Romans 3
1. 1, What advantage then hath the Jew? Or what profit is there of circumcision?
a. In other words, if it didn’t matter whether being circumcised or not; if it was only necessary to obey the law, and that the uncircumcised could do it as well, then the question follows; why would God institute circumcision (rhetorical question)? They weren’t asking the question, but trying to disqualify Paul’s argument. if circumcision doesn’t count for circumcision and those who’ve never been circumcised are considered circumcised because it is of the heart, then what good is it? The Jews placed allot of emphasis on circumcision for lawful cleanliness, national pride and tradition. Even among the NT believers there was a great dissention regarding gentile believers following circumcision that it resulted in the first church council of Jerusalem.
b. They were saying, Paul your argument is faulty. For if circumcision in itself is nothing, then God instituted a vain act. They would respond that there would be no purpose to it, therefore your argument is wrong.
c. There is no doubt why God did not require circumcision of the finger, or toe, or that he chose men and not women to fulfill this act. There is no doubt as to why this part of the male anatomy, his sexual member. A majority of men think and plan with respect to this member; whether consciously or unconsciously. Deliberately or undeliberately. It is no surprise that God would have them sever the extra flesh as a reminder and memorial to put away the carnal lust that would use this member unrighteously. When dealing with sin, God goes right to the source. What advantage is circumcision if it is one outwardly and the reminder and memorial are on the outside and do nothing to the inside? God’s methods are designed at affecting change of the heart. To get us to think and reason and thereby come in agreement with God and follow Him by faith.
2. “2, Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” (answer to question).
a. God delivered his word to the Jews, they received the special revelation and distinction. The righteousness of God, the mind of God, the will of God, the faith of God like Abraham. The revelation and salvation that would come to all who put their faith in God from the OT to the NT saints would be ushered in by the plan, work and revelation of God through His word.
b. Rom 9:4,5. Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5, Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
3. 3, For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
a. The Jewish argument is: Paul, if this is God’s Messiah and the one he promised from the word of God, the law and the prophets, then how come the people to whom it was intended never believed? Since the main body of the Jewish nation didn’t believe or receive it, doesn’t that prove he wasn’t the Jewish Messiah? Doesn’t that prove that since the gentiles did receive and believe that he’s a gentile Messiah or God?
b. Faith of God. Not God’s personal faith but “the faith”, the message of God, keep the faith of God, the gospel.
c. Would it make it of no effect or void or empty if they didn’t believe? Paul answers in v4.
4. 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.
a. God forbid. When it comes to a contest between truth and error we stand on the word of God. We don’t run to the commentaries, we don’t run to Christian helps books, we don’t look to the philosophers and wise men of the day, the critics, our logic, we STAND on the word of God. Whether we understand it or not; whether we like it or not; whether it agrees with our understanding or doctrine or not – we believe the word of God, we stand with God and let all others, all claims and arguments fall to the wayside; all scientific claims, all cultural and social paradigms, all political correctness and pressures of the world. This is not always easy and may cost you friendships, relationships, family ties and perhaps your life.
b. Men and their arrogance often stand in judgment of God, his word, his mind, his ways.
c. Ps 51:4 they were judging God.
5. “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).”
a. Restatement of argument. Paul is making sure they understand that he didn’t make up this argument; it’s not his argument, he’s just restating the argument, speaking as a man.
b. Argument. The argument is an indictment against God that our unrighteousness commends, approves, glorifies and magnifies the righteousness of God.
There are several premises in this argument. 1-Premise) My sin glorifies God; in other words wrongdoing brings more to light right-doing. I wouldn’t have known that God was a truth teller till someone lied, I wouldn’t have known God was merciful till I saw someone being unmerciful and ruthless and cruel. 2-Premise) the more I sin, 3-Conclusions) the more God is glorified. Therefore I should not be blameworthy. If I am elevating God’s righteousness when I sin, I am only fulfilling my role. I sin, God forgives, he is glorified why fault me for it? This is not God’s, Paul’s or any gospel. It is their logic and Paul is just restating it. In other words, they were saying that Paul was teaching and promoting his followers to sin because it glorifies God, magnifies God. Truly, the brightness of God’s righteousness is revealed against the darkness of my sin. God’s greatest treasure is manifested when displayed against my wickedness. When I sin, God’s grace is further magnified when by His grace he forgives me of my sin. Therefore they say when I continue sinning and God continues to forgive, it shows that God is a God of greater love and greater mercy. That’s their thinking. So the argument is, if my sin commends God, glorifies God, magnifies God then why am I worthy of judgment as a sinner? Since God is glorifying himself through my sin, and he is working and manipulating all things to glorify himself, and I am just a means to His ends of glorifying himself, then why am I found guilty?
c. Objection. The Jews objection is that they saw Paul teaching and rejoicing that the sinner believes in Jesus Christ, confessing and professing Jesus Christ and the sinner has not even obeyed the law yet. He’s still a sinner, they thought. That this couldn’t be the true message because you’re suggesting that God is glorified in him being a sinner; that God is getting glory from saving the sinner still in his sin, without him stopping his sinning, without him obeying the law yet. This is their thinking. Not too far from the truth. It wouldn’t be in their best interest to come up with a total lie. Too easy to dismiss, this argument was mixed with some truth. So that their hearers would agree that they heard Paul say these things and lead them to a faulty conclusion.
