Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
Seeing [it is] one God which shall - or, 'one is the God who shall'
Justify the circumcision by faith, х ek (G1537) pisteoos (G4102).]
And uncircumcision through faith, х dia (G1223) tees (G3588) pisteoos (G4102).] The future - "shall justify" - is used here to denote the fixed purpose of God to act on this principle in all time. Origen, and after him Bengel, considered that it is the justification of the Jew which is here said to be 'of faith,' as being the born heirs of the promise; while that of the Gentiles, as being previously "strangers to the covenants of promise," is said to be only "through faith," as admitting them into a new family. But, besides that this is too far-fetched, it seems to be contradicted by Galatians 3:8, where the same phrase-`of faith'-which is here said to be used of the Jews, is applied to the justification of the Gentiles. With most critics, we regard it as but a varied statement of the same truth, but with a slight shade of difference in the sense; the first expression-`of faith'-denoting the ordained method of justification; the second, "through faith," the instrument or channel through which it comes to us. Similar examples of two nearly equivalent statements will be found in Romans 3:22, and in Galatians 3:22 (compare 23).
Objection (Romans 3:31)