GOD IS RIGHTEOUS; MAN IS NOT - ROMANS 3:1-20

 

3:1-2

Question 1-Is there any benefit to being Jewish?

Paul, having taught that God shows no partiality, anticipated some questions or objections from the Jews. The first is: If God shows no partiality, is there any advantage to being Jewish?    

Paul says yes, there is much advantage. But Paul only takes the time to give one: they were entrusted with the “oracles of God”. An “oracle” is a message from a god or the person who speaks for the god. It is a term the Romans would be familiar with. If you went to the temple of Jupiter or Mars and made an inquiry, an oracle would give you the response that was supposed to have come from the god.

So, God delivered his word to the Jews. He spoke through this prophets to the Jews. And the Jews recorded many of those words. We call them the Old Testament. He entrusted that to the Jews, a great honor and greater responsibility.

It was an honor, because God chose to reveal himself to Israel more completely to Israel than any one else. 

It was a responsibility because they were to live according to God’s word and to preserve it. They did this well at times and badly at other times. 

Subsequently, God spoke through Jesus, who entrusted his words to the apostles, who were all Jewish. “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…”. (Hebrews 1:1)

3:3-4

Question 2 - does the unfaithfulness of the Jews nullify the faithfulness of God?

Most of the Jews rejected Jesus and his words. They were unfaithful to God in this. 

Does this nullify God’s faithfulness? Paul says no. God is faithful to fulfill his promises, including the promise of a savior. The unbelief of the Jews is due to their failure, not God’s. God stays true no matter what humans do. 

Paul cited Psalm 51:4 as proof. David acknowledged his sin and established the truthfulness of God’s words and the righteousness of his judgment.  David was unfaithful and rebelled against God; but God remained faithful.

3:5-8

Question 3 - How Can God Inflict Wrath On Us

The next question Paul anticipates is: if our unrighteousness shows that God is righteous, how can he inflict wrath on us? Is that not unfair? If we do evil to show God is good, is not that a good thing? Does that make God unrighteous? 

Paul said no. God is going to judge the world. That is Paul’s assumption and ours. Therefore, he must be righteous and just. And, anyone who accuses Paul of saying otherwise is condemned. The accusation was probably made by Jewish believers who insisted that obedience to the law was essential to salvation. 

3:9-20

Conclusion: The Jews Are As Guilty As The Gentiles

Paul begins his conclusion to this section with a rhetorical question: are the Jews better off? In other words, are they excluded from judgment because they have the law? 

Paul’s answer is “no”. All are sinners, Jew and Gentile.

To bolster his point, Paul again cited the Old Testament. He combined several Old Testament texts, from Psalms, Proverbs, and Isaiah. He set them out in the text, some quoted, some paraphrased. 

These verses state that none are righteous and none seek God. They do not do good, they speak deceptively and vulgarly, they shed blood, and they do not fear God. 

And, anyone who accuses Paul of saying otherwise is condemned. 

The accusation was probably made by Jewish believers who insisted that obedience to the law was essential to salvation.

The conclusion is that no one is righteous and all are accountable to God. 

The law will not justify anyone. It brings knowledge of sin. It was never intended to bring salvation, but to show the need for salvation. 

UNIVERSAL JUDGMENT - ROMANS 3

Judgment On The Jews

2:1-11

In the previous section, Paul addressed God’s wrath and judgment on the Gentiles for their sins and rejection of God.

In this section, Paul addresses God’s judgment on the Jews. We know that because verse 1 refers to them as “everyone of you who judges”. The Jews judged all Gentiles to be immoral and inferior to the Jews who had been given the law of God.

But, Paul warned the Jews that they were without excuse just as the Gentiles were, because, when they passed judgment on the Gentiles for their behavior, they showed that they knew such behavior was sinful. The Jews did judge the Gentiles as less moral and religious because they were not Jews. 

They wrongly believed that they were entitled to special indulgences from God when they sinned. But, Paul said they condemned themselves since they did the same things. And the judgment of God falls on those who practice these sinful ways. (2)

Paul also warned the Jews against presuming the would escape judgment because of their covenant status with God. Although the nation had often violated the covenant and suffered for it, God had forgiven and restored them multiple times. That made them think their status made them immune from judgment.

