Romans 3
- Who wrote it
- Paul
- Who it was for
- The Christians in Rome
- What was happening
- The whole world guilty, and God's righteousness shown in Jesus
What’s happening
Paul asks, "What advantage then has the Jew? Or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way. Chiefly, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God." What if some were unfaithful? "Will their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God? May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written, 'That you might be justified in your words, and might prevail when you come into judgment.'" He rejects a charge that he says, "Let us do evil, that good may come." Then: "What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin. As it is written, 'There is no one righteous; no, not one. There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not so much as one.'" He strings together lines from the Psalms and Isaiah: "Their throat is an open tomb ... their feet are swift to shed blood ... there is no fear of God before their eyes." "Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God. Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin." Then the turn: "But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness, because of the passing over of prior sins, in God's forbearance; to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus." "Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn't he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also: since indeed there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith, and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law."
Why the setting matters
Chapter 3 is the center of the letter's argument. Paul first answers objections, and then gives the verdict that Jew and Gentile alike are under sin, using a chain of Old Testament quotations (Psalms 14, 53, 5, 140, 10, 36 and Isaiah 59) that were originally about the wicked and are now applied to everyone. Verses 21-26 are among the densest in the New Testament, and several key terms are debated. "The righteousness of God" can mean God's covenant faithfulness, a status given to believers, or both. "Faith in Jesus Christ" can also be translated "the faithfulness of Jesus Christ," and translators and scholars disagree. "Redemption" (apolytrōsis) is the language of buying a slave out of bondage. The word translated "atoning sacrifice" (hilastērion) is the Greek word used for the "mercy seat," the cover of the ark where atonement was made on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16), but it can also mean a sacrifice that turns away wrath or covers sin; the debate over "propitiation" or "expiation" or "mercy seat" goes back centuries and cannot be settled here. "Passing over of former sins" means that God had held back judgment in his patience, so that his righteousness needed to be shown. Paul insists that this does not cancel the law but upholds it, a point he develops in chapters 4 to 8. The "boasting" excluded is the Jew's boast in the law, as in 2:17, but it also covers any claim on God.
Who’s in this chapter
Paul
Argues with an imagined objector.
The Jews
Entrusted with the oracles of God.
The Gentiles
Equally under sin, equally offered grace.
Jesus
Through whom God's righteousness is shown, and in whom the redemption is found.
Talk it through
- Paul asks what advantage the Jew has and answers, "Much in every way." Why does he keep that before the "all under sin" verdict?
- Verses 10 to 18 come from the Psalms and Isaiah. What happens when we read lines about "the wicked" as being about everyone?
- "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace." How do those two halves of the sentence depend on each other?
- Paul says faith doesn't nullify the law but upholds it. What does he seem to mean?
Read Romans 3
World English Bible
1Then what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the profit of circumcision? 2Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the revelations of God. 3For what if some were without faith? Will their lack of faith nullify the faithfulness of God? 4May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written,
“that you might be justified in your words, and might prevail when you come into judgment.”
5But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak like men do. 6May it never be! For then how will God judge the world? 7For if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let’s do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned.
9What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. 10As it is written,
“There is no one righteous; no, not one. 11There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. 12They have all turned away. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not so much as one.” 13“Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit.” “The poison of vipers is under their lips.” 14“Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” 15“Their feet are swift to shed blood. 16Destruction and misery are in their ways. 17The way of peace, they haven’t known.” 18“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God. 20Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight; for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
21But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets; 22even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, 23for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; 24being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; 25whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance; 26to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.
27Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since indeed there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith, and the uncircumcised through faith.
31Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.
Text: World English Bible, Public domain. About our sources