Justification by faith/biblical view

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Justification by Faith: Consider the theological concept of justification by faith as developed in the Apostle Paul's letter to the Romans. Consider the following questions as you pursue your research.

(1) Beginning with Romans 1:17, how does Paul develop his argument regarding justification by faith?

The theme of "Justification by faith" in Paul's theology was a central argument within Christian controversies on what Paul meant in his use of this phrase. Later in the development of the Doctrine of Justification by Faith, the phrase continued to fuel debates on the significance of the phrase in biblical exegesis (See, Cavanaugh, and "A Joint Declaration"). According to Hultgren, in Paul's days Jews held that one's place in God's plan was established on the basis of covenant (i.e. relationship between God and humanity). Therefore that covenant requires as a proper response human obedience.

Several interpretations of "Justification by Faith" are submitted in the literature on Pauline theology. However, counterarguments are presented against arguments that suggest the phrase was a legal mandate as some claim. Some scholars assert that Paul was operating within a religious community that emphasized grace. Paul develops his argument by linking the righteousness of God with the concept of faith as a way to explain the faithful their just and ultimate reward. He makes a "Faith to Faith" reference to which some scholars claim was a significant Jewish idiom (Hultgren). For example, translation of the phrase ek pistebs eis pistim in Romans 1:17 is stated to be an idiomatic expression and that's why the meaning appears obscure. Thus, additional Old Testament (OT) constructions suggest that this is not an isolated reference to this biblical construction (p.108). For example, similar constructions, "hote ek kakon (Jer. 9"2), and "eis kaka ...