3. Men are sometimes set right or justified by others ; that, too, in both senses, namely, the vin<li- cation of innocence or rectitude, and atoni^ment for wrong. The former is referred to in Dt 25' ' If there be a controversy between men, and tl>e judges judge them; then they shall justify the righteous and condemn the wicked.' Justification of the wicked for a reward, on the contrarj', is denounced in Is 5^. In Kzk l(i"-" Jerus. is satirically represented as justifying her sinful sisters, i.e. causing them to appear ri'diteous, by her own abominations (cf. Jer 3"). Amends might also be made for evil-doing NWtliin certain liinit.s. Klihu is represented as cliallenging Job to make clear his rectitude, a-s, e.g., in Job 33'''', where we read : ' If thou hast anything to say, answer me : speak, for I desire to justify thee' ; and it is said of tiod in Ps 37° ' He shall make thy righteousness to "o forth as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday ' (cf. Is 54").
4. The justification of men before God is often referred to, but onlj- to be characterized as im- possible; that, too, in Imth re.yierts. Such failure IS distinctly pronounced inevitable in I's 14.!^ 'Enter not into judgment with Thy servant: fiir in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.' See also Job 25* ' IIow then can man be just with God ? ' In NT the same thing is both everywhere implied and often expressly affirmed, as, e.g., in Gal 2'° ' because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified ' (cf. Ko 3*), Ac 13» ' by him every one is justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.'
Not only is the impossibility of vindicating their righteousness before God denied to men, hut also that of setting themselves right bj- making amends for or expiating unrij;hte<)iLsness. That it cannot be elVected bj' icnrki, is clear from declarations like Is 57" ' as for thy works, they shall not profit thee' ; and especially Is t)4' ' Kor we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our right«ousne.sscs are as a polluted garment . . . and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away.' Further, to say, •The temple of the Lonl, the temple of the Lord are these,' is to 'trust in lying words' (Jer 7''). Hut etiually out of the question is it to purchn-so the divine favour by mere sarrlfirr.s ; for 'In sacri- fice and oflering He has no delight' (I's 4(1' 51'°); 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice' (Ilosb*; cf. I's 4*) ; a multitude of sacrifices is nothing to Him (Is 1"); 'the solenm meeting,' 'new moons," 'ap- pointed fea.st«,' His 'soul hateth ' (Is l'-"); yea, ' The sacrifice of the wicked is an abominatioD to the Lord' (I'r 15" 21").
.\s to NT — the impossibility either of vindicating righteousness or making amends for sin l<y works
of the law and by sacrifices, is the burden of the Epp. of St. I'auf and of tliat to the Hebrews, besides being everpvhere else implied (cf. e.'/. (ial 2'«, Ko S", lie 10'-» where I's 40 is quoted : 'Sacri- fice and oflering thou wtmldest not ... in whole burnt-ofrerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure ').
5. The impossibility of jastification in the si''ht of God, thus explicitly affirmed in the particular ca.ses adduced, is implicitly a-ssumed throughout OT and NT. In point o"f fact, the idea that men should either vindicate their own innocence or rectitude, or that they of themselves, or any creature for them, should establish a right relation between (iod and themselves, by .acts or sacrifices, or anything of their own, is totally alien from the spirit and life that produced the writings which constitute our Hible.
Passages, indeed, in whieh all manner of good deeds are required, whilst contempt is cast on sacri- fices and the like, may seem and are often taken to imply that by riglit conduct men can set themselves right with (Jod ; but this is by no means theit import. An fruits of a right relation, both sacri- fices and right conduct are obligatory an<I pleasing to (Jod ; as means of establi-ihing a right relation, the one is an abomination, the other utterly in- sulficient (cf. Ps 51"-" with v.'» of the same psalm).
11. ' Justification,' however, understanding it as previously defined, is undoubtedly recognized both as pos-<ili"le and as a fact. .Men are actually set right with (Jod, notwithstanding their sin, andtheir utter inability to expiate or make amends for sin.
1. 'Justification ' is in some sense ascribed even to Gentiles. In this respect the case of Cornelius is typical. 'Of a truth,' says St. Peter regarding him, 'I perceive that (Jod is no respecter of persons : but in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness, is aeeeptahle to Him' (Ac KP-"; cf. Ps 15^ He 11", Mt 8>-", Ro 2", Ac 28=8 jgn, To be 'acceptable' is to be on the footing with God, in the relation to Him, which conditions the bestowal of such grace as a man is capable of receiving, i.e. to be justified. In a certain respect Abraham may be regarded as an example of Gentile 'justification*; for, as St. Paul emphatically atlirms, hLs faith was ' reckoned for righteoiLsness . . . when he wa-s in unciraimcition ' ; ' that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in unrircumHsion' (Ro 4'-"). When he believed, he was neither .lew nor Christian.