- Discussion:
-In debates on Sola Fide, sometimes Roman Catholic apologists will cite the text of Psalm 106:30-31 as evidence for works being necessary for salvation:
"...centering on Abraham's faith in Genesis 15:6: "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Catholics agree with this Scripture, but the same words ("it was reckoned to him as righteousness") are applied to another person in the Old Testament besides Abraham, and the "justification" was there attributed to actions and zealousness, not faith alone.
The phrase used in Psalm 106:31 is the same (in both the Hebrew Masoretic text and the Greek Septuagint) as is used in Genesis 15:6. In Psalm 106:30, 31 we read, "Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed. And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore" (KJV).
Evangelicals say his faith justified him, like his father Abraham-but the Psalmist must not have understood the faith alone doctrine, for he attributes the imputation of righteousness to Phinehas' zealousness."
The background of this event is recorded in Numbers 25. In it, some of the Israelites were committing fornication with the woman of Moab. Consequently, God was provoked to anger and He cast a plague over Israel. Then, Phinehas took a spear and drove it through a couple in the act of fornication, which killed them both. Because of his desire for righteousness, he obtained mercy from God, terminated the plague, and was simply regarded as being righteous. His deed would be blessed and remembered in every future generation. Verse thirty-one simply means that God was pleased with this man's decision. The reality of his faith was demonstrated before other men. Notice how other Bible translations render this verse:
"Now he will always be highly honored." (Psalm 106:31, Contemporary English Version)
"This has been remembered in his favor ever since and will be for all time to come." (Psalm 106:31, Good News Translation)
"So he has been regarded as a righteous man ever since that time." (Psalm 106:31, New Living Translation)
"This brought him a reward, an eternal gift." (Psalm 106:31, NET Bible)
"So he has been regarded as a righteous man ever since that time." (Psalm 106:31, New Living Translation)
NET Bible commentary:
"48 tn Heb “and it was reckoned to him for righteousness, to a generation and a generation forever.” The verb חָשַׁב (khashav, “to reckon”) is collocated with צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah, “righteousness”) only in Ps 106:31 and Gen 15:6, where God rewards Abram’s faith with a land grant. sn Brought him a reward. See Num 25:12-13."
Observations from the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary:
"31. counted … righteousness—"a just and rewardable action." for—or, "unto," to the procuring of righteousness, as in Ro 4:2; 10:4. Here it was a particular act, not faith, nor its object Christ; and what was procured was not justifying righteousness, or what was to be rewarded with eternal life; for no one act of man's can be taken for complete obedience. But it was that which God approved and rewarded with a perpetual priesthood to him and his descendants (Nu 25:13; 1Ch 6:4, etc.)."
Observations from the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary:
Observations from the Pulpit Commentary:
Although people have tried connecting Psalm 106:30-31 with Genesis 15:6 (meaning to equate the phrase "counted for righteousness" in both texts as having the same meaning), the similarity in sentence structure is irrelevant because the context of Numbers 25 and Psalm 106:30-31 is not about how one gets right with God. The passage in Genesis 15 is not the moment of Abraham's justification, but rather is the Lord's promise of salvation to him and posterity through faith. The text of Genesis 15:6 is foretelling the foundational message of salvation as prescribed by the gospel. It is not as though driving spears into sinners is a requirement for salvation. God will certainly reward Christians for their faithfulness to Him, but we are not saved by works of righteousness (Titus 3:5-7). We are saved because God is merciful, and He saved us in spite of our unrighteousness (Deuteronomy 9:3-6; Ephesians 2:8-9). The gospel requires that one must believe in order to receive salvation (John 20:31; Acts 16:29-31; Romans 1:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Timothy 3:15).
