Romans 3 (Bible Study)
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What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.
3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written:
“So that you may be proved right when you speak
and prevail when you judge.”[a]5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”[b]
13 “Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”[c]
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[d]
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[e]
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[f]
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g]19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
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Daniel
Read Romans 3: 9-28: Why everyone needs the Gospel
1. v9 Paul says every person is “under sin.” a) What does that mean? b) How can both religious people (Jews) and depraved pagans be “alike” under sin?
Paul says, all are under sin, as it is written, “There is none righteous.” Thus to be “under sin” and to be “unrighteous” is the same thing. “Righteous” is a positional term, it means no one is blameless with respect to God and others. We have wronged God, and others; we owe them, they have a claim against us. To be “under sin” is thus a legal position.
Paul’s amazing statement is that Jews and Gentiles alike are under sin. Now, this cannot mean that every person is as sinful as every other person. It must mean that our legal condition is all the same — we are all lost, there are no degrees of lostness. The religious person may trust in morality, and the pagan in sensuality, but neither are trusting in God for their salvation. So they are all lost, perishing.
Q2. v10-18 Paul gives us a long list of all the effects of sin on us. Can you think of seven?
1. On our legal standing. That no one is legally righteous, and no one’s deeds can change that. We are guilty and condemned. (v.10) Even our best deeds and performances are completely useless in improving our standing before God. “No one does good… become worthless.” The deeds are not truly good, but are self-serving ways of avoiding God’s salvation (v.12b). See more under question #5 below.
2. On our minds. Because our core nature is corrupted by sin, we don’t understand God’s truth (v.11 a) Sin clouds and “darkens” the thinking about spiritual issues. Read Eph.4:18.
3. On our motives. v.11b. “No one seeks for God.” None of us want to find him at all, rather, we are running from him in all we do, even in our religion! (v.11)
4. On our will. v.12a “They have turned away… there is no one who does good.” Read Isaiah 53:6:”All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to our own way.” This is a statement about our wilfulness, our self-will. In other words, sin can be defined as our demand for the right to choose our own paths.
5. On our tongues. vv.13-14 “Their throats are open graves.” This is about how sin affects the tongue — our speech and words. The image here is of a grave with rotting bodies in it. Sinful words are signs of and causes of decay. The two areas mentioned are dishonesty, and bitterness or malice. We use our tongues to deceive and to harm.
6. On our relationships. vv.15-17 “…shed blood… peace they do not know.” This is how sin affects relationships. We say ‘being after each other’s blood’ in a relationship. We fight with those who get in our way. There is no peace!
7. On our relationship to God. v.18 “No fear of God.” See under question #6 below.
Q3. v.11 Paul says, “No one seeks for God.” a) What does this mean? b) How does this statement square with all the people who seem to be searching for God?
“Seeking after God” is a desire to know the true God, to find and enjoy Him. This includes a desire to worship God and to appreciate and rejoice in him for who he is.
Paul does not say, “No one seeks for spiritual power and experience and peace.” Many people do that. But Paul is saying — that no one, in his or her natural self and ability wants to find God.
This means that anyone who is truly seeking God has been sought by God. This leads to the whole issue of election and predestination. He says in Romans 8:7,8: “The natural mind is hostile to God; it does not submit to the law of God, indeed it cannot.” We aren’t capable of seeking God, so anyone who does seek God has already been enabled by the Spirit. Read 2 Tim 2:25: “God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth,” it shows that repentance and knowledge of the truth is something God must grant. Jesus says the same when he says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44) and he repeats this in John 6:65.
Q4. v.12 Paul says, “No one does good” and that our deeds are “worthless.” But Jesus said we should do “good works” (Matt.5:16). How could both be right?
Why is it necessary to understand that, “No one does good?” I know many people who aren’t Christians who do a lot of good in society and to the people around him.” But Paul is talking about our relationship to God and whether our good deeds can rectify that relationship. Ultimately, our good deeds cannot at all get us saved.
Now notice what this teaches. If you know God loves you in Christ, that there is nothing you can do but accept his perfect righteousness, then you can feed the hungry and visit the sick and clothe the naked, and all for God! But if you think you are going to get salvation in return for these good deeds they are not truly done for God, but for you. All deeds done in the natural and normal way, in the hopes that they will procure God’s favour and blessing and salvation, lead to either smugness (if our life goes well) or anger and self-pity (if our life does not go well).
