Answer: It depends on the type of Christian you ask.

Theological Traditions Included: Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Non-Calvinist Protestant, Calvinist Protestant, Progressive

Calvinist Protestants interpret Paul's teachings in Romans as a clear affirmation of justification by faith alone, emphasizing the sovereignty of God and the total depravity of human nature. They argue that human works play no role in meriting justification, but rather serve as evidence of true faith.
Non-Calvinist Protestants affirm justification by faith alone, but interpret Paul's teachings in a way that allows for a more synergistic understanding of faith and works. They emphasize that true faith will necessarily lead to obedience and good works, not as a means of justification but as a result of it.
The Catholic Church understands justification as a process of being made righteous, involving both the forgiveness of sins and the infusion of grace. They interpret Paul's teachings in harmony with the Church's sacramental theology and its emphasis on the necessity of human cooperation with divine grace.
The Eastern Orthodox tradition sees justification as a transformative participation in the life of Christ, emphasizing the process of theosis—being deified by grace. They interpret Paul's teachings in light of the Orthodox understanding of salvation as a synergistic process, involving both divine grace and human cooperation.
Progressive Christians interpret Paul's teachings on justification primarily in terms of the creation of a new, inclusive community where all are equal in Christ. They emphasize the social and relational dimensions of faith and the transformative power of grace to break down barriers and promote justice.
The interpretive differences among these traditions are rooted in their underlying theological commitments and hermeneutical approaches. Calvinist Protestants prioritize the sovereignty of God and the total depravity of human nature, while non-Calvinist Protestants seek to uphold the primacy of faith while recognizing the integral connection between faith and works. The Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions interpret Paul's teachings in light of their sacramental theology and understanding of justification as a transformative process. Progressive Christians often approach the text with an emphasis on contemporary social and political concerns, highlighting themes of inclusivity and liberation.

So much can hinge on a single word – ”works”.

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Quick Comparison

Tradition	Nature of Justification	Role of Works	Basis of Interpretation
Calvinist Protestant	One-time legal declaration, imputation of Christ's righteousness	No role in meriting justification, evidence of true faith	Sovereignty of God, total depravity of human nature
Non-Calvinist Protestant	Justification by faith alone, but allows for synergistic understanding	Result of true faith, not means of justification	Primacy of faith, integral connection between faith and works
Catholic	Process of being made righteous, infusion of grace	Necessary for salvation, enabled by grace	Sacramental theology, harmony with Church teaching
Eastern Orthodox	Transformative participation in Christ's life, theosis	Natural outworking of faith and love bestowed by God	Synergistic process of theosis, liturgical and ascetic tradition
Progressive	Creation of inclusive community, breaking down barriers	Social action and pursuit of justice as outworking of faith	Contemporary social and political concerns, themes of inclusivity and liberation

Hear from Each Perspective

Ordered by number of adherents

John / Catholic

The Catholic Church affirms the importance of faith in the process of justification, but it interprets Paul's teachings in Romans in light of the Church's broader understanding of salvation as a process of being made righteous. Catholics hold that justification is not a one-time event, but a gradual transformation that involves both the forgiveness of sins and the infusion of grace to enable the believer to grow in holiness. When Paul speaks of justification by faith apart from works (Romans 3:28), Catholics understand "works" as referring to works of the Mosaic law or human efforts to earn salvation, not the good works that flow from grace. They argue that Paul's teachings on justification must be read in harmony with his emphasis on the necessity of love (Galatians 5:6) and his affirmation of the role of works in final judgment (Romans 2:6-7). The Catholic interpretation of Romans is shaped by the Church's sacramental theology, which sees baptism as the instrumental cause of justification and the Eucharist as a means of ongoing grace and spiritual nourishment. This perspective seeks to uphold the primacy of grace while also affirming the necessity of human cooperation and the transformative power of the sacraments.

Anthony / Eastern Orthodox

In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, Paul's teachings on justification in Romans are understood within the broader context of the process of salvation, which involves not only faith but also the transformation of the whole person through the work of the Holy Spirit. While faith is certainly essential, it is seen as the beginning of a journey of growth in holiness and union with God, rather than a one-time event that secures eternal salvation. The Orthodox emphasis on theosis—the process of being deified by grace—means that justification is not merely a legal declaration, but a transformative participation in the life of Christ. Good works, then, are not seen as a means of earning salvation, but as a natural outworking of the faith and love that have been graciously bestowed upon us by God. This interpretation is grounded in the Orthodox understanding of salvation as a synergistic process, involving both divine grace and human cooperation.

Caleb / Non-Calvinist Protestant

Non-Calvinist Protestants, such as Arminians and Methodists, affirm that justification is by faith alone, but they interpret Paul's teachings in Romans in a way that allows for a more synergistic understanding of faith and works. They emphasize that while salvation is a free gift of God's grace, received through faith, this faith must be a living and active faith that produces good works. When Paul speaks of justification by faith apart from works (Romans 3:28), non-Calvinist Protestants understand "works" as referring to works of the Mosaic law or human efforts to earn salvation, not good works that flow from a heart renewed by grace. They see Paul's teachings on justification as compatible with his emphasis on the importance of a transformed life (Romans 6, 8, 12), arguing that true faith will necessarily lead to obedience and good works, not as a means of justification but as a result of it. This interpretation seeks to uphold the primacy of faith while also recognizing the integral connection between faith and works in the life of the believer.

