Maybe this is the problem of letting a theological system interpet the text?
 
You say Christ was flesh and bones exactly like us and His active obedience earn us our justification although Scripture says "by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified." 
 
You say Christ earned us righteousness through obeying the law and then your quote says "Righteousness with God does not come through obeying the law." 
 
Paul makes it clear that "now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets" "Apart from" not because of. It's not implied or inferred but stated that its "apart from" the law. Even Schriener says "people
become righteous before God through faith in Jesus Christ's atoning death, which liberated God's people from sin's bondage and satisfied God's righteousness." I would agree here with Schriener!
 
Harry


Chad Richard Bresson <breusswane@...> wrote:
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "H Dorrington" 
> Romans 3:20"Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified
in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of >sin. But now the
righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the
Law and the Prophets"
> This is where the Jesus of Covenant Theology becomes gnostic as you remove
His flesh so that Romans 3:20 cannot >apply to Him. That is why the Holy
Spirit qualifies the righteousness of Christ as being apart from the law
even though the >law is a witness.

It cannot apply to him not because he isn't human, but because he couldn't
and didn't sin. The entire chapter is talking about man's inability to keep
the law because he is fallen, and man's need for faith (and if this applies
to Christ, what equally applies to Christ is the heretical notion that
Christ needed faith). Paul says in Romans 10:5 that had man been able to
keep the law he could have been justified. Man needed a righteousness
outside of the law (through faith in Christ) because he could not keep the
law. Romans 10:5 says had he been able to keep the law, he would have
obtained righteousness (life) through the law. Israel was right in thinking
if they kept the law perfectly, they would obtain life. Israel was wrong
for thinking they could keep the law perfectly. Righteousness for fallen
man does not come through the law, but apart from the law through faith.

To wit: "Romans 3:21-26, like Galatians 3:13, stresses that the only means
of forgiveness is the cross of Christ. Righteousness with God does not come
through obeying the law, for no one obeys it perfectly. Instead, people
become righteous before God through faith in Jesus Christ's atoning death,
which liberated God's people from sin's bondage and satisfied God's
righteousness." -- Thomas Schreiner, "The Law and Its Fulfillment"

Chad Bresson
Xenia, OH

		
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