Universal Condemnation - Rom 3:9-20

Introduction

Romans 3 is a series of 6 questions and answers

Rhetorical Question — (NT) A question asked for effect that does not require an answer.

High Definition Commentary: Romans Romans 3:1–8Throughout Paul’s letter to the Romans, he uses rhetorical questions—questions he answers himself—to introduce his next big idea. Nevertheless, rhetorical questions still provoke us to think about potential answers, even if we never state them out loud.

Paul is asking questions as if the readers are asking them.He then answers the questions to give understanding about sin and God’s judgment

Paul is going to use these questions as a transition in the gospel of our condition in sin to God’s solution.

Last week we will look at questions 1-3.

This week we will look at question 4.

Next week we will look at questions 5-6.

FOURTH QUESTION AND ANSWER (3:9-20)

Outline adopted from:

“Romans.” The Outline Bible, by H. L. Willmington, Tyndale House Publishers, 1999, pp. 627–628.

Romans 3:9 ESV

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,

Question (3:9a): Are the Jews better than all other people?

What then?

Connection to what he just said. (Questions 1-3)

Jews Better off?

Answer (3:9b-20)

Romans 3:9 ESV

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,

Not at all

Romans: An Introduction and Commentary D. All Mankind Found Guilty (3:9–20)

No, not at all. There is a prima facie clash between this answer to ‘Are we Jews any better off?’ and the answer in verse 2 to ‘Then what advantage has the Jew?’—‘Much in every way.’ But that earlier answer had reference to the privileges inherited by Jews as members of the elect nation; ‘No, not at all’ relates to their standing before God. Privileges or no privileges, Jews and Gentiles stand equally in need of his grace.

Charge

to charge previously v. — to have filed a formal legal charge in the past or already.

sin (personification) n. — sin personified as a destructive and depraved principle reigning over unbelievers and persisting in believers; especially as a slavemaster doling out payment with the currency of death and decay.

The Corruption (3:10-18): Paul describes the cancer of sin that has infected the human race.

Quotations

Romans: An Introduction and Commentary D. All Mankind Found Guilty (3:9–20)

10–12. ‘None is righteous … no one does good, not even one.’ Quoted from Psalm 14:1c, 2b–3 (repeated in Ps. 53:1c, 2b–3).

13. ‘Their throat is an open grave, they use their tongues to deceive.’ Quoted from Psalm 5:9.

14. ‘Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.’ Quoted from Psalm 10:7.

15–17. ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood … the way of peace they do not know.’ Quoted from Isaiah 59:7–8.

18. ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ Quoted from Psalm 36:1.

The Lexham English Septuagint, Second Edition Psalm 13

13 FOR THE END, A PSALM OF DAVID.

1  The foolish said in his heart, “There is no God.”

They destroyed and were abhorred in their practices.

There is no one doing goodness;

there is not even one.

2  The Lord looked out from the heavens upon the sons of humans,

to see if there is one who understands or one who seeks out God.

3  All turned aside together. They became useless.

There is not one doing goodness; there is not even one.

Their throat is an opened grave.

With their tongues they have dealt treacherously with one another.

The poison of asps is under their lips,

whose mouth is full of curses and bitterness.

Their feet are quick to pour out blood.

Destruction and misery are in their ways,

and they know not the way of peace.

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Human Conscience is depraved (3:10-11): No one even desires to know and follow God.

Human Character is depraved (3:12): All have left the path of good and have become worthless.

Human Conversation is depraved (3:13-14): People’s talk is foul and filthy, resembling:

The stench from an open grave (3:13a)

The poison from a deadly snake (3:13b-14)

Human conduct is depraved (3:15-18).

”They are quick to commit murder” (3:15-17).

”They have no fear of God” (3:18).

The Conclusion (3:9, 19-20): After presenting all the terrible facts, Paul reaches this twofold conclusion:

Both Jew and Gentile have sinned against God (3:9).

Both Jew and Gentile stand accused before God (3:19-20).