Nathan / Calvinist Protestant

Calvinist Protestants interpret Paul's teachings in Romans as a clear affirmation of the doctrine of justification by faith alone. They emphasize that salvation is entirely a work of God's grace, and that human works play no role in meriting or obtaining justification. When Paul speaks of justification by faith apart from works (Romans 3:28), Calvinists understand this to mean that faith is the sole instrument by which the believer receives the righteousness of Christ. They argue that Paul consistently contrasts faith with works, showing that justification is a free gift of grace, not something earned by human effort (Romans 4:4-5). Calvinists interpret Paul's statements about the role of works in judgment (Romans 2:6-7) as referring to the evidence of true faith, not the basis of justification. They also emphasize the sovereignty of God in salvation, arguing that faith itself is a gift of divine grace, not a product of human will (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Calvinist interpretation of Romans is rooted in a strong emphasis on the total depravity of human nature and the absolute necessity of divine grace for salvation. This perspective seeks to uphold the unconditional nature of God's saving work and to give all glory to God alone.

Hannah / Progressive

Progressive Christians approach Paul's teachings on justification in Romans with an emphasis on the social and relational dimensions of faith. They interpret Paul's critique of works not as a rejection of good deeds per se, but as a challenge to religious and cultural barriers that divide people and create a false sense of superiority. For progressives, justification by faith is not merely about individual salvation, but about the creation of a new, inclusive community where all are equal in Christ (Galatians 3:28). They see Paul's emphasis on faith as a means of breaking down walls of hostility and promoting unity and solidarity among diverse peoples. Progressive interpretations of Romans often highlight the liberating and transformative power of grace, which frees believers from the bondage of sin and empowers them to live lives of love, justice, and compassion. They may also emphasize the importance of social action and the pursuit of justice as an outworking of authentic faith. This perspective is shaped by a desire to apply Paul's teachings to contemporary issues of inequality, oppression, and social marginalization.

The Key Differences

1. The Nature of Justification

Calvinist Protestants understand justification as a one-time legal declaration, whereby God imputes the righteousness of Christ to the believer based on faith alone. This interpretation is driven by a strong emphasis on the sovereignty of God and the total depravity of human nature.
Non-Calvinist Protestants affirm justification by faith alone, but they interpret it in a way that allows for a more synergistic understanding of faith and works. They emphasize that true faith will necessarily lead to obedience and good works, not as a means of justification but as a result of it. This interpretation seeks to uphold the primacy of faith while also recognizing the integral connection between faith and works.
The Catholic Church understands justification as a process of being made righteous, involving both the forgiveness of sins and the infusion of grace to enable the believer to grow in holiness. This interpretation is shaped by the Church's sacramental theology and its emphasis on the necessity of human cooperation with divine grace.
The Eastern Orthodox tradition sees justification as a transformative participation in the life of Christ, emphasizing the process of theosis—being deified by grace. This interpretation is grounded in the Orthodox understanding of salvation as a synergistic process, involving both divine grace and human cooperation.
Progressive Christians interpret justification primarily in terms of the creation of a new, inclusive community where all are equal in Christ. They emphasize the social and relational dimensions of faith and the transformative power of grace to break down barriers and promote justice.

2. The Role of Works

Calvinist Protestants argue that human works play no role in meriting or obtaining justification, interpreting Paul's statements about the role of works in judgment as referring to the evidence of true faith, not the basis of justification. This perspective is driven by a strong emphasis on the unconditional nature of God's saving work.
Non-Calvinist Protestants, while affirming justification by faith alone, interpret Paul's teachings in a way that recognizes the importance of good works as a result of true faith. They argue that Paul's critique of works refers to works of the Mosaic law or human efforts to earn salvation, not the good works that flow from a heart renewed by grace.
The Catholic Church teaches that good works, enabled by grace and performed in faith, are necessary for salvation. They interpret Paul's teachings on justification in harmony with his emphasis on the necessity of love and his affirmation of the role of works in final judgment. This perspective is shaped by the Church's understanding of the transformative power of the sacraments and the necessity of human cooperation with divine grace.
The Eastern Orthodox tradition sees good works as a natural outworking of the faith and love bestowed by God, rather than a means of earning salvation. They emphasize the transformative nature of justification and the importance of growth in holiness and union with God.
Progressive Christians tend to emphasize the importance of social action and the pursuit of justice as an outworking of authentic faith. They interpret Paul's critique of works primarily in terms of religious and cultural barriers that create division and oppression.

3. The Basis of Interpretation

Calvinist Protestants base their interpretation of Romans primarily on a strong emphasis on the sovereignty of God and the total depravity of human nature. They seek to uphold the unconditional nature of God's saving work and to give all glory to God alone.
Non-Calvinist Protestants interpret Romans in a way that seeks to uphold the primacy of faith while also recognizing the integral connection between faith and works. Their interpretation is often motivated by a desire to affirm both divine grace and human responsibility.
The Catholic Church's interpretation of Romans is shaped by its sacramental theology and its understanding of justification as a process of being made righteous. They seek to interpret Paul's teachings in harmony with the Church's broader theological framework and magisterial teaching.
The Eastern Orthodox tradition's interpretation of Romans is grounded in its understanding of salvation as a synergistic process of theosis, involving both divine grace and human cooperation. They emphasize the transformative nature of justification and the importance of the Church's liturgical and ascetic tradition.
Progressive Christians often interpret Romans through the lens of contemporary social and political concerns, emphasizing themes of inclusivity, justice, and liberation. They seek to apply Paul's teachings to issues of inequality, oppression, and marginalization in today's world.

Did Paul teach justification by faith alone in Romans?