Romans 3.14-The Tenth Charge in a Thirteen Count Indictment Against Mankind
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday October 24, 2007
Romans: Romans 3:14-The Tenth Charge in a Thirteen Count Indictment Against Mankind
Lesson # 86
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 3:10.
This evening we will continue with our study of the second major section in the book of Romans that is contained in Romans 1:18-3:20, which deals with the universal need of the righteousness of God.
This section is divided into three parts: (1) The unrighteousness of the Gentiles (1:18-32). (2) The unrighteousness of the Jews (2:1-3:8). (3) The universal unrighteousness of men (3:9-20).
We are currently engaged in a study of Romans 3:9-20, which can be treated like a court room trial and is divided into four parts: (1) The Arraignment: The entire human race is brought before the Supreme Court of Heaven to answer to the divine indictment (Romans 3:9). (2) The Indictment: The entire human race faces the charges of crimes against a holy God (Romans 3:10-17). (3) Motive: The motive for man’s crimes against God (Romans 3:18). (4) The Verdict: The entire human race stands condemned before a holy God (Romans 3:19-20).
Thus far, we have noted the arraignment of the entire human race in the court of heaven in Romans 3:9 and nine of the charges in the thirteen count indictment brought against the human race by God in Romans 3:10-13.
The first six charges that appear in Romans 3:10-12 emphasize the depraved character of the accused (the entire human race) whereas the seventh, eighth and ninth charges that appear in Romans 3:13 emphasize the depraved character of the accused from the standpoint of their conversation with each other.
This evening we will study Romans 3:14 in which Paul presents the tenth charge in this thirteen count indictment against the entire human race that continues to address the conversation of unregenerate humanity.
Romans 3:10, “As it is written, ‘THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE.’”
Romans 3:11, “THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD.”
Romans 3:12, “ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
Romans 3:13, “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING, THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS.”
Romans 3:14, “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS.”
The statement in Romans 3:14 is a quotation of the first part of Psalm 9:28 (Psalm 10:7 in NASB) in the Septuagint that is slightly adapted by Paul to fit his need in addressing the degenerate character of the conversation of unregenerate man.
Psalm 10:7, “His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness.”
In Romans 3:14, “WHOSE” is the relative pronoun hos (o^$) (hos) which refers to unregenerate humanity and introduces a clause that identifies or clarifies for the reader the nature of the poison or venom that proceeds from under the lips of unregenerate man, namely, cursing and bitterness.
“MOUTH” is the noun stoma (stovma) (stom-a), which refers to that organ of the human body that gives one the capacity for eating and speaking.
“IS FULL OF” is the verb gemo (gevmw) (ghem-o), which means, “to be full” of something.
In Romans 3:14, the verb gemo means, “to be full” of cursing and bitterness.
“CURSING” is the noun ara (ara) (ar-ah), which refers to the content of what is expressed in a curse.
The word originally it meant a wish, a petition, a prayer, but from the time of Homer it came to mean a prayer or invocation for harm or injury to come upon a person.
It was an invocation of evil upon another person, i.e. a curse, which the gods were to execute.
Eventually the word acquired the meaning of a curse meaning the evil invoked.
It is interesting that in Greek mythology Ara was personified as the goddess of destruction and revenge.
To curse someone is to desire the worst for that person and expressing that desire publicly through criticism, defamation and in caustic, derisive language.
The noun ara represents open, public expression of emotional hostility against one’s enemy.
Preacher's Bible Commentary commenting on the noun ara, writes, “The ‘curse’ in New Testament times was not so much a ‘swear word’ as we would think of it. It meant the use of words which of themselves held the power to bring about the desired effect of their malediction. Springing from a bitter root, this practice was prevalent enough to strike fear in the hearts of all, even to the point of death in some. (Briscoe, D. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. The Preacher's Commentary Series, New Testament. 2003; Thomas Nelson)
David makes mention of the curses of his enemies.