d. Jewish mind. They are very proud of their wisdom, their logic, their knowledge. They absolutely enjoy debates and discussions and arguments and intricacies of the law. They absolutely live for it, they delight in it. No doubt they had picked this apart and come up with this argument and were absolutely and totally delighted to be able to throw this stumbling block into Paul’s path. And to offer this as reason to the Jewish people, why they should laugh and mock, and ridicule the gospel rather than believe it. The main Jewish body had not believed it. To the Jewish mind, there was no allowance for sin. They thought they kept the law by their traditions (which weren’t true; Talmud, Mishnah). To the Jew God didn’t forgive gentile sinners, they thought themselves righteous and above others. The righteous and chosen of God. There were those who didn’t sin and those who did. They see Paul presenting a gospel that forgives anyone no matter what sin they’ve done. That he was teaching a gospel taking the worst kind of sinner, forgiving him and calling him a saint - holy. Immediately making him righteous and acceptable to God. They were saying that was absurd. They’re objecting that Paul is rejoicing that they profess Jesus Christ, rejoicing that they received Jesus Christ and haven’t obeyed the law yet. As they were assessing Paul’s arguments they would have surmised that Paul is teaching that if 1) sin glorifies God, 2) then the more they sin, Conclusion) the more God is glorified. So that Paul seemed to be promoting sin. However, it comes from a faulty logic. They were thinking if A and B, then C must be true. They came to a faulty conclusion based upon a faulty premise. If my sin glorifies God, then the more I sin, then the more God is glorified. Therefore, Paul must be teaching for them to continue sinning. This is not archaic thought, but reflects what people think today.
e. Calvinistic Mind. This thinking comes from a Calvinistic mind. That God is sovereign, and that all things must originate and come from Him in order for him to be completely sovereign. So that God is even the author and originator of sin. So that: 1) if God does something and creates me a sinner; and 2) then God manipulates things so that in the end he ultimately works it out for his glory; 3-Conclusion: how can I be responsible? Since God is the ultimately responsible for creating sin, and isn’t He the creator of evil? And he is doing all of this for his own glory; that he creates the wicked for the Day of Judgment for his glory. Why then are you faulting me? Aren’t I just a means to his ends? After all it’s my nature to sin; I’m made that way, created, born that way; that’s my role in the universe. I sin, God forgives and get’s glory from it, why are you going to fault me for it? They believe that God doesn’t have the right to judge me. That God is ultimately responsible for wickedness, sin and evil and my sinful condition. And that he’s ultimately working it to glorify Himself. And that I really shouldn’t be at fault or blamed for it.
f. Assumption: 1-premise) God’s sovereignty involves Him directing sin and 2-premise) man’s inability to act in a way that is morally righteous makes him not responsible. So that God is responsible and man is not responsible, then 3-conclusion) God doesn’t have the right to fault me or judge me, it’s his doing. Most people haven’t followed the path of their logic to conclusion; or articulated their thoughts; but it is still reflected in their thinking.
g. This doctrine is not too far off from today. This is not some archaic position or argument. So this was the objection to the whole gospel. If it’s true that our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, IS GOD THEREFORE UNRIGHTEOUS for damning the sinner since he’s ultimately responsible for the sinner sinning? Paul’s response to the argument in V5 follows?
6. 6, God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
a. Paul’s response. Paul seems to condescend down to their presupposition. He is accepting their argument that God is glorified in forgiving and saving the sinner. That God has turned humanities sin to his own glory which is true. Our Christian heritage reflects that in our songs, in our writings and testimonies. Amazing Grace, At the Cross, Nothing but the Blood, Pilgrims Progress, Movies etc. We have been pulled from the mire of sin and God is absolutely glorified in saving sinners. Paul, the apostles and disciples were preaching this. They would teach them the beautiful gospel of forgiveness, showing them divine and holy things how Jesus took all our sins away and nailed them to His cross. But the Jews said that is blasphemy that God should benefit from sinners sinning. They observed Paul telling sinners that Jesus will forgive their sin. That if they sin, come to Jesus and he will cleanse them from all unrighteousness. For they reasoned, if Paul and the rest are teaching this then they must also be teaching they should keep on sinning. Their assumption wasn’t true.
b. Now referring back to V5 and the Calvinistic mind; If God did that, and is responsible for sin, and that it is his fault, then he would not be qualified to judge the world. If God is the cause of men sinning and is glorifying himself by that means then he is at fault. Paul is stating that he would object to God’s qualifications to judge if this were true he couldn’t sit on the bench. Paul would challenge God as unrighteous if this were true. He would protest at God sitting on the Judges seat. If God is wrong, then he needs to be called wrong. Truth demands that this not be true. For God IS truth, he is the standard and creator of truth. However, even this sovereign God has sovereignly limited himself to the boundaries of truth. Though he has the resources, He doesn’t operate outside of truth.
