[Paul]
speaks of Christ’s being “manifested in the flesh” and “vindicated by the
Spirit.” The word in the ESV, “vindicated,” could well be translated “declared”
(or “proved”) “to be right” (or “righteous”). Not only did Christ identify with
sinners and become a sin offering on their behalf (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21), his
resurrection also “identifies him with saints in the verdict of justification,
which was given to him for his establishing of righteousness.” When God
declares a sinner to be “just,” it is on the basis of the verdict passed on the
resurrected second Adam. (Brian Vickers, Justification By Grace Through
Faith: Finding Freedom from Legalism, Lawlessness, Pride, and Despair [Explorations
in Biblical Theology; Phillipsburg, N.J.: P&R Publishing, 2013], 46)
Notice this: Jesus was "declared" to be right/righteous and this declaration was based on an intrinsic reality, not an imputation. To understand why 1 Tim 3:16 refutes Protestant models of forensic justification, see:
Refuting Christina Darlington on the Nature of "Justification"
