preview

The Definition Of Justification

Good Essays

Martin Luther, a professor of theology, priest, and an influential figure in the Protestant Reformation, once said “Every week I preach justification by faith to my people because every week they forget it” when talking about justification. For a long time now, most of society have forgotten about the true meaning of justification and must constantly be reminded about it in order not to derail. Justification is a method of moral law and motivation that which Christians use to be righteous through Christ again. This is explained through the historical origins, characteristic, process and finally an example of justification in the Bible. The word justification comes from the Middle English word jūstificātiōn, which is believed to have originated in the late 14th century. It is derived from the Late Latin word equivalent to jūstificāt(us). (Merriam-Webster, 2017) It is defined as an act of reasoning or explaining to defend a certain type of behaviour. The word bares a strong similarity to the word “rationalization”. Both are used to give an explanation to justify an immoral act. In the Bible, the word justification is believed to have originated from the Old Greek δικαίωσις or dikaiósis in 1344. The biblical term for justification is defined by the act of God whereby humankind is made accounted just, or free from guilt or penalty of sin. While the biblical term for justification seems to deviate from the term “rationalization”, it does relate with the word “acknowledgment”.

Get Access