Justification (theology)

====Paul====
It was Paul who developed the term justification in the theology of the church. Justification is a major theme of the epistles to the [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] and to the [[Epistle to the Galatians|Galatians]] in the New Testament, and is also given treatment in many other epistles. In Romans, Paul develops justification by first speaking of God's just wrath at sin ({{bibleverse|Romans|1:18-3:20}}). Justification is then presented as the solution for God's wrath ({{bibleverse|Romans|3:21-26}}, {{bibleverse|Romans|5:1}}). One is said to be 'justified by faith apart from works of the Law' ({{bibleverse|Romans|3:28}}). Further, Paul writes of sin and justification in terms of two men, Adam and Christ ({{bibleverse|Romans|5}}). Through Adam, sin came into the world bringing death; through Jesus, righteousness came into the world, bringing justification unto life ({{bibleverse|Romans|5:15-17}}). In this connection, Paul speaks of Adam's sin being 'imputed' or 'accounted' (Greek ελλογειται) and speaks of justification as acting in analogy to sin ({{bibleverse|Romans|5:13}}; {{bibleverse|Romans|5:18}}). In chapter 8, Paul connects justification with predestination and glorification ({{bibleverse|Romans|8:30}}). He further states that those who are justified cannot be separated from the love of Christ ({{bibleverse|Romans|8:33-39}}). Several of these passages are central in the debate between Roman Catholics, and the various streams of Protestantism (while there is broad agreement on justification by faith, there is no complete doctrinal uniformity on justification among all Protestant denominations), who can understand them in quite different ways. In Galatians, Paul emphatically rejects [[Legalism (theology)|justification by works of the Law]], a rejection sparked apparently by a controversy concerning the necessity of [[Circumcision controversy in early Christianity|circumcision]] for salvation ({{bibleverse|Galatians|2:16}}, {{bibleverse|Galatians|5:4}}; see also {{bibleverse|Romans|5:1-12}} and [[Council of Jerusalem]]). He also adds that the only thing that counts is the "faith [which] works by love"({{bibleverse|Galatians|5:6}}).