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How did St. Paul explain justification by faith in the Letter to the Romans?

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Caravaggio: The Conversion of St. Paul (second version) — St. Paul the Apostle *The Conversion of St. Paul* (second version), oil on canvas by Caravaggio, 1601; in Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome.

In the Letter to the Romans, St. Paul explains that justification—being made "right with God"—is not achieved through adherence to the Law or human effort, but is a gift received through faith in Jesus Christ.12

Paul argues that both Jews and Gentiles are enslaved by sin and have fallen short of the glory of God, making it impossible for anyone to effect their own salvation through legalistic piety or "works of the law". Instead, God manifests His righteousness apart from the law, offering acquittal to all who place their complete trust in Christ’s expiating death and resurrection.123

This doctrine serves a specific purpose in Paul’s theology: it removes the barriers between Jews and Gentiles, allowing both to become fellow heirs to God’s promises without the need for Gentile converts to adopt Jewish practices like circumcision. Ultimately, for Paul, justification by faith is the means by which all people are reconciled to God and incorporated into the body of Christ.123