In his comments on Rom 10:3, Theodore
of Mopsuestia (c. 350-428) makes clear that he interprets the phrase as
equivalent to “justification”:
On the one hand, they [the Jews] have
disregarded the justification from God promised to us; on the other hand,
having supposed that by their own works and by following the law in their conduct they would be able
to save themselves, they made no effort to believe in Christ and to receive the
justification thenceforth promised to us by grace (την μεν
παρα του
Θευ επαγγελθεισαν
ημιν δικαιωσιν
παρειδον, οιηθεντες
δε απο
των οικειων
εργων ακολουθως
τω νομω
πολιτευομενοι τουτο
εαυτου περιποιησαι
δυνασθαι, ουδε
μιαν εθεντο
σπουδην του
πιστευσαι Χριστω, και την
εκειθεν ημιν
κατα χαριν
επαγγελθεισαν δικαιωσιν
δεξασθαι). (Theodore of Mopsuestia; PG 66.845; translation
mine)
Notice that Theodore glosses “the righteousness
of God” as “the justification from God (παρα
του Θεου) promised
to us,” indicating that he takes “righteousness” as equivalent to “justification”
(δικαιοωσις), and “of God” as a genitive of source of a genitivus
auctoris.
(Charles Lee Irons, “ΔΙΚΑΙΟΣΥΝΗ ΘΕΟΥ:
A Lexical Examination of the Covenant-Faithfulness Interpretation” [PhD
Dissertation; Fuller Theological Seminary, May 2011], 17)
