Think Wink.

Sometimes a person can read the Scripture and completely pass over a particular text that can have massive import on shaping one’s theology and understanding of a particular doctrine. I can remember my time as an Arminian (though not a full five-pointer as I was and am Southern Baptist) skipping over John 6 and Romans 9. If I ever did read them I would just pass over them quickly and not pay attention to them. I know that Arminians can have their take on those texts but at least he or she has a theology shaped by them, mine wasn’t. The same is true for me in regards to Romans 4:25. What Paul says there is very important to shaping justification and how to understand our right standing before God and Jesus’ role in accomplishing that standing. The background for understanding this text is Isaiah 53:11 and the following is my attempt to persuade you the read to see that.

[Jesus our Lord] was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

The verse here is a poetic expression of a traditional Christological formula that speaks of how Christ secures for the sinner righteousness, summing up Paul’s discussion of justification in Romans 4. The formula (original to Paul I don’t know, he could just be adapting it for his argument) creates a poetic parallel between Jesus death for sin and resurrection for justification. The parallel goes like this:

Jesus was delivered up for [διὰ] our trespasses

Jesus was raised [διὰ] for our justification

What is most interesting is Paul’s use of the preposition διὰ, which appears twice in the verse. The NASB sees the preposition to be causal in both uses, “He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.” However the NET, ESV, (T)NIV, NLT, and HCSB do not give διὰ the identical meaning. These translations opt for a retrospective-prospective understanding. Christ was delivered up because of/for of our sins and was raised for. How is one to understand this?

I follow the NET, ESV, (T)NIV, NLT, and HCSB for the following reasons (Bird, The Saving Righteousness of God, p 50-52, 76-77): A.) The parallelism of the two uses of διὰ does not necessitate the same meaning for both. B.) Matthew 24:22; Mark 2:27; John 11:42; John 12:30; 1 Corinthians 11:9 all utilize a prospective meaning for διὰ + accusative. C.) Romans 4:23-24 uses the same juxtaposition of retrospective-prospective, “23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his [διὰ + accusative] sake alone, but for ours [διὰ + accusative] also”. D.) The Greek term here δικαίωσις does not just refer to result but also process. That is to say that the resurrection is essential to being decalred righteous now (Romans 3:21; Romans 8:1) as well as at the eschaton when God judges the creation (Romans 8:33-34). This is not to refer to a process of becoming righteous during our lifetime here on earth. E.) Does Paul make this distinction as pure rhetoric or is there more to it? The parallelism is more antithetical, thus making a dissimilarity. These two events, Christ’s death and resurrection, together effect our justification. But how they function in that one salvific act are different. Death forgives our sin, resurrection raises us to new life, vindicated and righteous before the judge.

It is at this point that Isaiah 53:11 becomes more clearly seen as the background of this passage. The servant, after he suffers for the people of Yahweh and bears their sins, is vindicated before God when the servant “sees the light.” The result of this servant’s resurrection as the righteous/vindicated one is that the many will be justified. Here Paul uses this juxtaposition for Christ. In Christ’s death, God verdict against sin and the discharging of his wrath against it is sccomplished. In Christ’s resurrection, God’s declaration of vindication and the enactment of it are seen. As Israel is vindicated through their participation in the servant, so we will be raised vindicated and righteous before God by particpation in Christ. By our union with Christ by faith, we are righteous because we are in the Righteous One. By persevering in that faith that unites us to Christ we raised by Christ vindicated.

Some people, in following Romans 4:25 NASB will argue that Paul is saying that Christ’s resurrection is the sign that vindicates his death’s efficacy in securing righteousness and forgiveness. Thus the final διὰ in Romans 4:25 is causal, justification caused Christ’s resurrection. While this is true, painting this passage against Isaiah 53:11 makes more sense, and thus making the second διὰ prospective. Jesus death atones for sin, propitiating God’s wrath against sin. Jesus resurrection is God’s reversing that verdict into vindication and being raised righteous before God.

This becomes more clear in Romans 5:18-19 where we pick up next time.

Related posts:

Can a Person say that?

The Nature of Prophecy

Isaiah 53:11 and 2 Corinthians 5:21

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