7. “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?”
a. Paul is continuing the argument. If I lie, and truth is glorified through my lie why judge me? As mentioned before, the Jews were observing Paul’s delight as dirty, filthy, rotten Gentile sinners responded to the message that their sins are forgiven, no matter what they’d done. That God was being somehow glorified in that. In addition, those who’d come to faith were told that their sins would be forgiven if they confess to God; he was faithful to forgive their sin and cleanse them from ALL unrighteousness. Their logic brought them to a conclusion that Christians were promoting God was being glorified by sinners and that they could keep on sinning because it only glorified Him further. Some of these claims were bordering on heresy and truth. The Jews were reasoning that since God was glorified from these sinners, then their sinning was glorifying God and the more they sinned, the more God was magnified. The forgiveness of sin was a foreign concept from the law. The sacrifices were viewed as an appeasement, an offering of reconciliation. But the law did not offer relationship between God and man. Mount Sinai solidified that. Man could not approach God apart from the mediator Moses. Moses had to intercede on their behalf.
b. Truth isn’t truth because God says so; truth is truth because it IS truth. Truth stands above even God’s name. It is part of his nature, his character, his creation; it reflects him and is reflected in the laws of logic, justice, morality, critical thinking etc. Truth is truth not by might but by right!
c. Ps 138:2, I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
8. “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.”
a. There were those Jews among them that would follow him around challenging everything he would say, that were promoting slanderous things against Paul. It had to have some elements of truth in it to be believable. Something like, “Paul said you can keep on sinning because God will forgive you and that glorifies and magnifies God’s grace.” The hearer would say, well I heard Paul say that God would forgive my sin. And that where sin excels, grace excels even more. But their conclusion to keep on sinning was false. Paul says, their damnation is just who twist and slander the gospel. Some of the lies border on the line of truth and heresy.
9. “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;”
a. Turning the tables. Paul turns the tables again just like he did at the beginning of Chapter 2. Remember how he led us in judgment of the fornicators, lesbians and sodomites, liars such; and then turned the pointed finger at us? He’s doing it again.
b. Are we better than those who slanderously say these heretical things? We might say, well I don’t teach those things, I don’t promote continuing in sin, I don’t do those things. Did you think you are better than them? Perhaps, I thought I was. Paul says, in no wise… ALL are under sin.
a. Paul is stating that we have already proved that ALL are under sin. There are no exclusions. Whether of Gentile origin or Jewish origin, all are under sin. How did he do it? By showing “for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest does the same things.” Remember this is companion to Math 7: 1, Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2, For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. It was that damnable ruler. The ruler of damnation. Self condemnation by the truth that you hold.
c. The Gentile, the Jew. The Gentile sinner is damned by the truth that he holds. For that when they KNEW God they neither glorified him as God nor were thankful. For the Jew, the law condemns them that don’t do the whole law; if they neglect or trespass against one aspect they’re guilty as if they kept none of it. Those who do the law, regardless of their origin are a law unto themselves. If by natural revelation they keep what the law entails, then they uphold the standard of the law and are accounted as if they kept all the law. The law was a real offer, but that no one could achieve.
i. Do you remember how Jesus also used this logic when speaking to a rich leader in Mat 19:16-24? The leader said “good master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” Jesus knew that there were none good, not Moses nor Abraham, Elijah, John, the apostles. He knew that this man had used this title repeatedly to the Pharisees, Saducees, lawyers and teachers and knew that the man saw Jesus as mortal said then of himself that he cannot be good. If he is good, then he is not mortal. Challenging him to recognize this truth and stop calling sinners good. Jesus told him to keep the law which the man stated that he did from his youth. Furthering his plea, Jesus then says get rid of all the wealth you have and follow me. Was this another alternative way to salvation? It was a real offer, but the man could not achieve it. Why? Because he did not want to, for he was very rich and didn’t want to give away the very thing that was keeping him from saving faith in God not in his riches.
d. Remember why God did that theoretical salvation? Do you remember that the law had the same offer of salvation as for the heathen offer in chp 2:7 that none could achieve. Its purpose, to drive them to the finished work of Christ.
e. The Christian. Now that we’ve dealt with the Gentile and the Jew, what about those professing to be Christians? Are they under sin? If you go to church several times a week, bible study and personal devotions, fast, pray, listen to Christian worship music all day, read Christian self help books, meals on wheels ministry, maybe even teach a bible study, or are a pastor or theologian. Do these things get you into a category of people who are NOT under sin? If not, what does? What does it mean to be UNDER sin and how do you not be UNDER sin? Just like it sounds, to be under is to be subservient like a master to a servant. Rom 6:16 “know ye not, whomsoever you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servant you are to whom you obey? Whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness.” So to not be under sin is to not be servant to it. Not yielding your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
10. 10, As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
a. Paul is making a declarative that there are none righteous in and of themselves; no not even one person. Not Abraham, not Moses, not mother Theresa or the Pope, not Billy Graham, your dear old Grandmother or anyone, no not one. This is bible doctrine.
b. Paul spent a long time speaking about what is in the heart of man, what he does left to himself. In fact, if God were to reveal our thought life like “the Truman show” for the whole world to see, we would be embarrassed and ashamed, we would cower and hide, contemplate suicide to remove the pain of the revealing. Yet, all men are unrighteous. Some day all things will be revealed. The righteous covered by the blood of Christ, the unrighteous unveiling to their damnation. Paul then continues to describe how and why there is none righteous.
