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The Letters · New Testament

Romans 3

Romans 3: the advantage of the Jew, a chain of written charges, and justification by faith

General context

The chapter opens with questions: "What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?" The answer keeps the advantage, "Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God." If some did not believe, their unbelief does not make God's faithfulness void: "let God be true, but every man a liar". If human unrighteousness shows God's righteousness, is God unjust to punish? "God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?" The writer rejects a charge said to be made against him, that he teaches "Let us do evil, that good may come". He then states the conclusion already reached, "that they are all under sin", and supports it with a run of written lines: "There is none righteous, no, not one", throat, tongues, lips, mouth, feet and eyes each named. What the law says it says to those under the law, "that every mouth may be stopped". By deeds of the law no flesh is justified, "for by the law is the knowledge of sin". Then comes the turn: "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested", witnessed by the law and the prophets, by faith of Jesus Christ to all who believe, since "there is no difference" and "all have sinned". They are justified freely by grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation through faith in his blood. Boasting is excluded, and faith does not make the law void.

Cited passages: Romans 3:1, Romans 3:2, Romans 3:3, Romans 3:4, Romans 3:5, Romans 3:6, Romans 3:8, Romans 3:9, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:11, Romans 3:13, Romans 3:15, Romans 3:18, Romans 3:19, Romans 3:20, Romans 3:21, Romans 3:22, Romans 3:23, Romans 3:24, Romans 3:25, Romans 3:27, Romans 3:28, Romans 3:29, Romans 3:30, Romans 3:31

Romans 3 (KJV)

1What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?

2Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

3For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

4God 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.

5But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)

6God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

7For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?

8And 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.

9What 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;

10As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

14Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

15Their feet are swift to shed blood:

16Destruction and misery are in their ways:

17And the way of peace have they not known:

18There is no fear of God before their eyes.

19Now 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.

20Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25Whom 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;

26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

27Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

28Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

29Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:

30Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

31Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

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Historical context

Two scripture formulas appear. The first, at verse 4, introduces "That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged"; Psalm 51:4 reads "that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest". The second, "As it is written" at verse 10, covers the whole run through verse 18 without naming a book or marking where one source ends and another begins. The wording differs from the psalms and prophets it follows: Psalm 14:3 has "They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy", the letter "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable"; Psalm 140:3 has "adders’ poison is under their lips", the letter "the poison of asps is under their lips"; Psalm 36:1 ends "before his eyes", the letter "before their eyes". Psalm 5:9, Psalm 10:7 and Isaiah 59:7 and 59:8 supply the other lines. The chapter also records an accusation against the writer without naming the accusers, "as some affirm that we say".

Cited passages: Romans 3:4, Romans 3:8, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:12, Romans 3:13, Romans 3:14, Romans 3:15, Romans 3:16, Romans 3:17, Romans 3:18, Psalms 51:4, Psalms 14:3, Psalms 5:9, Psalms 140:3, Psalms 10:7, Isaiah 59:7, Isaiah 59:8, Psalms 36:1

Literary context

The chapter is built as question and answer. Short questions open it, and "God forbid" answers three times, at verses 4, 6 and 31, each time followed by a positive counterclaim. The quoted chain moves down a body: throat, tongues, lips, mouth, feet, ways, then eyes, so a general verdict becomes a physical inventory. The phrase "no, not one" is repeated at the start and the middle of that chain. After verse 20 the tone changes completely; "But now" introduces a single long sentence of grace, justification and redemption, and the vocabulary of law returns only to be redefined, first as "the law of faith" and then in the closing claim "we establish the law". Jew and Gentile, circumcision and uncircumcision are paired twice, once under sin and once under faith.

Cited passages: Romans 3:4, Romans 3:6, Romans 3:9, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:12, Romans 3:13, Romans 3:14, Romans 3:15, Romans 3:18, Romans 3:20, Romans 3:21, Romans 3:22, Romans 3:27, Romans 3:29, Romans 3:30, Romans 3:31

Key moments

  1. The oracles committed (Romans 3:2). The advantage is identified as being entrusted with God's oracles.
  2. Let God be true (Romans 3:4). Human unbelief is said not to cancel God's faithfulness.
  3. As it is written (Romans 3:10). A chain of written charges begins with none righteous, no, not one.
  4. Every mouth stopped (Romans 3:19). The law is said to speak to those under it so that all become guilty.
  5. Righteousness without the law (Romans 3:21). The argument turns to a righteousness of God manifested apart from law.
  6. All have sinned (Romans 3:23). No difference is allowed between those who have sinned.
  7. We establish the law (Romans 3:31). Faith is said to uphold rather than void the law.

For reflection

The chapter keeps a real advantage for the Jew and then says there is no difference because all have sinned. How would you state both claims in one sentence without dropping either?

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