By faith and through faithfulness?

Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

via Passage: Romans 3 (ESV Bible Online).

Jews and Gentiles are both justified by faith, yet Paul deliberately uses two different prepositions. Why?

My guess would be that this is a wordplay using two different meanings. “who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faithfulness.”

Again, both Jews and Gentiles are justified through God’s faithfulness. But Paul has been arguing that the Bible promised righteousness for all nations and that the Gospel reveals that God has delivered on this promise.

On the other hand, Israel has been prone to believe that justification is by works rather than by faith.

Thus, Paul here reiterates that it is not by works and that God’s faithfulness has brought about justification for the nations.

 

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