11. 11, There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
a. “None that understands” is not inferring an intellectual void. It is not lack of information. But the unwillingness of the heart to perceive had it not been closed. Had it not taken truth and rejected, purged and refused entry. It is a purposeful, as 2:28 states “even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge”. What did they do? “They changed God into one they could manage, made in their own image. They changed the truth into a lie and didn’t like to retain the truth in their knowledge. That is why “none understandeth” - they don’t want to.
b. None seek God. The natural tendency of man is to full-fill himself. By whatever means. Some of those means are even religious. Even religious endeavor is self seeking. Man does not seek God for the sake of righteousness, the love of righteousness. He does not seek God to glorify him, magnify Him, and promote His name. Man does not offer up his soul to see God worshiped. He doesn’t give himself with abandon to worship his creator. Man is not thankful to the One who gave them all things. Paul is stating fact, that all men don’t seek God. If a man has come to God, it is by God’s leading, prompting, persuading, reasoning, speaking to that man’s heart and soul. God brings his words to that man’s ears, he believes, he responds; he repents toward God and puts his faith in Him. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
12. 12, They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
a. This is solid biblical doctrine right here.
b. All of mans best efforts corporately and individually, are together unprofitable. No profit, no value, it’s a wasted investment it would seem! Man in his intention and motives are self seeking, so that even the good that he does, is wicked, is abhorrent, is an unclean thing. Paul is stating emphatically that there is not one person on the planet past, present and future that is good save Jesus. He needs to take us down this road in order to get to where he’s taking us. We need to acknowledge that even our best efforts, our best intentions are not good. Why do we need to see this? It is absolutely imperative that we understand this, so that God can now share the gospel with us. This not of works but by faith. We enter in by faith, evidence of our entry is works. Those good works not done with an unregenerate heart, but by one that has been transformed.
13. 13, Their throat is an open sepulchre;
a. Sepulchre. This was a honed out cave for burial. They would put the body inside, however, they were usually family tombs. So when a spouse would die, they would gather the bodies together with the other perished members of the family. They would roll away the stone from the entry, the stench and putrefication. You would stare into a dark, dank and rank hole in the rock. Knowing that there are dead things maggot infested, creatures chewing and worming their way through corpses. This is a strong example of how the human throat is perceived.
b. As you stare into men’s throats, they are likened to a sepulcher. A place where darkness and stench and foul things and dead things lie.
14. with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
a. To help visualize, it could be a beautiful woman’s lips. Poison of asps is behind the lips of the snake. When she opens her mouth its not to kiss you but to bite you. To inject her poison into your life. Either directly or behind your back. Still looking down her throat, the poison of asps lays waiting to sting and to strike and to kill. Reputation, lies, etc.
b. Deceit is used to include all forms of lies so that nothing escapes. Someone may say they don’t lie just omit things or etc. That is deceit; therefore this word is more encompassing.
15. 14, Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
a. Cursing. This is not using profanity necessarily. We think of cursing as taking God’s name in vain. Blurting out Jesus’ name in a heat of profane volleys. But cursing is not that. It is consigning someone to the nether regions. Wising them to fires of hell. You can curse someone with high quality words without using one “curse” word.
b. Bitterness. It is wishing hurt on someone. Having malice and hatred towards another. It is having feelings and thoughts of violence or revenge. Retaining a like or pleasure of seeing that person have harm or tortured done in some way to them. Bitterness is cancer that kills from within. It will destroy not only you, but the people around you. If the seed of bitterness is planted in the soil of the heart, it will over grow with weeds that will choke off the spirit.
16. “15, Their feet are swift to shed blood:” Government, military, abortion etc.
17. “16, Destruction and misery are in their ways:17, And the way of peace have they not known:”
a. Generally, people are not happy but looking for happiness all manner of things; in marriage or relationships; money or careers. Glory, Gold or Girls. They are unsettled, unfulfilled looking for fulfillment to quench the bitterness of loneliness, disappointment, unfulfilled glory, lack and spiritual bankruptcy.
i. Nationally, the suicide rate increased 3 percent from 11.2 suicides per 100,000 population in 2006 to 11.5 in 2007. The rate has fluctuated since 2000, ranging from a low of 10.4 in 2000 to a high of 11.5 in 2007, with a mean rate of 11.0 (see chart below). The 2007 suicide rate is the highest since 1995.
ii. Current rates for every age group between 25 and 84 have increased. The most significant increases occurred in individuals aged 25 to 34 (12.3 in 2006 to 13.0 in 2007), 45 to 54 (17.2 to 17.7), and 55 to 64 (14.5 to 15.5). The rate of 17.7 for 45- to 54-year-olds is the highest for any age group in the country, while the rate for 55- to 64-year-olds showed the greatest increase from the previous year.
iii. Every 15 minutes someone dies by suicide. It remains the 11th leading cause of death in this country. Though suicide attempts are not reported, it is estimated that close to one million people make a suicide attempt each year.
iv. There is no peace in Hawaii (5th highest suicide rate), there is no peace in Tahiti or Hollywood or Wallstreet. There is allot of misery though.
