Justification

I

Introduction

Justification, in Christian theology, the way in which the relationship between God and an individual believer, presumed to have been distorted or broken by sin, is set right. The word justify means literally “to make just” or “to make right.”

II

The Biblical Understanding

Justification has its roots in the Hebrew idea of covenant. In ancient Israel, to enter a covenant with another person entailed obligations upon both of the parties. Those people who were faithful to the obligations maintained the covenant and were said to be righteous (Hebrew tsedeq). In the case of the covenant between God and Israel, God's obligation is conceived as the defense or vindication of his people. His righteousness is shown by his saving acts (see, for instance, Psalms 98:2; Isaiah 51:5). Israel's obligation, on the other hand, is to obey the will of God as disclosed in the Torah, the Law. It is thus an obligation to be righteous in a more usual sense of the word—a moral obligation.

The New Testament assumes that Israel had broken its covenant with God and that the primitive Christian community had experienced the restoration of that covenant relationship through Jesus Christ. In fact, a “new covenant” had been established. St. Paul, in particular, explained the results of the death and resurrection of Christ in terms of justification. Christians found themselves in a right relationship to God. In this new situation, however, justification had not come about because of anything believers had done. The new relationship had been established by the power and mercy of God alone. The believer's role was simply to believe and trust (see Galatians 2:16; Romans 3:24).

III

St. Augustine

The great 4th-century theologian St. Augustine used Paul's teachings on justification in his controversy with the British theologian Pelagius. Augustine nevertheless put more emphasis on grace than he did on justification. Insofar as justification was concerned, he took literally the Latin word justificare, which means “to make righteous.” Augustine understood justification as a process in which a person became more just, a virtual equivalent of sanctification.

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IV

Medieval Theology

Medieval Scholastic theologians followed Augustine in insisting on the effective priority of God's grace, without which no new relationship was possible; but they allowed for the efficacy of works done by the person before justification in preparing the way for grace. Moreover, although grace was regarded as sufficient for salvation, it could not effect salvation apart from the cooperation of the human will. Besides, grace was dispensed through the penitential system, under which a person had to make a minimal act of contrition before grace could be received.

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