Minnetonka

Monday
Evening
Bible Study
The Apostle
Paul’s Letter to
the Romans
 Romans 3:1-20
God’s Judgment is for Lack
of Righteousness
 God’s Righteousness & God’s
Justice
Paul alludes to Psalm 116:11– “all men are liars”
Paul cites Psalm 51:4– “So that you may be
proved right in your words and prevail in your
judging.”
 In Romans 3:1-8 Paul

Links Three Ideas

• God’s faithfulness (3:3).
• God’s truthfulness (3:4, 7).
• God’s righteousness (3:5).
Develops & Expands His Thesis (1:16-17)
• God’s power for salvation.
• God’s righteousness revealed in the gospel.
• God’s wrath revealed from heaven.
 Paul Ties Together God’s Righteousness & Wrath

31Therefore, what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the profit of

circumcision? 2 Much in every respect! First of all, they are
entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 For what end? If they were
unfaithful, did their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 No
way! God is found true, but every man is found to be a liar, just as
it is written, “That you might be justified in your words and
might prevail when you judge.”

5 But if our unrighteousness brings out more clearly God’s

righteousness, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous when he
inflicts wrath? (I speak on the level of human terms.) 6 No way!
Otherwise, how would God judge the world? 7 But if by my lie God’s
truthfulness abounds the more to his glory, why am I still
condemned as a sinner? 8 And why do we not say (as we are
slanderously accused and as some claim we say), “Let us do evil that
good may come?” Their condemnation is right.
 Romans 3:1-8
Israel God
• 3:3 some were unfaithful • God’s faithfulness
• 3:4 every man untruthful • Let God be found truthful
• 3:5 our unrighteousness • God’s righteousness
• 3:6 my lie • God’s truthfulness
Minnetonka
Monday
Evening
Bible Study
The Apostle
Paul’s Letter to
the Romans
 Romans 3:9-20
9 What, then, should we say? Do we have an advantage over them?
No way! For we have previously charged everyone, both Jew and
Greek, to be under sin, 10 just as it is written, “There is no one
righteous, not one. 11 There is no one who understands. There is
no one who seeks God. 12 Everyone has turned aside. Together
they have become useless. There is no one who does good.
There is not one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave. They
deceive with their tongues.” “The poison of asps is under their
lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their
feet are swift to shed blood. 16 They leave destruction and
misery in their paths. 17 They do not know the way of peace.” 18
“God’s fearfulness is not before their eyes.”

19 And we know that whatever the Law says it says to those who are
in the Law’s jurisdiction, in order that every mouth may be stopped
and all the world may be liable to judgment by God. 20 For on the
basis of deeds required by the Law no flesh shall be declared
righteous, for through the Law comes knowledge of sin.
 Romans 3:9-20
Three Natural Segments
• 3:9 Summary of 3:1-8.

• 3:10-18 OT proofs of humanity’s moral depravity.

• 3:19-20 Restricted function of the Law.

 Romans 3:1-2, 9
Two Different Questions
Therefore, what advantage has the Jew?
Or what is the profit of circumcision?
3:1, 2

Much in every respect! First of all, they

are entrusted with the oracles of God.

What, then, should we say? Do we have an

3:9

advantage over them? No way!

 Romans 3:1-2, 9
Two Different Questions
Therefore, what advantage has the Jew?
Or what is the profit of circumcision?
3:1, 2

Much in every respect! First of all, they

are entrusted with the oracles of God.
The Patriarchal Promises (Covenants) advantage the
Jews.

Circumcision has profit.

“For indeed circumcision yields profit, if you practice

the Law. But if you are a transgressor of the Law,
your circumcision has become the foreskin” (2:25).
 Romans 3:1-2, 9
Two Different Questions

What, then, should we say? Do we have an

3:9

advantage over them? No!

Though Israel received the very words of

God, Israel was unfaithful to God.
The law covenant exposes Israel’s:
• Unfaithfulness (3:3).
• Untruthfulness (3:4).
• Unrighteousness (3:5).
 3:10-18 Paul’s OT Citations
Ecclesiastes 7:20 Romans 3:10
Psalm 14:2-3; 53:1-3 Romans 3:11-12
Psalm 5:9 Romans 3:13ab
Psalm 140:3 Romans 3:13c
Psalm 10:7 Romans 3:14
Isaiah 59:7-8 Romans 3:15-17
Psalm 36:1 Romans 3:18
 3:10-18 Paul’s OT Citations
• There is no one righteous, not one (Eccl 7:20).
• There is no one who understands. There is no one who
seeks God. Everyone has turned aside. Together they
have become useless. There is no one who does good.
There is not one (Psalm 14:2-3; 53:1-3).
• Their throat is an open grave. They deceive with their
tongues (Psalm 5:9).
• The poison of asps is under their lips (Psalm 140:3).
• Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their
feet are swift to shed blood. They leave destruction
and misery in their paths. They do not know the way of
peace (Isaiah 59:7-8).
• God’s fearfulness is not before their eyes (Psalm 36:1).
 3:19-20 Paul’s Transition
Against the notion that possession of the Law
assures the Jews of impunity before God, Paul
contends that the Mosaic Law functions to
condemn all humanity.

3:20 affirms negatively what Paul states

positively in 3:9.

The Mosaic Law does not acquit anyone before

God; it convicts of guilt.
 Paul’s Connection Between
Israel & the Whole World
How does Paul reach the conclusion that the
Law’s indictment of Jews spills over to hold
“all the world . . . liable to God”? Generally,
commentators propose that Paul uses a
“lesser-to-the-greater” argument: “If Jews,
God’s chosen people, cannot be excluded
from the scope of sin’s tyranny, then it
surely follows that Gentiles, who have no
claim on God’s favor, are also guilty.”
 Paul’s Connection Between
Israel & the Whole World
Like Adam, Israel fills the representative role of
humanity.
• Both Adam and Israel came under God’s commandment.
• Both became idolaters.
• As Adam, so also Israel served as a representative type
for all humanity.

It is for this reason, then, that Paul says “that whatever

the Law says it says to those in the Law’s jurisdiction, in
order that every mouth may be stopped and all the world
may be liable to God.”