ROMANS 3

This chapter can be read straight through as a logical argument. However, at the end of this short post we will see that an entirely different sort of arrangement recommends itself.

In verses 1-8, Paul offers four (hypothetical?) objections from Jewish Christians. (Davidson and Martin)

1. What advantage is there in being Jewish? (v. 1)

    Paul gives one answer in v. 2 and others in 9:4-5

2. Isn't God going back on His promises to the Jews? (v. 3)

    Paul replies in v. 4 and also in 9:6-13.

3. If the failure of the Jews points out the righteousness of God, then isn't He being unjust in blaming them? (v. 5)

    Paul replies in v. 6 and also in 9:14-24.

4. Why shouldn't I then do evil so that good can come out of it? (vv. 7-8)

    Answered in 6:1-14.

Verse 6 The word for “world” is kosmos, meaning not the physical earth but the present world system.

Verse 8 Keenen points out that ethicists have pondered for centuries how to answer the moral question of an act that may have both a good and bad effect. A summary of their arguments is called “The Principle of Double Effects,” which states that such an act could be performed ethically if all the following conditions are met:

    The object of the action is not intrinsically wrong.

    The wrong effect cannot be the intended one.

    The wrong effect cannot be the means to the wrong effect.

    There must be proportionate reason for allowing the wrong effect to occur.

Verses 10-18 constitute the longest chain of OT citations in all of Paul's letters. He obviously wanted to make sure his audience got the point that all are sinners. Holladay points out that all the psalms quoted are descriptions of the wicked in the laments. The sources for these quotations are shown below, usually given in the Greek Septuagint translation:

Romans 3             OT Scriptures

10-12                  Ps. 14:1b-2; 53:1b-3; Eccles. 7:20

13a                     Ps. 5:9a

13b                     Ps. 140:3b

14                       Ps. 10:7a

15                       Prov. 1:16; Is. 59:7a

16-17                 Is. 59:7b-8

18                       Ps. 36:1b

Verses 13-14 Notice the organs of speech referred to here: throats, tongues, lips and mouths. In addition, vv. 15-18 cover the whole body from head (“eyes” in v. 18) to toe (“feet” in v. 15).

Verse 13b The same metaphor of the tongue as a source of poison is used in James 3:8 and occurs in much Hellenistic Jewish literature.

Verse 15 Marcus Barth points out that those who wished to run quickly in those days took off their sandals first and ran barefoot.

Verse 17 Phillips says, “The human race finds the trappings of war fascinating...God once sent men a peace offering when the Prince of Peace was born, but men scorned and crucified Him.”

Verse 18 Cranfield: For someone condemned under sin, “the fear of God has no part in directing his life, that God is left out of his reckoning, that he is a practical, whether or not he is a theoretical, atheist.”

Verses 19-20 The correct us of the law in pointing out sin, leading to Christ as the only means of salvation, is also spelled out in I Timothy 1:8-11.

Verse 19 The “law” here refers to the whole Old Testament. By contrast, the same word in 21a probably refers to the observance of the commandments and in 21b refers specifically to the Pentateuch.

Verse 20 The last part of this verse, “no flesh will be justified in his sight” is taken from Genesis 6:12 and Psalm 143:2. In this verse and v. 28, Paul uses the phrase “works of Law,” and six more times in his writings. T. R. Schreiner defines this term as “doing what the Law commanded.”

Verses 21-26 have been said to be a summary of the whole gospel message. (Seifrid)

Verses 21-31 Davidson and Martin say that Paul describes the righteousness of God in four ways:

It is apart from the law (21a)

It is attested by the law (21b)

It is provided in Christ through faith (vv. 22-25)

It is divinely just (vv. 23-31)

Verse 21 “Bears witness” is legal language. In its present context, “the righteousness of God” may include both God's intrinsic righteousness and the way He provided to make the believer righteous as well. Similarly, Stott notes the many OT references which treat God's righteousness and His salvation as parallel phrases: Ps. 71:15, 98:2; Is. 45:21; 46:13; 51:5-6; 56:1.

Verse 23 Marshall says, “Paul's statement that 'all have sinned' is no isolated remark; it sums up the teaching of [OT] Scripture on the universality of sin.” Despite what generations of preachers have stated, “falling short” here does not mean missing the mark or failing to hit the target. It simply means 'absent' or 'lacking.” (Dictionary of Biblical Imagery) Other texts expressing the same idea that is in this verse include: Eccl. 7:20; Lam. 3:39; I Kings 8:46; I John 1:8; II Chron. 6:36; Job 14:4; Ps. 14:1-3; and Prov. 20:9.

Verse 24 Rupprecht notes that this verse has been understood alternatively as either teaching universal salvation or salvation to those who believe in Christ. It all depends on whether “they/all” of this verse refers back to all who believe (v. 22) or all those who sin (v.23). In Rom. 11:32, “all” refers to both Gentiles and Jews, thus all humanity.

Verse 25 Much could be said, and has been said, regarding the exact meaning of the Greek word hilesterion, which appears in Paul's writings only here. The two basic meanings this word has elsewhere are an object given as a gift of propitiation or the “mercy seat,” the place of atonement in the tabernacle where “the God of Israel met his repentant people...in forgiving mercy.” (Brauch) Link and Brown claim that the more recent understanding is that in this verse it refers to the atoning value of innocent blood shed (as in II Maccabees). They do not feel that the “mercy seat” interpretation is correct since then the definite article would have been used before the noun, as in Hebrews 9:5. By contrast, McGrath says that “mercy seat” is starting to be the current understanding of the term rather than expiation (satisfying God's wrath) or propitiation (making amends for sin). Gundry-Volf agrees and explains that it means that Christ is the antitype of the altar in Leviticus

Verses 27-31 are called by Seifrid a “brief transitional statement” used by Paul to prepare the reader for the following argument in ch. 4.

Verse 27 “Boasting” is an important word in Romans, appearing also in 2:17-23; 4:1-8; 5:1-11; and 8:12-39. In this case, “law” means a general principle.

Verse 28 Kaiser explains that it is not the law that Paul is objecting to here (after all, see v. 31),only legalism by which men attempt to establish their own righteousness in observing the law.

Verse 30 Some commentators see a distinction in meaning between “by faith” and “through faith” in this verse, but Harris states that there is really no difference in meaning here between the two terms. Thus, justification comes by the same means for both Jew and Gentile.

By putting together some of the above observations and considering the repetition of key words, one can arrive at the following symmetrical arrangement of the material in this chapter:

The Structure of Romans 3

A. Jew and Gentile: Four Rhetorical Questions (vv. 1-8)

    B. The “Writings” Attest to the Unrighteousness of Man (vv. 9-20)

        1. “Under the Power of Sin” (v. 9)

            2. Violation of the First Great Commandment (vv. 10-12a)

                3. Violations of the Second Great Commandment (vv. 12b-17)

            2'. Violation of the First Great Commandment (v. 18)

        1'. “Under the Law” (vv. 19-20)

    B'. The “Law and the Prophets” Attest to the Righteousness of God (vv. 21-27)

        1. Righteousness through Faith in Jesus (vv. 21-22)

            2. All Have Sinned (v. 23)

                3. Grace through Christ's Atoning Act (vv. 24-25a)

            2'. God Passed Over Previous Sins (v. 25b)

        1'. Justification through Faith in Jesus (v. 26)

A'. Jew and Gentile: Four Rhetorical Questions (vv. 27-31)