18. 18, There is no fear of God before their eyes.
a. Fear of God or Fear of the Lord. Of God occurs 8 of the Lord 3 times in scripture.
b. Gen_20:11, And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake. CC: fear of men who don’t have it can lead to bad decisions.
c. 2Sa_23:3, The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.1 CC: Speaking of an attribute necessary for leadership.
d. 2Ch_20:29, And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel. CC: when fighting against God.
e. Neh_5:15, But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God. CC: motive to serve and bare a burden.
f. Psa_36:1, To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD. The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. CC: the wicked give no consideration that by their evil they must give account to God.
g. Rom_3:18, There is no fear of God before their eyes. CC: Speaking of man, his quality, what he has done with his free will. He did not like to retain God in their knowledge.
h. 2Co_7:1, Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. CC: This is the affect that fearing God has. It sees the promise of God, considers and cleanses. Both our flesh and spirit need cleansing. Perfecting the indwelling relationship, unfettered, un-estranged, but flourishing fellowship day by day.
i. Eph_5:21, Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. CC: One is not prideful, cockey and dominating when he has experienced God’s chastening.
j. Psa_111:10, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. CC: Fearing produces wisdom to avoid wrongdoing and punishment and judgment.
k. Pro_1:7, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.4 CC: Contrast of the wise and fool. The fool despises application of knowledge and correction. Some want instant gratification, just tell me; give me the benefit of the answer without the work or experience. Let me take the shortcut. A wise man makes a mistake, learns and corrects the mistake next time.
l. Pro_9:10, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. CC: Wisdom is the application of knowledge; understanding how to use knowledge.
m. Ananias and Saphira. They lied to the Holy Spirit and were killed. God got the effect he wanted as it caused great fear among all the churches. Act5:5-11. Having fear of God is not just reverence but knowing that God could make you weak, sick or even kill you to keep you in the faith. Remember the scripture about taking Communion unworthily. 1Cor 11:27-31. God disciplines those that are his. Rev 3:19 as many as I live I rebuke and chasten.
19. “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.”
a. The law shuts mouths and creates convicts full of guilt. JURY DUTY. This is the purpose of the law.
b. You see there might have been some Jewish holdouts saying. Hey we are the righteous because we hold a higher righteous standard and keep the law. However, the law will condemn them for no man has kept the law as God has testified in Romans, Galatians 2, etc. “That Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God. I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness came by the law then Christ is dead in vain.”
c. Every mouth stopped. This is what the law does, it shuts every mouth, it stops every excuse, and it silences every objection. It leaves the man standing there naked and guilty, having been indicted, tried and been found guilty as charged. The law, whether of the scriptures or the truth one holds, would leave that man or woman completely without excuse, left void of utterance, their words swallowed up in the verdict of their sin. That it would move them to surrender that it’s not God’s fault, it’s not my supposed sinful nature, it’s not someone else’s fault. It’s my fault and I am worthy of the flames of hell. I am blameworthy and deserve all the damnation I will receive. It was in my feet and where I went; it was in my hands and the things I’ve done; it was in my eyes and the things I let in to corrupt my soul; it was in my ears and the things that corrupted my heart; it was in my mouth and the things I’ve said; behind my lips and the deceit I gave, it was under my tongue and the bite and the sting and the venom I unleashed with the things I’ve said and the reputations and integrity of others I’ve killed. There is no one else to pass responsibility, no place to hide, I and I alone am to blame and worthy of the perditions flames and my mouth is stopped. And having shut the mouth, the soil of the heart having been plowed and cultivated, the stony rocks of self righteousness or justification having been up heaved and only now is the heart ready for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
d. The law was designed to pull us from our strong holds and draw us out. That we would be drawn from security in ourselves, our self righteousness and works. That I would no longer say, “I am not as bad as those other people”. That I would no longer hide behind my deeds of giving money to the man holding the cardboard sign to validate my good works. There would be no place given to my works at all but they would be discarded as unworthy before the tribunal of God. The law was designed to lead us to Christ, to throw ourselves on the mercy of the court and repent toward God and put our faith in the finished work of Jesus. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
20. 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.
a. I would not have known sin had it not been for sin. The universe would not know what a lie was until someone lied. It would not have known deceit and malice until someone ripped me off, stolen my money and laughed in my face. The law said you shouldn’t steal. Therefore, stealing was made the object of judgment. It was manifest that stealing was sinful it was wrongdoing. The law brought that fact to light and condemned it and all who did it. That those who would partake are worthy of damnation. Those who partake of sexual fornication are worthy of hell. In fact it is uncomfortable to hear the law because it forces us to self examine and find for the prosecution. Though we would deny it, the truth condemns us mercilessly.
b. Contradiction? This verse says that no flesh will be justified by the law. In Chapter 2:13 it says not the hearers of the law but the doers of the law shall be justified. Is there a contradiction? It is saying here in chapter 3 that no flesh will be justified by the law and in chapter 2 that the doers are justified. There is no contradiction, remember in chapter 2, as Paul was developing his argument, there was a theoretical offer of salvation made to the sinner. If they kept the law they would be saved. However, remember Paul tells them that no man has kept the law. Gal 3:10 “…cursed is every on e that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident that the just shall live by faith…v13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law…”
c. Rom 7:7-13.
