Romans 3

I'm writing a series of articles on the book of Romans, which, as you know, is one of the more difficult and controversial books of the New Testament. This is not going to be a verse-by-verse analysis by any means, but I will write a lengthy article on each chapter of this sixteen-chapter book. I hope that you find this helpful...

As I mentioned in the first article of this series, there is a progression in the book of Romans, an evolving flow of spiritual reasoning. In the first chapter, Paul highlighted the sins of the Gentiles. They were wicked pagans who rejected the clear evidence of God and chose instead to worship idols and pursue such vices as homosexuality. In chapter two, Paul turned his attention to the sinful Jews. Lest they be haughty and self-righteous, the apostle reminded them that they were just a bunch of hypocrites. Now, here in chapter three, Paul joins these two ideas. But first, he finishes his discussion from the second chapter. Let's notice verses 1-8.

"What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God" (vv. 1-2). Even though the Gentiles and Jews were both guilty of sin, the Jews did have an advantage in the sense that they had received revealed law from God. While the Gentiles had to grope about and pursue a fundamental knowledge in God, the Jews had everything delivered to them on a silver platter.

But this raises a question: if it was such an advantage for the Jews to have the oracles of God, then why was there so much unbelief within the nation of Israel? Perhaps God had just wasted His time on Israel, or perhaps He didn't try hard enough, or perhaps there wasn't any real benefit in having revealed law. Paul answers, "Certainly not! Indeed let God be true but every man a liar" (vv. 4). In other words, God's righteousness must not be impugned. Everything God did was right! The unrighteousness and unbelief of Israel could not be blamed on God in any way.

And really, when you think about it, the unbelief of Israel permitted the death of Christ (for they killed their Messiah), and it allowed God to graft in the Gentiles (as we'll see later in chapter eleven). So the Jew, upon hearing these facts, argued, "Our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, so is God unjust who inflicts wrath?" (vv. 5). Once again, human reasoning exalts man and demotes the wisdom of the Lord and this is unacceptable. Paul replies, "Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?" (vv. 6). He then pointed out that this reasoning was dangerous, for it would ultimately lead to something called "reasoning from consequences." Notice verse eight: "And why not say, 'Let us do evil that good may come?'-as we are slanderously reported and as some report that we say." In other words, if the Jews' unbelief and unrighteousness worked in God's favor to bring about His plan of redemption, then how could the Jews be punished? And if this is true, then perhaps we should commit sin so as to exalt the justice and righteousness of God. This is very dangerous reasoning, and it would ultimately lead to mass infidelity.

Ultimately, Paul was not trying to make the Jews feel bad. He was just trying to bring them back down to earth. And this is the point that he begins to make in verse 9. The Jews are not better than the Gentiles for all are under sin (vv. 9). "There is none righteous, no, not one...there is none who doesgood, no, not one...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (vv. 10, 12, 23). And then the powerful conclusion in verse 24, "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

That's the point! It's not about slamming the Gentiles or bashing the Jews. It's about helping all of us to see that we have sinned and we need the grace of God. It's about destroying our pride and humbling all of us to the point that we not only seek salvation in Christ, but we are capable of cooperation as mutual members of the body of Christ.

"Where is boasting then?" Paul askes in verse 27. This is the question that Paul answers not only here at the end of chapter three, but in chapter four as well. We'll return to this question tomorrow, Lord willing.