tion of the more concise phrase " righteousness of God." 5. This inter- pretation is entirely suitable to the context. The efficacy of the gospel is attributed to the fact that a meritorious and saving excellence is there- in revealed, and M^hich God offers as the ground of the sinner's depend- ence in preference to any righteousness or merit of his own.
The words from faith to faith are not to be connected with the word revealed, as though the meaning were, ' revealed from faith to faith,' but with the word righteousness. It is " the righteousness of God, which is hy faith to faith,'''' th-dX is disclosed by the gospel. The most natural interpretation of these words is that which makes the repetition merely intensive — ' from faith to faith,' entirely of faith, in which works have no part. See 2 Cor. 2: 16, "death to death," means very deadly, "life unto life," eminently salutary. That righteousness, then, which is acceptable before God is that of which he is the author, and which is received by faith alone.
As it is written, The just shall live hy faith. The words, as it is written, are the usual formula of reference to the Old Testament. In what rela- tion the passage cited may stand to the topic in hand, whether as a pre- diction, or an inculcation of the same or some analogous truth, or of something which may serve as an illustration, depends entirely on the context. In the present case, Paul wishes to show the importance of faith, by a reference to a passage in Habakkuk 2 ; 4, in which the pro- phet declares that the safety of the people depended upon their believing. Those who turned a deaf ear to the threatenings and promises of God should perish, but those who believed should live. The passage, there- fore, is directly in point, and shows that, as well in reference to the external theocracy of the Old Testament, as to the spiritual theocracy or kingdom of Christ, under the New Testament, the favour of God was to be secured by faith.
Agreeably to the position of the words in the original, these words may be pointed either thus, ' the just by faith, shall live,' or thus, ' the just, by faith shall live.' The former is more consistent with the immediate object of the apostle, who is speaking of a justness hy faith. It is also the connexion and sense of the words in the Old Testament. Shall live, shall enjoy the favour of God, whose favour is life, and whose loving-kindness is better than life, see Rom. 5 : 17. 8 : 13. 10 : 5, and the numerous passages in which the word life expresses all the benefits of the redemption of Christ.