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faith in Christ is to submit to the righteousness of God rather than trying to establish
one's own (v. 3). The one who has faith receives righteousness, or right standing before
God. In vv. 5-8, Paul gives biblical support for his statement in v. 4 that "Christ is the
WHOR of the law for righteousness to all who believe," by using Lev. 18:5 and Deut.
30:12-14.
Leviticus 18:5 represents "the righteousness of the law"
Paul uses Lev. 18:5 to represent "the righteousness of the law." Based on our
earlier discussion of righteousness, we take this phrase to refer to a right covenant
standing before God based on works of the law. The context of Lev. 18:5 seems to bear
out this understanding. This verse is part of a section of Leviticus concerned with the
practice of holiness (17:1-27:34) and introduces stipulations for maintaining life within
the covenant. The promise of blessings for obedience (v. 5) and the threat of curses for
disobedience (vv. 26-30), serve as an inclusio around the laws on sexual relations (vv. 6-
25), and foreshadow the lists of covenant blessings and curses in chap. 26. Disobedience
results in expulsion from the land and life within the covenant people of God (vv. 26-30).
"Life" in this context does not seem to be concerned immediately with eternal salvation,
but with the maintenance of a relationship with God in the Promised Land.
It is evident
that "righteousness of the law" absolutely demanded obedience, or "works," for the
maintenance of "life," that is, life within the covenant community. By no means does
this passage teach that works of the law are necessary for eternal life; rather, it points to
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The targums do reflect a belief that "eternal life" was the original intention of this verse, as
Tg.Ps.-Jon- reads, "And you shall observe my statutes and my ordinances, by keeping which a man shall
live in eternal life, and his portion shall be with the righteous;" and Tg.Onk adds to the verse the phrase
"life in the future world;" however, this interpretation is not supported by the context of Leviticus 18.