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Speaking simply, `but' (a) arrests attention, and (b) draws the attention to an opposition or contrast. Some of these
antitheses or contrasts are of great doctrinal importance, and without going too minutely into their meaning or
attempting to deal with every occurrence, we bring forward a few passages in the hope that readers will be made
aware of the importance of this little but arresting word `but' in their own reading. `But God' (Eph. 2:4). `But now'
(Eph. 2:13).
First the contrast of time :
`In time past'
(Eph. 2:2).
`But God'
(Eph. 2:4).
`At that time'
(Eph. 2:12).
`But now'
(Eph. 2:13).
The first passage reveals the doctrinal condition of the Gentile world. The second reveals their dispensational
position.
They walked according to the course of this world.
Doctrine and Practice.
They were aliens and strangers (foreigners).
Dispensational position.
The change introduced by the words `But God' stresses the grace of salvation, the words `But now' the
reconciliation of `the both' unto God in one Body. The condition of the earlier reference is that of sin and death, the
second reference speaks of distance and nearness.
Passing to the practical section of this epistle we find the words `But ye have not so learned Christ' (Eph. 4:20)
set over against the previous walk `in the vanity of their mind', leading on to the contrasted renewal `in the spirit of
your mind', and in Ephesians 5:8 we read :
`For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light'.
Here we have `sometimes', `walk' and `children', the same words that have already occurred in Ephesians 2:2,3.
`But now', in Romans 3:21, brings to a conclusion the argument of the opening chapters.
(1) The statement. `The Gospel ... is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; ... For therein is
the righteousness of God revealed (a righteousness) from faith (addressed) to faith' (Rom. 1:16,17).
(2) Before going further with this declaration, the apostle sets out to show that this righteousness is required; `For
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ... unrighteousness'. The one `revelation' is placed over
against the other (Rom. 1:18).
(3) To prove his point, Paul shows that the Gentiles who had no written revelation but only the testimony of creation
and conscience, were `without excuse' (Rom. 1:20). He then proceeds to show that the Jews, who boasted in
being those who were entrusted with the oracles of God (Rom. 3:2; 2:17-23) were equally `inexcusable'
(Rom. 2:1).
It is here that the `But now' of Romans 3:21 comes in with such force.
`But now the righteousness of God without the law (here, the apostle explains what the righteousness of God
means in Romans 1:17) is manifested' (here he explains the meaning of `is revealed' in Romans 1:17).
`Being witnessed by the law and the prophets' (here he reiterates what he has said in Romans 1:2 and 1:17).
Throughout the Scriptures this adversative conjunction `but' is used to cause the reader to stop, to think, to
consider contrasts; in other words to arrest his attention, draw attention to the contrasts of grace and works, law and
faith, flesh and spirit.
We leave our readers with these few notes and examples, and commend to them the enlightening study of this
small but most important word. As an incentive and an exhibition of its use and value, we append a concordance to
this brief article.