21. 21, But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
a. The law depicts the righteous standard of God. However, it was not complete, it was a sub framework. There were limitations on it of culture, dispensation specific, time sensitive, ethnic limitations. It was only directed at the Jews not the whole human race at all times but for a limited dispensation of time. It was specific and directed at one group of people for a limited time. Gal_3:19, Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made…” The law was added in the process of something that preexisted for a purpose which would terminate when “the seed should come” Christ. The law was limited in scope and duration with a purpose of being inserted into God’s program to accomplish His plan in this group. However, God’s intention was the larger picture, was the larger scope - the whole world. But he hadn’t intended to do so until Christ died and rose, having provided a legal remedy in which to save them.
b. Proof of this.
i. Mat_10:5-6 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6, But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
ii. Mat_15:24 (woman of Canaan with possessed daughter beseeched Jesus) 24, But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25, Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26, But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27, And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28, Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
c. The law was not directed at the gentiles nor was Jesus’ ministry. But now… the intended purpose would be offered to the the whole world.
d. The Jews would challenge this statement. They would say, how on earth are you going to prove God’s righteousness without the law? Paul is not setting aside the law, but in addition to the law, higher and deeper and broader and over the law. God’s righteousness was manifest before the law, and even testified by the prophets. In fact, he would say, your own scripture prophecies and predicts that this righteousness would come about. That it would be delivered by a mediator, a person and not by the law. Your own prophets testify so.
e. The Jew would be in-sensed at this proclamation, would have challenged him directly, demanding of him, show us the pages where it shows that there is a righteousness that is coming APART from the law and the prophets!
i. Jer 23:5 5, Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6, In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
ii. Jer 33:16, In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.
1. And its not saying that the Jews are righteous, it saying “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” The Jews knew that their own writings of the prophets predicted such a one would come. They knew that their would come a day when the Messiah would come and dwell among them. He is reminding them of this prediction.
iii. Dan 9:24, Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” God was going to do something among his people Israel, part of what he was doing was to bring in everlasting righteousness in the process of anointing the Most Holy – the Messiah.
22. 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:
a. What is the righteousness of God? When we speak of the righteousness of David, you think about the things that David did. When you speak of the righteousness of me or you, you think of the things we’ve done. Likewise, it is applied the same way to God. There should be a picture of God in all of his acts and deeds. God is a righteous God as expressed in the life of Jesus Christ.
b. “faith of Jesus Christ” is not Christ’s faith. It is “the faith” that God has established. It is the message and method by which God saves. It is the work of salvation by faith as contrasted against the works of the law. This is something apart from a New Covenant a new message, a new method to which one is saved and apart from the law.
i. Gal 2:16-21
ii. Gal 3:22-23 22, But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23, But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
c. UNTO ALL versus UPON ALL. Jesus died and made available to all the world 1Jn2:1-2. But it unto all, but only UPON all that believe. Jew and Gentile, male, female, slave or free it is unto all. Having knowledge of the righteousness by faith doesn’t make it upon you. It comes upon you when you exercise faith in this system called “the faith of Jesus Christ”.
23. 23, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
a. For all have sinned. He is not going back to prove his point “all are under sin”. He is saying the reason that this is so, because all have sinned this was necessary.
b. This is the punch line again, this is the point of Chapter 3, this is the reality needed in order to understand God’s grace, his mercy and incredible act of compassion as discussed in the mouth being stopped.
24. 24, Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
a. Freely. With no cost, no payment from ourselves. God was not constrained to justify man. It was his compassion, his pity on our hopeless state, we being unable to remedy the situation and having nothing to offer, nothing to stand on, nothing to contribute. God reached down into the flames of hell and extracted man from his fate. But only for those who by sanctifying faith in the finished work of Christ was UPON them.
b. Means. What was the means of justification? Redemption is the liberation procured by payment of a ransom – Jesus’ death. God established a basis by which all souls could be redeemed. When God redeemed us whom was the payment made? (theologies: devil, god of this world, outlaw. Pay the law: inanimate, it only judges, no appeasement). God payed himself. He ransomed the sinner from the principles of his own justice. Why? Why not just excuse the debt? He is high counselor and moral governor and ruler over the universe. He has a responsibility over all rules in the universe and how they operate. He has myriads of moral beings watching his government. It is imperative that the subjects have respect for that governor. The quickest way to destroy the favor and blessings of the people is to be arbitrary in applying the law. He could not pronounce the death sentence on sin and then just let David get buy though he committed adultery and murder because he liked him. But I’m going to damn Saul, God would be charged with biasness, respect of persons and undue favor. He’d be charged with not obeying his own law; law and order would break down and rightly so, because there would be no firm law left in the universe. Only capriciousness and arbitrary application based on whims no sound law. So when Christ died on the cross, he died to pay himself and the price he demanded for sin and declaring to all moral subjects that God is a God who works according to law. That the wages of sin is death and the price will be paid. So God paid himself to pave the way to forgive the sinner. Appease himself and not man.
