propitiation [mercy seat; hilastērion], by his own blood, through faith (dia pisteōs)” (Romans 3:22b–25a AT)
Una ecclesia sancta: Unity in Christ
If none of us has any standing before God save on the basis of God’s justice and mercy, what does that say about our relationships with each other, within the fellowship of faith? Paul’s discourse to the Romans did not take only the form of a protreptic, but also that of a “family letter.” Why? Because he regarded those whom he addressed not merely as individuals, but also as a household, God’s household, and therefore unavoidably bound to each other, even if they disagreed with or disliked each other.
Christopher Bryan, “Romans,” in Theological Interpretation of the New Testament: A Book-by-Book Survey, ed. Kevin J. Vanhoozer (Grand Rapids, MI; London: Baker Academic; SPCK, 2008), 92-94.
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