Psalm 109:1-20, “O God of my praise, do not be silent! For they have opened the wicked and deceitful mouth against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without cause. In return for my love they act as my accusers; But I am in prayer. Thus they have repaid me evil for good and hatred for my love. Appoint a wicked man over him, and let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is judged, let him come forth guilty, and let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few; Let another take his office. Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. Let his children wander about and beg; And let them seek sustenance far from their ruined homes. Let the creditor seize all that he has, and let strangers plunder the product of his labor. Let there be none to extend lovingkindness to him, nor any to be gracious to his fatherless children. Let his posterity be cut off; In a following generation let their name be blotted out. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out. Let them be before the LORD continually, that He may cut off their memory from the earth; Because he did not remember to show lovingkindness, but persecuted the afflicted and needy man, and the despondent in heart, to put them to death. He also loved cursing, so it came to him; And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him. But he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, and it entered into his body like water and like oil into his bones. Let it be to him as a garment with which he covers himself, and for a belt with which he constantly girds himself. Let this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, and of those who speak evil against my soul.”
The Lord prohibited Israel from cursing Him or the ruler of their people.
Exodus 22:28, “You shall not curse God, nor curse a ruler of your people.”
The Lord prohibited Israel from cursing a deaf man.
Leviticus 19:14a, “You shall not curse a deaf man.”
Solomon counsels Israel to not curse a king or a rich man.
Ecclesiastes 10:20, “Furthermore, in your bedchamber do not curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known.”
The apostle Peter cursed when he denied knowing the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 26:69-75, “Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, ‘You too were with Jesus the Galilean.’ But he denied it before them all, saying, ‘I do not know what you are talking about.’ When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ And again he denied it with an oath, ‘I do not know the man.’ A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, ‘Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.’ Then he began to curse and swear, ‘I do not know the man!’ And immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, ‘Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.”
Church age believers are prohibited from cursing their enemies.
Romans 12:14, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”
James also makes mention of cursing in James 3, which deals with the subject of the untamed tongue of man.
James 3:1-12, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.”
The entire human race was under a curse because they did not keep the Law of God.
However, the Lord Jesus Christ became a curse for the entire human race in order that members of the human race could be saved from eternal condemnation and receive the promise of the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:10-14, “For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.’ Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.’ However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, ‘HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.’ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us -- for it is written, ‘CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE’ in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
Romans 3:14, “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS.”
“BITTERNESS” is the noun pikria (pikriva) (pik-ree-ah), which is a state of sharp, intense resentment or hate toward another and can be directed at God or one’s fellow human being.
The noun pikria, “bitterness” is a mental attitude sin that is a brooding, irritable, resentful, and bears a grudge toward another and is usually the result of some petty disagreement and destroys homes, marriage, churches and friendships.
Proverbs 14:10, “The heart knows its own bitterness, and a stranger does not share its joy.”
David writes of his experiences with bitter people.
Psalm 64:1-6, “Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; Preserve my life from dread of the enemy. Hide me from the secret counsel of evildoers, from the tumult of those who do iniquity, who have sharpened their tongue like a sword. They aimed bitter speech as their arrow, to shoot from concealment at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him, and do not fear. They hold fast to themselves an evil purpose; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, ‘Who can see them?’ They devise injustices, saying, ‘We are ready with a well-conceived plot’; For the inward thought and the heart of a man are deep.”
Barclay commenting on the word, writes, “the Greeks defined (pikría) as long-standing resentment, as the spirit which refuses to be reconciled. So many of us have a way of nursing our wrath to keep it warm, of brooding over the insults and the injuries which we have received. Every Christian might well pray that God would teach him how to forget.” (Barclay, W: The Daily Study Bible Series, Rev. ed. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press)
Believers are prohibited from getting involved with bitterness and are commanded to forgive others as God in Christ has forgiven them (See Ephesians 4:17-5:2).
Hebrews 12:15, “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.”
Warren Wiersbe has this insightful comment concerning “bitterness” in relation to the believer, he writes, “An unforgiving spirit is the devil’s playground and before long it becomes the Christian’s battleground. If somebody hurts us, either deliberately or unintentionally, and we do not forgive him, then we begin to develop bitterness within, which hardens the heart. We should be tenderhearted and kind, but instead we are hardhearted and bitter. Actually, we are not hurting the person who hurt us; we are only hurting ourselves. Bitterness in the heart makes us treat others the way Satan treats them, when we should treat others the way God has treated us. In His gracious kindness, God has forgiven us, and we should forgive others. We do not forgive for our sake (though we do get a blessing from it) or even for their sake, but for Jesus’ sake. Learning how to forgive and forget is one of the secrets of a happy Christian life.” (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor)