MEANING OF THE TERM "JUSTIFY"

MEANING OF THE TERM "JUSTIFY" (Most Important)

     

 
                 The words:  Heb. tsadaq (Exod. 23:7) - Grk. Dikaioo (Luke 10:29)                         The nouns refer basically to "righteousness"

                      Negatively, "to justify" does not mean to "make righteous"

                                                Prov. 17:15 “He that justifieth the wicked."
                                               Luke 7:29 “And all the people....justified God."
                        Cf. also Rom. 3:4  “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.”
                        Rom. 2:13 "Doers of the law shall be justified." This hypothetical. But if a man                               did the law he would be righteous and would not need to be made righteous.

                    Positively, "to justify" means "to declare and treat as righteous"

. Deut. 25:1 "If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked." (Courtroom picture).

                        1 Tim. 3:16      "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."      Christ was already righteous. He only needed to be declared so.

                      Notes: a. Godet says never in all Greek literature is "dikaioo" used to mean to make one righteous.

                  b. This declarative meaning is exactly in accord with the common use of the English word "justify". Definition. To show to be just, vindicate, defend, declare guiltless, exonerate, to regard and treat as just, absolve, acquit, approve, clear, excuse, uphold.