25. 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;
a. Set forth. To set on display. When you set forth something, you want all to see it, for the purpose of showing it off. I go to civil war reenactments. There they have for sale real vintage civil war sabers and guns of all sorts. They are very pricey, but very cool. I can only afford replicas which I have set forth in our study room so that if anyone came and got a tour of my home I would show them my Americana room with confederate and union swords crossed with their respective scabbards. I would tell you about the swords and what rank would have carried them. Likewise God set forth, put on display, Jesus to be propitiation.
b. Propitiation. Heb9:5 mercy seat. That is a legal payment for a dept to satisfy God’s wrath and the demand for death. God established in the law, as a model of what Christ would do, the transfer of guilt onto the “sacrificial lamb”. That lamb would have its throat slit, cut open, organs pulled out and burned and its BLOOD sprinkled on the mercy seat on behalf of the penitent. In order for the man to transfer, he must have faith in the blood. The blood is the key. Without the blood there is no remission of sin. Faith in the blood is just like at the first Passover. Death was there, a reality, the first born son would say to his daddy, “daddy, tonight the angel of death is going to kill the first born, and I am the first born right daddy. Yes son. Daddy am I going to die? He would say to him, son, have faith in the blood. You see the blood on our doorposts, God said as long as we have that blood on our doorposts the angel of death will pass right over our house and nothing will happen to you. Just trust in the blood. In fact son, it’s not your faith but the blood that is of issue. It is the blood that is needed not your perfect faith in it.” Just like with Jesus. God says call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, believe on him and you will be saved. It is through the blood payment for sin was made, it is through the blood transfer of your sin was accomplished; it was through the blood that the legal remedy was realized. How could Jesus’ death transfer your sin?
c. Justification. How could the law be satisfied with an innocent death, when the perpetrator was you? How is that just? Shouldn’t the weight of the penalty of the law be on me? YES!!! When a person puts their faith in Christ a phenomenon happens. God doesn’t set them free of the law of death (for the wages of sin is death), he puts them to death as the law states. God says that he kills us, we are baptized into his death just as the law demands. However, we are baptized into his crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. So just as Christ was crucified, died and was buried so we are also. And like as Christ was raised from the dead, even so we are resurrected. So that as alive as Christ is alive, so we are alive with him. In other words, we live vicariously through Christ. God says there shall no flesh be saved. In fact, there will be no flesh in heaven. None shall survive. Man must die because that is what the law demands. However, we are made alive by the resuscitating Spirit of God breathing life into these dead bodies. “Therefore, if any man be IN Christ, he is a NEW creation. Old things are passed away and behold all things are become new.” Without Christ there is no life, without Christ the penalty of the law is still upon me. The law demanded our death, there were those in hell and those in paradise within the confines of Hades – the pit. What separated them was faith in God. Though no propitiation had yet been made to deal with their sin, therefore they remained in hell. But God made one side beautiful and cool with fresh running water and peace and comfort. But within eyeshot there were those in torment.
d. Confessing - forgiveness. Today’s theology teaches that Christ only died for past sins. That when you become a believer that you need to confess your sins. There is a movement within Protestantism to confess your sins. How can I dare think that if I had even one sin that was not forgiven that my confession would absolve me I would be on shakey, unstable ground. I have no faith in my confession in order to deal with my sins. The teaching states that you need to confess your sins in order for them to be forgiven. I may question I was fervent enough or sincere enough, or maybe I’d return to it, proving that I didn’t really mean it and therefore have sin on my account until I can make a proper, and sincere and adequate enough confession to deal with my sins. I would be forever questioning my salvation and my status before God. This confession doctrine doesn’t keep you from sinning only keeps you from the joy of your salvation. If Christ didn’t deal with my sin entirely I would be in a miserable state having entered into the holy of holies, having entered into the heavenly realm only to be cast down back to the muck and mire from which I came. This teaching comes from Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Anglican theology not bible theology. If we sin we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous. Jesus’ advocacy is not stimulated by my confession. It is uninterrupted, continuous and not based upon my act at all.
e. Past Sins. What are past sins? They are the sins committed by Moses, David, Elijah etc. those people who were at that moment in hell. They were saved on credit. God saw their repentance, saw their works and was convinced that there was a Christian heart there in these OT saints. No propitiation had been made yet. They were waiting for Jesus to come and be the propitiation.
f. Forbearance. God had saved these on credit until the price would be paid. Having put them on layaway until the note was paid and he led captivity captive, the debt was cancelled and they were free. And he delivered them from hell and formally took them to heaven with him.
26. 26, To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
a. Public declaration. Justify those that were his, repented and believed. But he couldn’t do so but on proper legal grounds. He needed to stay just while doing it. In his death and public inspection he had to remain just in the act of justifying.
b. Justice. While God’s desire was to rescue man from the flames, he could not sacrifice justice. As the moral governor of the universe, he has subordinate moral beings watching and scrutinizing Him. For him to just say, I like Moses, and excuse his murder would be unjust. To excuse David’s adultery, deceit and murder would be unjust. So those OT faithful went to hell. But God made one side air conditioned – called paradise. Satan, the accuser of the brethren, would come before God’s throne having seen those in torment and those in paradise, saying why are those in torment and these are being blessed? Why is David down there I saw what he did. And God would say, my work is not finished yet. The devil would retort, I don’t understand. God would respond, I know you don’t but it’s not over yet. The devil looks into the air-conditioned paradise with jealousy. He can’t understand the difference. He’s looking in there saying what is the difference between these two groups. Maybe they didn’t worship false God’s but they pretty much did the same things. Some of them murdered, committed adultery and allot of the other things that this other group did. Why are these in the paradise side? God appeared to be unjust. There appeared to be favoritism, bias and injustice. He lived under that accusation for millennia until Christ would come and provide a legal solution in which to forgive.
