Romans 3 25

Romans 3:25 kjv

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Romans 3:25 nkjv

whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

Romans 3:25 niv

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood?to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished?

Romans 3:25 esv

whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Romans 3:25 nlt

For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,

Romans 3 verses

Romans 3 25 Meaning

Romans 3:25 reveals Christ Jesus as the divine provision for humanity's sin, established by God Himself. Through Christ's sacrificial death, sealed by His blood, God's just wrath against sin is satisfied, thereby making salvation available to all who believe. This divine act publicly demonstrates God's perfect righteousness and justice, particularly by retroactively validating His gracious forbearance toward sins committed before the advent of Christ, which He had previously "passed over" without fully executing the deserved judgment.

Romans 3 25 Context

Romans 3:25 stands as a foundational statement within Paul's theological exposition of the gospel. The preceding verses (Romans 3:9-20) establish the universal sinfulness of both Jews and Gentiles, demonstrating that no one can be justified before God through obedience to the Mosaic Law. Law only exposes sin. Immediately preceding this verse, Romans 3:21-24 introduces "the righteousness of God apart from the law," emphasizing that justification is a gift freely given by God's grace, apprehended through faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 3:25 then clarifies how this righteousness is demonstrated and how a holy God can righteously declare sinners just, bridging the gap between human depravity and divine holiness through Christ's atoning work. Historically and culturally, the Jewish concept of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and the significance of the "mercy seat" (kapporet) are crucial for understanding hilastērion. Additionally, the passage counters contemporary pagan ideas of appeasing capricious deities, emphasizing God's self-initiated, loving provision for sin, upholding His justice without compromise.

Romans 3 25 Word analysis

• Whom: Refers directly to "Christ Jesus" in the preceding verse (Rom 3:24), emphasizing that He is the object of God's action.
• God set forth: (Greek: proetheto / προέθετο). From protithemi, meaning "to place before" or "to set forth publicly," implying a public display or declaration, or a divine predestination/plan. It highlights God's initiative, purposeful design, and sovereignty in providing salvation; this was God's solution, not humanity's attempt.
• as a propitiation: (Greek: hilastērion / ἱλαστήριον). This is a critical term. It refers to an atoning sacrifice or a means of appeasing divine wrath against sin. In the Septuagint (LXX), it is used to translate the Hebrew kapporet, the "mercy seat" on the Ark of the Covenant, where the blood of the sin offering was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement. It implies not just placating an angry deity, but rather God Himself providing the means by which His righteous wrath against sin is satisfied, thereby enabling His mercy to be extended without compromising His holiness and justice. It signifies the removal of the basis for God's holy wrath through substitutionary sacrifice.
• by His blood: (Greek: en tō autou haimati / ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι). This emphasizes the literal, physical death of Christ and the sacrificial nature of His atonement. Blood represents life offered (Lev 17:11) and the basis for covenant-making and purification (Heb 9:22). It points to the costly, penal, and substitutionary nature of His death, paying the righteous demand of God's law.
• through faith: (Greek: dia pisteōs / διὰ πίστεως). This indicates the instrumental means by which individuals receive the benefit of Christ's propitiatory work. It is the necessary response of trusting belief, contrasting sharply with any reliance on human works, merit, or adherence to the Law. It stresses that salvation is received, not achieved.
• for a demonstration: (Greek: eis endeixin / εἰς ἔνδειξιν). Meaning "for a proof," "for a manifestation," or "for a display." This phrase reveals the primary purpose of Christ's propitiation – not only to save humanity but to publicly uphold and exhibit God's character.
• of His righteousness: (Greek: tēs dikaiosynēs autou / τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ). This refers to God's inherent justice and moral integrity. The cross demonstrates that God is perfectly just in punishing sin (as sin was punished in Christ) while simultaneously being the Justifier of those who believe. It reconciles God's absolute holiness with His boundless mercy.
• because in His forbearance God had passed over: (Greek: dia tēn paresin tōn progegonotōn hamartēmatōn / διὰ τὴν πάρεσιν τῶν προγεγονότων ἁμαρτημάτων).
  • Forbearance (paresis / πάρεσις): Means "a passing over" or "remitting" for a time. It is distinct from aphesis (ἄφεσις), which means full "forgiveness" or "cancellation" of sins. God did not fully cancel past sins before the Cross but deferred His righteous judgment against them, holding it in abeyance.
  • God had passed over: Indicates that God had not executed the full penalty for sins committed before Christ's death, acting with longsuffering mercy. This paresis was not a compromising of His justice, but a suspension of wrath based on the future, guaranteed atonement of Christ.
• the sins previously committed: Refers to sins of humanity throughout history, before Christ's sacrifice. The cross retrospectively vindicated God's justice in dealing with sins of previous ages, showing that even Old Testament salvation was based on the future atonement of Christ.

• Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood: This phrase group highlights God's active role as the provider of salvation (He "set forth" Christ). It identifies Christ as the singular means of propitiation, effectively turning away divine wrath through His violent, substitutionary death (represented by "His blood"). This signifies a deliberate divine act to resolve the sin problem through sacrifice.
• through faith for a demonstration of His righteousness: This connects the means of appropriation (faith) with the ultimate purpose (demonstrating God's righteousness). It signifies that faith is the channel through which the efficacy of Christ's death is applied, and that the cross serves as God's profound statement about His just character, not just His mercy.
• because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins previously committed: This clause explains the historical necessity and retrospective effect of Christ's propitiation. It clarifies how God could be righteous in forgiving sins before Christ's death—it was not an arbitrary overlooking, but a divine delay of judgment, pre-attested by a future payment. This substantiates the claim that the cross validates God's justice across all time.

Romans 3 25 Bonus section

• Atoning Work and God's Nature: The concept of hilastērion firmly establishes that the problem of sin requires not just forgiveness, but a full satisfaction of divine justice. God's holiness demands punishment for sin, and Christ's death meets that demand without compromising God's attribute of love. It demonstrates God is holy and yet loving; wrathful towards sin and yet merciful to sinners by providing the means for their redemption.
• Old Covenant and New Covenant Connection: Romans 3:25 forms a profound bridge between the Old Testament sacrificial system and the New Covenant in Christ. The animal sacrifices were never truly capable of taking away sins (Heb 10:4). They were typological, pointing forward to Christ. The paresis (passing over) implies that Old Testament believers received a temporary covering for sins, based on the covenant made at Sinai and the future, efficacious sacrifice of Christ. Their sins were truly dealt with when Christ, the true hilastērion, died.
• The Problem of Justice: Paul here directly addresses a potential theological challenge: how could God, being perfectly just, simply forgive sins committed before the cross, or even sins now, without violating His own nature? The answer is the cross itself, which visibly and conclusively demonstrates that sin was paid for, satisfying justice and enabling justification. This maintains God's immutability and faithfulness to His righteous character.

Romans 3 25 Commentary

Romans 3:25 presents the pinnacle of Paul's explanation of God's saving righteousness. It underscores that salvation is entirely a work of God, who proactively "set forth" Christ as the ultimate "propitiation." This critical term (hilastērion) portrays Christ as the means by which God’s righteous wrath against human sin is appeased and satisfied, not through human effort, but through God’s own initiative and provision. Christ's "blood" signifies His sacrificial death as the full payment for sin, upholding God's just requirements. This propitiation becomes effective for an individual "through faith," emphasizing that human reception is purely by trust, not works. Crucially, this act serves as a profound "demonstration of His righteousness," proving God to be both perfectly just (punishing sin in Christ) and the merciful Justifier (pardoning sinners who believe). The verse also clarifies how God righteously "passed over" sins in prior eras. This "forbearance" was not a disregard of justice, but a temporary suspension of wrath, guaranteed by the future perfect atonement of Christ. Thus, the cross reveals God’s consistent justice and grace across all dispensations. For example, Old Testament believers were not saved by their works, but by faith in God's promises, which looked forward to this very propitiation by Christ. The cross therefore retroactively justifies God's actions throughout history.