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Romans 3

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The Value of Jewish Privilege 1–8

1
What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? ​
2
Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. ​
3
For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? ​
4
God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. ​
5
But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) ​
6
God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? ​
7
For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
8
And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. ​

All Humanity is Under Sin 9–20

9
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; ​
10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: ​
11
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15
Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16
Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17
And the way of peace have they not known:
18
There is no fear of God before their eyes.
19
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. ​
20
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. ​

Righteousness Through Faith 21–26

21
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; ​
22
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: ​
23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; ​
24
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: ​
25
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; ​
26
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. ​

Faith Excludes Boasting 27–31

27
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. ​
28
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. ​
29
Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: ​
30
Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
31
Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Romans 3

Verse 1

What advantage then hath the Jew? — The question rises from 2:25–29, where 'circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law' but true circumcision is 'of the heart'. 'Advantage' is perisson, what is over and above; 'profit' is opheleia, gain. Paul answers in v.2 and again in 9:4.

Verse 2

the oracles of God — Logion, a spoken word; Moses received 'the lively oracles' at Sinai (Acts 7:38), and the word occurs four times in all (also Heb 5:12; 1 Pet 4:11). 'Committed' is the verb pisteuo, here passive: Israel was entrusted with them. Rom 9:4 lists more: 'the covenants, and the giving of the law… and the promises'.

Verse 3

the faith of God without effect — 'Unbelief' (apistia) is set against 'faith' (pistis), here God's faithfulness. 'Without effect' is katargeo, to render void, the verb of 'make void the law' in v.31. The answer is 'he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself' (2 Tim 2:13); compare 'the word of God hath taken none effect' (Rom 9:6).

Verse 4

let God be true, but every man a liar — 'God forbid' (me genoito, 'may it not be') is Paul's refusal of a false conclusion, here and in vv.6, 31. The words echo 'All men are liars' (Ps 116:11); the quotation is Ps 51:4: 'that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.'

Verse 5

I speak as a man — Paul puts a human objection: if 'our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God' (synistemi, to set alongside and show), is God 'unrighteous who taketh vengeance'? (literally brings orge, wrath). The same flag appears in 'I speak after the manner of men' (Rom 6:19; Gal 3:15).

Verse 6

how shall God judge the world? — The objection is answered by the certainty of judgment. Abraham asked, 'Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?' (Gen 18:25), and Paul preached that God 'will judge the world in righteousness' (Acts 17:31). 'Judge' is krino, the verb of 'am I also judged as a sinner' in v.7.

Verse 8

Let us do evil, that good may come? — 'Slanderously reported' is blasphemeo: the charge was laid against Paul by others. He answers it at 6:1, 'Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?', and at 6:15. 'Damnation' is krima, the sentence given, and the sentence on such reasoning is 'just' (endikos).

Verse 9

under sin — 'We have before proved' is proaitiaomai, to charge beforehand, found only here: the charge was laid on the Gentiles in 1:18–32 and on the Jew in 2:1–29. The word rendered 'Gentiles' is Hellen, Greek, as in 'to the Jew first, and also to the Greek' (1:16). 'Under sin' recurs in Gal 3:22.

Verse 10

There is none righteous, no, not one — 'As it is written' opens a chain of citations running to v.18: Ps 14:1–3 (vv.10–12), Ps 5:9 and Ps 140:3 (v.13), Ps 10:7 (v.14), Isa 59:7–8 (vv.15–17) and Ps 36:1 (v.18). 'Righteous' is dikaios, the root of 'justified' in v.20.

Verse 19

every mouth may be stopped — 'Stopped' is phrasso, to fence shut, used of 'the mouths of lions' (Heb 11:33). 'Guilty' (hypodikos) is one answerable to a court, found only here. 'The law' covers the Psalms and Isaiah just cited, spoken to those 'under the law' so that no one, Jew or Gentile, has a plea.

Verse 20

no flesh be justified — The line follows Ps 143:2, 'in thy sight shall no man living be justified', and Paul uses it again in Gal 2:16. 'Flesh' (sarx) is man as he is, and 'deeds of the law' are works done in obedience to it. The law gives 'the knowledge of sin' (epignosis): 'I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet' (7:7).

Verse 21

But now — The argument turns from the charge to the remedy. 'Without the law' is choris, apart from it (also v.28). 'Manifested' (phaneroo) means made visible. The law and the prophets bear 'witness' (martyreo) to it: 'To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins' (Acts 10:43).

Verse 22

no difference — Diastole, a distinction; Paul uses it again of the same two groups, 'no difference between the Jew and the Greek' (10:12). The righteousness comes 'unto all and upon all them that believe': offered to all, and resting on each who believes. The ground of the equality is v.23, 'all have sinned'.

Verse 23

come short of the glory of God — 'Have sinned' is a completed act; 'come short' (hustereo) is present, to be lacking, the verb of 'any of you should seem to come short of it' (Heb 4:1) and 'lest any man fail of the grace of God' (Heb 12:15). 'There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not' (Eccl 7:20).

Verse 24

justified freely — 'Freely' is dorean, as a gift, the word of 'They hated me without a cause' (John 15:25). 'Redemption' (apolytrosis) is release by ransom: 'ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold… But with the precious blood of Christ' (1 Pet 1:18–19; cf. Col 1:14).

Verse 25

a propitiation — Hilasterion occurs only here and in Heb 9:5, where it is the 'mercyseat' under the cherubim. On the Day of Atonement the blood was sprinkled 'upon the mercy seat' (Lev 16:15). 'Remission' here is paresis, a passing over, found only here: the 'sins that are past' were borne with by 'the forbearance of God'.

Verse 26

just, and the justifier — The problem is stated in 'He that justifieth the wicked… even they both are abomination to the LORD' (Prov 17:15); the cross answers it, so that God is 'just' (dikaios) while he is 'the justifier' (dikaioo) of the ungodly (4:5). 'At this time' (kairos) is the 'But now' of v.21.

Verse 27

the law of faith — 'Boasting' (kauchesis) is 'excluded' (ekkleio, shut out), a verb found elsewhere only in Gal 4:17. 'Law' here is a rule or order, as in 'the law of the Spirit of life' (8:2). The same point is made in Eph 2:8–9: 'by grace are ye saved through faith… Not of works, lest any man should boast.'

Verse 28

we conclude — Logizomai, to reckon, the verb of 'it was counted unto him for righteousness' in 4:3, where Abraham is the example. 'Without the deeds of the law' uses choris, as in v.21: justification comes apart from works, and so is open to every man.

Verse 29

the God of the Jews only? — The oneness of God (v.30) leaves no place for a God of one people. 'Gentiles' is ethnos, the nations, to whom the promise reached back: 'in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed' (Gen 12:3; Gal 3:8); 'many nations shall be joined to the LORD' (Zech 2:11).

Verse 31

we establish the law — The question echoes v.3: 'without effect' and 'make void' are the same verb (katargeo). 'Establish' is histemi, to make stand. The fuller answer is given in 8:4, 'that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us', and in Christ's word, 'I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil' (Matt 5:17).