In fact, God’s kindness and forbearance of judgment on the Jews was not giving the Jews a pass for their sins, but to lead them to repentance. (4) But their presumptuous sinning and hardened hearts resulted in storing up wrath that God will unleash on them at the judgment. (5) 

That is because God will not distinguish between Jew and Gentile at the judgment. He will judge according to their works whether or not they are Jews. Those who do well will receive eternal life. Those who are disobedient and unrighteous will receive wrath and fury. (8) He will not show partiality to the Jews. They receive judgment first if they are unrighteous. (Remember that he is speaking here about judgment to show the need for salvation. Those who are in Christ, who are saved, will not face God’s wrath. Paul will develop this later.)

Judgment And Responsibility - The Jews

2:12-13

God’s judgment is universal. Every person will be judged by God. They will be judged according to the revelation they have. The Jews, who had the law, will be judged by the law. “Law” means the rules and regulations of the Old Covenant. Those are summarized by the Ten Commandments, not limited to them. 

Some Jews evidently thought that having the law given to them made them acceptable to God by itself. But Paul pointed out that it is obedience to the law that is essential, not just having it and being taught it. (13)

Judgment And Responsibility - The Gentiles

2:14-16

Here Paul inserts a digression from the responsibility of the Jews, to discussing the responsibility of the Gentiles.

Even though they did not have the law, Gentiles are judged also. They are judged by their conscience, this is formed by God and witnesses to them of God’s standards. For example, every society condemns murder and theft. They all have laws, many of which reflect God’s law. Some, of course, fall away from those standards as their culture drifts further from God. 

Judgment And Responsibility - The Jews (Continued)

2:17-29

Verse 17 returns to Paul’s discourse on the responsibility of the Jews regarding the law. He sets this out in detail. He pointed out the pride of the Jews, their boasting of their special relation to God that is evidenced by his giving them the law. They considered themselves guides to the blind, instructors of the foolish and the children, and knowing the truth. 

If that is the case, Paul condemns them for not following their own teaching. They commit the sins they condemn. Paul says they dishonor God by breaking the law they boast in having. (23) 

He cited Isaiah 52:5 (or Ezekiel 36:20-23) where God accused Israel of blaspheming (profaning) his name among the Gentiles because of their idolatry and other sins.  

In fact, Paul says a Jew who does not obey the law is not a Jew. Jews were distinguished from Gentiles with an outward sign: circumcision. But the outward sign is not enough to be a true Jew. If a Jew does not live by the law, he effectively becomes a Gentile. His circumcision becomes uncircumcision (25)

Conversely, one who keeps the law, though physically uncircumcised, becomes as a true Jew, part of Israel, through his obedience. These condemn those who are outwardly Jewish but break the law.

Verses 28-29 are a summary of this. It is not the physical signs that are important, but the condition of the heart (obedience). This person, with a circumcised heart, seeks to please God. He does not seek to please men with his outward conformity. 

This teaching is not entirely new to Paul. The Old Testament also used the metaphor of circumcision to mean the changing of the heart from disobedience to obedience. 

For example, in Deuteronomy 10:16, when Moses presented the Israelites with the second tablets of the commandments, he told them to “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.” He wanted them to repent and commit to obeying the law of the covenant. 

Also, Jeremiah 4:4, Jeremiah told Israel that when God restored them from captitivity, they should:

“Circumcise yourselves to the LORD;

remove the foreskin of your hearts,

O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem;

lest my wrath go forth like fire,

and burn with none to quench it,

because of the evil of your deeds.” 

Also, the Old Testament spoke of physical circumcision not being enough to please God: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh…” (Jeremiah 9:25). 

So, in his teaching, Paul is not speaking a new doctrine. He is teaching what is told in the Old Testament and applying it to in the New Testament context. He is also setting the stage for his teaching that there will not be two different kinds of the people of God, but one community, one people, united in Christ to the glory of God.

Idols- A Follow Up To Romans 1

 God is spirit. (John 4:24; Isaiah 31:3;Deuteronomy 4:12) No one has seen him. (John 1:18) He is invisible to us. (Colossians 1:15)

Since he has no visible form, any idol intended to represent him would be a sinful misrepresentation. Therefore, God forbade the making of objects that represent him. They are idols. The making of the golden calf while Moses was on the mountain receiving the commandments led to judgment on the Israelites. (Exodus 32) 

God has, however, made himself known to us through his son, Jesus. John 1:18 tells us that Jesus has made the Father known to us. He is the only and true image of the God. (Colossians 1:15; 2 Corinthians 4:4) He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. (Hebrews 1:3)

God’s Wrath Upon The Gentiles The Reason We Need Salvation 1:18-32

 God’s Wrath Upon The Gentiles

The Reason We Need Salvation

1:18-32

This section on God’s righteous wrath actually goes all the way to 3:20. We can divide it into three parts: (1) God’s wrath upon the Gentiles (non-Jews) in 1:18-32; (2) God’s Wrath Upon The Jews in 2:1-3:8; and (3) God’s wrath upon the whole world in 3:9-20. 

God’s righteousness in revealed through the gospel as God declares righteous those who believe in it. We need his declaration of righteousness because of our lack of righteousness and God’s wrath toward sin. 

God’s wrath is his strong and righteous anger toward sin. He is wrathful toward all ungodliness and unrighteousness. (18) Wrath is God’s reaction to sin. Through their sins, people suppress the truth about God, denying his righteousness and his right\authority to set the moral standards for mankind. 

All people should have some knowledge of God since he has shown it to them in creation. His eternal power and divine nature are revealed in the beauty, complexity, and order of creation. Because of this, their denial of God is unexcused. 

David saw the glory of God in creation. He wrote: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork”. (Psalm 19:1)

Hymn writers have proclaimed it. Consider the lyrics of “How Great Thou Art”:

Oh Lord, my God

When I, in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder

Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee

How great Thou art, how great Thou art!”

In contrast, those who do not believe look at creation and either see nothing or a product of random chance.

People do not honor God or give thanks to him for what he has provided. (21) As a result, their thinking became futile and their hearts became foolish and darkened. In their foolish darkness, they began to worship things that God made rather than God himself. They made idols, images of resembling men, animals, and insects. 

Knowing this tendency in mankind, God prohibited his chosen people from making images to worship. The second commandment says:

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD you God am a jealous God.” (Exodus 20:4-5)

Mankind’s turning from God had consequences. It produced dark hearts and foolish minds. It produced idol worship. Another consequence is the reaction of God. 

Because of mankind’s turning away from God, God gave them up to their vices. There are three statements in the following verses that: “God gave them up”. They are in verses 24, 26, and 28. The statement in verse 26 is a continuation of the statement in verse 24. God’s giving them up to their self degrading reveals his wrath upon them. 

First, because of their idol worship, God gave them up to impurity and the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves. (24) The exchanging of the truth about God for the lie of idols, led to the exchanging of God’s design for men and women to the lie of homosexuality. (26-27) 

God’s design is the union of men and women in marriage. Genesis 2:24 says: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

Second, because of their idol worship, God gave them up to a debased mind. That mind developed unrighteous thoughts and deeds. Paul gave a long list of these sins in verses 29-31. Those who did these things deserved to die. The wages of sin is death. (6:23) 

Paul also condemned those who give approval to those who commit these acts. And today we still see that happen in our culture and in various denominations. 

So, we see that debased thinking, leading to sexual deviance and the approval of it, is a judgment. God’s giving mankind over to debased thinking is a judgment on mankind.

Takeaways

The good news of the gospel starts with the bad news of God’s wrath toward sin. 

To know and understand God, we must know and understand that he is holy. 

Since God is holy, he is revulsed by sin. 

Our sin must be dealt with for us to be in communion with God.

Believers must also deal with sin in their lives. 

We need to resist temptation with Scripture and conform our mind’s to what Scripture teaches.

We should also pray for deliverance from sin motivated by our love for God.