Note: We must be sure to admit the many deeds done by non-Christians which are most certainly “good” and not done in overt selfishness. This passage is not saying that no one but Christians have anything about them that is noble or wonderful— it is saying that no one does anything savingly good — meriting salvation before God.
Q5. v.18 What is “the fear of God?” If we don’t fear God, explain what Paul’s said about sin?
The “fear of God” is a central concept in the Bible. We are told, “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.” Read Psalm 130:4 the Psalmist “fears” God because God forgives sins! That shows that the “fear of God” does not mean fear of punishment. It is an inner attitude of awe and respect and sober, trembling joy before the greatness of God.
Now “fearing God” is the antidote to everything Paul says about sin. Sin is characterized by running from God. Sin makes you forget God, makes him unreal to you. It is the opposite of fearing God.
Q6. vv.21-24 What can we learn from these 4 verses about what this “righteousness from God” is?
The word “right” tells us it is of legal standing in that, you owe nothing, to have no, claims against you. To be “right with a law” is to be completely obedient to it, so it cannot charge you. So to be “right with God” would mean to be in a condition of complete obedience — to owe God nothing that he commands because you’ve fulfilled it all.
The word “from” (vv.21 and 22) and “a gift” (v.24) tells us this legal standing is received, not earned. This legal standing is not our perfect behaviour, but Christ’s. Not through any merit in us at all.
NB The word “righteousness” in v21 and the word “justify” throughout the rest of the passage are all the same word (dikaiosune). To be “justified” is exactly the same as receiving God’s righteousness.
Righteousness from God is received by faith, not by moral effort or our merits. That is clear from the statement “for all have sinned and fall short…” (v.23). Faith is in Christ’s work on the cross, not by general admiration of him. Faith that brings righteousness is a trust in the work of Christ that merits the legal standing we receive from God.
Paul shows us here that we receive this righteousness “freely” (v.24). “Freely” means “totally unwarranted.” Therefore we must not fall prey to the subtle mistake of thinking that our faith actually saves us.
If you think that your belief is the cause of your salvation, it will get you to look at the quality of your faith, and when you see doubts it will rattle you. What has happened? You’ve turned your faith into a “work!” Faith is only the instrument by which you receive your salvation, not the cause of your salvation. Otherwise you will have something to boast of, “I am saved is because I produced a heart of faith,” but 3:31 says there is no basis for boasting.
7. vv.24-26 Can’t God just forgive us rather than justify “through” Christ’s blood or “atoning sacrifice?”
The word “through” in v24-25 shows that there is a barrier between God and us when it comes to forgiveness. Only the blood of Christ creates a door “through” that barrier; only “through” Jesus’ death can God give us this gift.
During this century it has been commonly taught that because God is love, all he has to do is say we are forgiven. But the death of Christ was necessary to satisfy God’s justice. He is not only the Fatherly one who loves us (he wants to justify us), but he is also the judge and king of the universe.
[You may say] you can’t conceive of a God who would ever punish anyone — that wouldn’t be loving. But you have to understand God’s justice. If I backed into your new car, and we went to court, and the judge said, ‘That’s no problem, he didn’t really mean it,’ you’d be up in arms. You’d want justice. Somebody has to pay.
Verses 25-26 says he had “left the sins committed beforehand unpunished,” but the death of Christ demonstrates his justice. The sacrifices and rituals of the Old Testament were only symbols pointing to Christ —they did not pay the debts. God was accepting Abraham, and Moses, and David, and all the Old Testament saints when they repented and trusted in his mercy, but he accepted them on the basis of the future work of Christ.
On the cross the wrath & love of God are both vindicated.
Paul is saying that we no longer have to perfectly fulfil the law in order to be saved, not because the law has been set aside, but because its requirements have been satisfied by someone else.
8. (v27). How does the gospel excludes boasting? How has it excluded boasting in you?
A great way to understand what Paul means here is to look at how the gospel changed him personally in this regard. Read Philippians 3:4-11 where he mentions things he used to boast in and then says, “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.” (Phil. 3:7-8)
The gospel creates a whole new mindset. . You say, “He accepts me with all my flaws because Jesus paid it!
There is freedom from anxiety. You become more courageous — not afraid of death or the future. You say “He is for me so I can face death, my future is in his hands, he wouldn’t go to all this trouble and not give me what I need”