27. 27, “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.”
a. There is no law of faith. He is simply by parallel construction comparing justification by the works of the law to that by faith. By the law there was a keeping, a doing and therefore a boasting. With faith that is eliminated. For by believing righteousness is credited; by trusting a man is justified and there is no work in that. There is no work in the believing, for if Christ had not gone to the cross and risen the believing would be in vain.
28. 28, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
a. The conclusion of that matter is that by the law no man will be justified, no man can uphold the righteous requirements of the law, and no work of the law can boast before God.
b. Justification absent of the law is not appealing to the prideful who want to boast of their works.
29. 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.
a. Hos 2:23 thou art my people, and thou art my God. This would infuriate the prideful Gentiles. That God would turn and love and favor dirty, rotten, filthy, Gentiles who were the rat dung of humanity would incense them beyond repair. And say to them in their filth and sin, you are my child, I love you, you’re my people. And they would look up from their idolatry without going through the law, circumcision, without proper initiation these rotten scum of the earth sinners would look up and say, “you are my God.” And the jew is still clinging to the dead cold stones of the law, no life, broken, guilty. And God has married a Gentile bride. The jew is left standing out in the cold as a member of a cult. The church is growing, filled with life. Paul started of the book of Romans saying I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation first to the Jew and then unto the Gentile. Paul is making his point that he is not ashamed of the gospel for it has done its job of righteousness and delivered from sin.
b. Distinction between “by” (Gk: ek by, out of, eminating from) and “through” (Gk: dia, through a channel or means) in regards to their justification. Can be used interchangeably. However used here differently. Ex Rom 11:36 by through to-if same then redundant-initiator and means. Those of the circumcision who had the law and put their faith in God already (like Abraham), all they needed to do is direct that toward Christ. So it is “by” the faith that they already possessed in their hands that needed the object to be Christ. Verses those that did not have the promises and word of God, nor any faith for they did not yet possess it, would be justified “through” the revelation that they would receive, and be brought to faith by the Holy Spirit being the channel. Rom 10:17 Faith come by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Commentaries say there is no difference in their usage here but have to resort to mentioning no difference because they see that there is a difference. They saw that the Greek construction indicated that there was a difference.
30. 31, Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
a. The point of the law was to reflect God’s righteousness. The law was a mirror of the right doing of God. The DO NOT’s of the law were to demonstrate God’s “yard stick” with which he measures. Remember Rom 2:1 and Mat 7:1,2. Faith came not to abolish but to fulfill. Right doing was what the law demanded and faith is how it was accomplished. By believing God, I am imputed the righteousness of God. He became sin who knew no sin, that I might be made the righteousness of God.
b. Mat 5:17 like John was a forerunner, likewise the law has to precede the gospel. When Jesus came he didn’t contradict John. John’s message was for a time until Christ came. It had a dispensation a shelf life until it would be obsolete. There were those preaching the message of John after Christ’s resurrection that needed to be corrected. Not because it was wrong but because it had run its course and was superseded by a fuller revelation.
Why did Jesus have to die for me? Isn’t that a wrong upon a wrong? I must pay the consequences for my own sin. The law demands my death. From the Garden of Eden, man is separated from God. There is an irreconcilable division. God said that he must surely die. God removed man from the garden before he took of the tree of life and remained in this damnable separated state forever. God needed a means by which to forgive man, but it had to meet his just standards. Justice had to be preserved while reconciling man.
How did Christ provide a legal remedy to forgive and redeem me?
How did Christ transfer my guilt to himself? How did he do that and still be just? Before Christ, man is eternally separated from God and deserves damnation. Romans 3 tells us that all are under sin, none do good, none seek God they are all together unprofitable. So man in his sinful state comes empty handed before the throne of judgment. He stands indicted, tried and guilty. God then says, that they who have put their faith in the blood have the righteousness of God by faith of Jesus unto all and upon all that believe. God tells us that he comes into and abides with the man that obeys and puts his faith in Christ. Mat 7, Jn 14, 15. Holiness itself comes and makes resident in the sinner come to faith. If any man be in Christ he is a new creation, old things are passed away behold all things are become new. We are baptized into Christ Rom 6, Col 2. If I be in Christ and he be in me, we are one. We are so intertwined that I share his fate, and he shares mine. We are baptized into Christ are baptized into his crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. So that as dead as Christ was crucified so I am crucified, as dead as Christ is dead so am as well, as resurrected as Christ is, so am I. Though I was not there 2000 years ago, I was baptized into this; it is not about water it is a spiritual experience. That is what the water baptism is supposed to symbolize. So that Christ’s fate and my fate are intermingled, tied together, inseparable, insolvent and indivisible. Such that God says, Rom_8:39, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. He holds this command so greatly, that he challenges all creation, that none shall snatch them from my hand. Our fates bound, our futures sealed, my death satisfied the law as Christ’s death and my death were one. So that they that are IN Christ are a new creation. Old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. Jn 14 and 15 speak of this indwelling of the Holy Spirt, God himself making holy my temple. Since I am in Christ and Christ is in me, my transfer of guilt was complete. Jesus was made sin, who knew no sin that I might be made the righteousness of God. So my guilt, my sin was transferred to him who dwells in me, his death having satisfied the laws claim on my life I now live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
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