Romans 3: All Sinners

[Preliminary note: Because we believe it is important to follow the flow of Paul’s teaching, we will provide a brief summary of each previous chapter to provide present context:

• Ch.1 The sinfulness of the world
• Ch.2 All – Jew & Gentile – are under God’s judgment, background is irrelevant

NOW he emphasizes for the sake of the Jews, that although they do have some benefits, as far as behavior is concerned, they are the same as Gentiles. No one is righteous and all have to come to God through the same way – faith in Christ.]

• v.1-8 Benefits of being a Jew & God’s Righteousness
• v.9-20 No One Is Righteous
• v.21-31 Righteousness that comes through Faith

v.1-8 Benefits of being a Jew & God’s Righteousness

v.1,2 Any Jewish advantage?

v.1 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?

v.2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.

[Note: So is there any value in being a Jew? Well, yes, Jews were given God’s word – the Law.]

v.3,4 But what about Jewish unfaithfulness

v.3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?

v.4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.”

[Note: But what about when Jews were unfaithful? Well, their being wrong doesn’t make God wrong. [Psa 51:4]]

v.5,6 Wrong criticism no.1

v.5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)

v.6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?

[Note: But some might ask if their unrighteousness reveals more clearly God’s righteousness, isn’t it unfair that he judges us? Oh, come on! How could God overlook sin and not judge it?]

v.7,8 Wrong criticism no.2

v.7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?”

v.8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!

[Note: Some silly person might argue, if my lack of truth only emphasizes God’s truth, why am I condemned? That’s silly – do evil so that good can result? No way!]

v.9-20 No One Is Righteous  – the comprehensiveness of Sin

v.9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.

v.10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;
v.11 there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
v.12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

v.13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
v.14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 
v.15-17 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.”
v.18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

v.19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

v.20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

[Note: So do Jews have an advantage? As far as wrong behavior goes – no! Listen to the various scriptures on this:

• first, no one is righteous
• second, no one truly seeks out God
• third, everyone [since Adam] has turned away and falls short [Psa 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles 7:20]
• fourth, just listen to how they speak wrongly [Psa 5:9, Psalm 140:3]
• fifth, they curse and are bitter [Psalm 10:7 (see Septuagint)]
• sixth, they constantly look to create trouble for others [Isa 59:7,8]
• seventh, they don’t fear God [Psa 36:1]

so all those Jews living by the Law find themselves condemned, the Law just makes them more aware of their sin and failure.]

v.21-31 Righteousness that comes through Faith

v.21,22 A new righteousness for all

v.21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

v.22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,

[Note: But God has revealed through both the Law and the Prophets, a way of being righteous apart from the Law and this righteousness comes through faith in Christ – for Jew or Gentile.]

v.23,24 Same problem, same solution

v.23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

v.24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

[Note: The reality is that ALL have sinned and fallen short of God’s splendor seen in His revelation [of Himself and His design seen through His Law] and so ALL will be put right in His sight by Christ’s death that brings his grace to us.]

v.25,26 Christ’s sacrifice, God’s way of bringing righteousness

v.25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—

v.26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

[Note: You see, in the pattern of the Old Testament sacrifices, God made Christ a sacrifice that deals with all past sins, and this is received by faith; this was His way of putting things right.]

v.27-31 Faith & the Law

v.27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith.

v.28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

v.29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,

v.30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.

v.31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

[Note: It leaves no room for human boasting, it’s no longer works but simple faith, faith not focusing on trying to keep the Law, and this is for both Jew and Gentile. They will all be put right by faith and the result of faith is we end up keeping the Law.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: