REBC Adult Bible Study - Romans 3

Opening Prayer

Romans Background

Written by Paul, probably while in Corinth at about 55 A.D.Addressed to the Christians in RomePaul has been trying to visit with them but had not been their yet Due to Paul’s rule never to build on someone else’s ministry, this proves that neither Paul or Peter started the church in RomeMost likely, during Pentecost, Roman gentiles where part of the 3,000 that became followers of Christ and they brought over Christianity to Rome

Text Reading:

Verse 1: Then what advantage has the Jew?

Paul is having a conversation with our natural human objection to God’s truth

Also viewed as a typical response from an unbeliever

Or a person with an unregenerate mind

Let’s rephrase that: What advantage has the Christian?

Verse 2: Entrusted with the oracles of God.

One of those advantages is the oracles of God

Oracles of God is also known as the Old Testament or Scripture

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

So, let’s rephrase this again: We, Christians, are entrusted with the Holy Bible.

Verse 3: Their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?

Paul anticipated that Jewish readers would disagree with his statements that God has not guaranteed to fulfill His promises to every physical descendant of Abraham.

Another way we can look at it from a Christian perspective, is not all who say “Lord, Lord” are actually saved.

Jesus on Judgement day will say “Get away for I do not know you” for they don’t have saving faith

Before any Jew or Christian, regardless of the purity of his lineage or saying a sinners prayer or walking down an aisle, can inherit the promises God made without first coming to repentance and faith

John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), .

John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), .

God is always faithfulness even if man does not believe

Verse 4: May it never be!

Strongest objection in the Greek Paul uses

Equivalent to “A Thousand Times, NO”

Verse 4: Let God be found true, though every man be found a liar

If all mankind were to agree that God had been unfaithful to His promises, it would only prove that all are liars and God is true

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ro 3:4.

John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), .

Verse 5: But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He?

God’s good ends do not justify mankind’s evil means

R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1982.

God is always just, even with the fact that our unrighteousness showcases His righteousness

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

Our darkness reveals His light, like a diamond with a black cloth background (Steve Lawson example)

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

God raised up Pharaoh and hardened his heart to showcase His glory and fulfill His purpose

Verse 7: But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

Verse 7:

Verse 8:

Questions or Comments?

Then Paul, speaking in the place yet again of an unbeliever, says can a sinner be judged if God uses a sinner to show His glory?

Is that fair?

Can God really condemn Pharaoh if He is the one who hardened his heart?

Is this justice?

We must continue on to find out what Paul has to say to our natural objections to God’s truth

Verse 8: Slanderously reported and as some claim that we say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?

The Gospel message of salvation by grace through faith alone had been perverted by false prophets who argued it provided not only a license to sin, but outright encouragement to do so

John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), .

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

We must continue on to find out what Paul has to say to our natural objections to God’s truth

John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), .

Questions or Comments?

Text Reading:

Verse 9: Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;

Are we any better than an unbeliever?

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

Can we boast in our good deeds?

As Paul says, “Not at all”

We all start off, believer and unbeliever, under the curse of sin

Then Paul, the expert theologian builds his argument and builds his case with Scripture

Verse 10-12: THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.

11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,

THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;

THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

Verse 17:

Verse 12:

Verse 13:

Paul

Verse 14:

Verse 15:

Verse 16:

Verse 17:

Verse 18: THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES

Paul is quoting and

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

How many are righteous? None. Man is universally evil

Not even one

None understand. Man is unable to comprehend the truth of God or grasp His standard of righteousness

Not even one

John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), .

No one seeks God. Man’s natural tendency is to seek his own interests and desires

Not even one

John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), .

No one does good. No one is good but God alone (, )

Not even one

Nine times he uses words such as “none” and “all” to show the universality of human sin and rebellion

John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), .

Why?

There is no

Verse 18: THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES

The reason why, is that there is no one who fears God

Proper attitude to God is “fear,” or devout reverence

R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1982.

Not even one

Man’s true spiritual condition is nowhere more clearly seen than in the absence of a proper submission to and reverence for God

John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), .

Without God’s mercy, we are totally depraved and not a single one of us would be counted as righteous

What about Job? Abraham? David?

Just like you and me, they where only counted as righteous after God sought them out first.

Remember Abraham was credited as righteous through his faith (, , )

It is only as a result of God’s work in the heart that anyone seeks Him

John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), .

Verse 19: Whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law

Verse 19: All the world may become accountable to God

Notice the verse reads “says” which is a further indication that Paul sees Scripture as the living voice of God

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1983.

We are all subject to the law

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

We are all accountable

None can claim to be free from guilt before God

All are lost

R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1983.

As a Holy God, every sin, every breaking of the law must be paid

The penalty that is deserving of the high treason and open rebellion we commit when we sin is DEATH

Verse 20: By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight

On our own, we are not justified at all

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

We simply stand in front of a Holy God as criminals

We are not victims. We are criminals, guilty in the eyes of a just God

Any objection to this is simple proof of our rebellious nature against an All Good and Just God

But thank God for the last part of Chapter 3

Questions or Comments?

Text Reading:

Verse 21: But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested

We have hope apart from the law

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

Verse 22-23: Righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

23 for all ahave sinned and fall short of the glory of God

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

Verse 23:

We may now be viewed as righteous in the eyes of God through faith in Christ

This is nothing to boast about

Everyone of us falls short of God’s glory

Everyone of us falls short of the perfection that is required by God

But if you believe in Jesus as Lord of your life, God the Father doesn’t see your sinful nature anymore, He sees His Son

Verse 24: Being justified as a gift

You earn a pay check, a gift is freely given

Verse 24: By His grace

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 3

unmerited favor

Unmerited favor

Not by your past works, not by your present works and not but your future works

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

You are now saved by His mercy and grace

Can I get an amen!

Verse 24: Through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus

What about the cost of our sin that we committed against God?

All sin must be paid

And Jesus took our place

Verse 25: Whom God displayed publicly

Jesus paid it all in full and paid it publicity so we would all know that we don’t have to stand on judgement day alone

We now have a Mediator, our High Priest and Advocate

Here is the heart of the Christian faith, for at the cross God’s justice and love meet

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2163.

Verse 25: As a propitiation in His blood through faith.

Jesus’ blood “propitiated” or satisfied God’s wrath, so that his holiness was not compromised in forgiving sinners.

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2163.

Jesus took on our curse, the full measure of God’s wrath

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

Every sin you have committed and will commit Jesus suffered for us in our place

Verse 25: In His blood through faith.

Jesus paid it in full with His precious blood

Verse 25: This was to demonstrate His righteousness

This was the ultimate act of love

Through this, we see God’s righteousness, holiness and justice

Verse 25: Because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed

Verse 26:

Verse 27: Where then is boasting? ....Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

What can we really boast about?

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

All we did is add to the sin payment that Jesus had to pay

May we never again mock a sinner or unbeliever for who are we to boast!

Who in this room can look down at another sinner when it was us who drove the nails in our Savior’s hands and feet?

Who here will throw the first stone when it was us who ripped the flesh off our King’s back when we scorghed Him nearly to death?

Who here is ready to pronounce judgement on an unbeliever when we as a whole spit on, mocked and drove a crown of thorns on the head of the innocent Lamb of God?

Verse 28: For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

Verse 29:

Hallelujah and Amen!

Verse 30:

Verse 31: Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

The law is not nullified

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

We are to follow God’s moral commands

However, we are no longer a slave to sin and incapable of following the law

Jesus, as Lord of our life, sets us free

The Holy Spirit that now lives in us as believers will help us to follow God’s moral law and commands

Questions or Comments?

Closing Prayer