This is true, but it is not what Paul really means here.^157 For Luther,
Paul and the Psalmist do not mean that human injustice as such
‘commends’God’s righteousness.^158
What actually justifies God in Psalm 50:6 is the‘confession and
acknowledgement of sin’(confessio et agnitio peccati). These human
acts humble the proud human being who relies on his own right-
eousness; not human unrighteousness as such, but‘the recognition
and confession (agnitio et confessio) of our own unrighteousness’
commends us to God.^159 For Luther, the subjective human act of
acknowledgement is the crucial issue in Psalm 50:6 and Romans
3:4–5: not wickedness as such, but the humble act of recognition is
what‘commends’divine righteousness. Luther highlights this solu-
tion through refuting another true but irrelevant option: Paul does
not aim to say here that wickedness would commend righteousness
through a contrast emerging from the opposites.^160
As the context (Rom 3:4–7) highlights God’s truthfulness, Paul
reveals the true condition of humanity:
Hence he is not speaking here of the righteousness by which he is
righteous himself, but of that by which he is righteous and justifies us
and is alone righteous with respect to us (respectu nostri); for our
unrighteousness, if it truly has become ours (facta fuerit nostra), that
is, by being acknowledged (agnita) and confessed, does commend
(commendat) God’s righteousness. For this event humbles us, makes
us bow before God and expect God’s righteousness.^161Luther’s point here is that the human attachment or appropriation is
crucial in the event of‘justifying God’or understanding the right-
eousness of God. Like Bernard, Luther underlines humility as the
virtue emerging from acknowledgement. In addition, Luther refutes
the impersonal readings of Romans 3:4–5 and focuses on the personal
appropriation. It is this appropriation rather than any objective thing
that‘commends’the righteousness of God.
Luther’s solution alludes to the phrase of Ps. 50:6 (Vulgate)iniqui-
tatem meam ego cognosco, but here he employs the verbagnosco,
which involves a stronger idea of subjective acknowledgement than
cognosco. Luther repeats and develops this point when he discusses
(^157) Luther,In Rom.WA 56, 214, 23–6. Translations fromIn Rom., slightly modi-
fied, fromLuther’s Works. Other Luther translations are my own.
(^158) WA 56, 214, 27–215, 2. (^159) WA 56, 215, 3–9.
(^160) WA 56, 215, 10–14. (^161) WA 56, 215, 16–19.
90 Recognition and Religion