Romans 3.15-The Eleventh Charge in a Thirteen Count Indictment Against Mankind
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday October 25, 2007
Romans: Romans 3:15-The Eleventh Charge in a Thirteen Count Indictment Against Mankind
Lesson # 87
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 ten of the charges in the thirteen count indictment brought against the human race by God in Romans 3:10-14.
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 3:13-14 emphasize the depraved character of the accused from the standpoint of their conversation with each other.
This evening we will study Romans 3:15 in which Paul presents the eleventh charge, which emphasizes the conduct of unregenerate man.
Romans 3:10-15, “As it is written, ‘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. THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING, THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS. THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD. DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.’”
Romans 3:15-17 is an abridgment of Isaiah 59:7-8a, which describes the sins of the citizens of the nation of Israel.
Isaiah 59:7-8, “Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, devastation and destruction are in their highways. They do not know the way of peace, and there is no justice in their tracks; They have made their paths crooked, whoever treads on them does not know peace.”
Romans 3:15, “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD.”
In Romans 3:15, “THEIR” is the intensive personal pronoun autos (au)tov$), which refers to each and every member of the human race without exception who are enslaved to the old Adamic sin nature and Satan’s cosmic system and spiritually dead.
“FEET” is the noun pous (pouv$) (pooce), which contains the figure of “synecdoche of the part” where the feet of unregenerate man is put for his entire person.
“SWIFT” is the adjective oxus (o)cuv$) (oz-oos), which means, “quick” and pertains to that which is rapid in motion implying eagerness to do something.
The adjective oxus indicates that unregenerate humanity are “quick” to commit murder meaning that they are prone to violence in order to solve their problems and will murder at the slightest provocation.
“TO SHED” is the verb ekcheo (e)kxevw) (ek-kheh-o), which is employed with the noun haima, “BLOOD” as an idiom that literally means, “to shed or pour out blood” and means, “to cause the death of someone by violent means, thus “to murder.”
“BLOOD” is the noun haima (ai!ma) (hi-mah), which denotes the physical blood of a human being and is used with the verb ekcheo, “to shed” to form an idiom that speaks of committing murder.
Murder is one of the sins that God hates.
Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are six things which the LORD hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.”
The Word of God prohibits murder according to Exodus 20:13.
Exodus 20:13, “You shall not murder.”
1 John 3:11-15 teaches that if we hate our fellow believer then we are a murderer.
1 John 3:11-15, “For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”
John gives us an example of the active form of hate with Cain murdering his brother Abel.
Genesis 4:1-16, “Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, ‘I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD.’ Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?’ If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it. Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’ And he said, ‘I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?’ He said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground.’ Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth. Cain said to the LORD, ‘My punishment is too great to bear!’ Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me. So the LORD said to him, ‘Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.’ And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him. Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.”
Murder is to be punished through capital punishment according to Genesis 9:6.
Genesis 9:1-6, “And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.’ The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given. Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.”
Genesis 9:5-6 records for us the establishment of the fourth and final divine institution.
These four institutions are systems of authority designed to protect the freedom of members of the human race, both unbeliever and the believer.
(1) Volition: You have authority over your own soul (Gen. 2:16-17).
(2) Marriage: Husband has authority over the wife (Gen. 2:22-24).
(3) Family: Parents have authority over the children (Gen. 4:1).
(4) Government: Government has authority over its citizens (Gen. 9:5-6).
Murder is a violation of the first divine institution, which is volition.
The government has the responsibility to practice capital punishment in order to protect the freedom of its citizens.
Genesis 9:5-6, “Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.”
“I will require” is the verb darash (vr^D*) (daw-rash), which is a judicial term used with reference to both men and animals and expresses the fact God seeks “restitution” for murder by the execution of the murderer or the animal who has taken a human life.
The fifth provision stipulated that as a result of the total depravity of mankind, God instituted capital punishment in order to protect both animal and human life and to curb violence and be a deterrent to crime.
The reason why this provision is given is found in the phrase “for in the image of God, He (the Lord) made (`asah, “modeled”) (the soul of) man.”
The emphasis of this stipulation recorded in Genesis 9:5-6 does “not” refer to vengeance but rather justice and the careful recognition of the sacredness of the divine image in man, though marred by sin.
Murder is a shocking affront to God and a terrible crime against one’s fellow man.
Before the Flood the lack of capital punishment led to blood vendettas (Gen. 4) and without instinctive fear, the animals corrupted their behavior.
Genesis 9:5-6 records the institution of human government where God delegated authority to mankind as His agents in exacting retribution by capital punishment upon those who take a human life indicating as well that this is not a personal matter but a social obligation.
Before the Flood, there was no formal arrangement of human government and thus no formal punishment of crime or of crime prevention, even for the capital crime of murder, as evident in the individual histories of Cain and Lamech.
The absence of human government and the total depravity of mankind led to a universal state of violence and anarchy, which resulted in the judgment of the Flood.
God established capital punishment and thereby human government in order to prevent the conditions of the antediluvian period from developing again.
Numbers 35:30-34, Deuteronomy 17:6-7 and 19:15 teach that capital punishment “cannot” take place unless there are two or more witnesses to the crime and that they all agree in their testimony after being individually interviewed.
Capital punishment is taught in the Old Testament (Ex. 21:12, 15-17; 22:2, 18-20; Num. 35:6-34; Deut. 19:1-13; 24:7) and in the New Testament (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13).
The fact that capital punishment was instituted does “not” mean that there is never to be an exception to the punishment of execution for the crime of murder.
With God, justice may be tempered with mercy, in response to repentance.
For example, David was guilty of the capital crimes of murder and adultery in the case of Uriah and Bathsheba respectively and God forgave David when he confessed his sin and thus David instead of dying by stoning or the sword as he deserved, “died in a good old age, full of days, riches and honor” (1 Chron. 29:28).
Also, the woman caught in the act of adultery was guilty by the Mosaic Law of a crime punishable by death (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22) and the Lord Jesus seeing her heart of repentance, was moved to forgive her and to see that she was set free (Jn. 8:3-11).
In like manner, a judge or a governor is warranted in taking such mitigating factors as may exist in a given situation into consideration in determining a sentence, legal penalty of capital punishment.
The essential point is that man was delegated authority and responsibility of human government by God and that this responsibility first entails the recognition of the sacredness of human life and that man is created in the image of God and the recognition of capital punishment as the just and legal penalty for murder.
It is clear that the authority for capital punishment implies also the authority to establish laws governing human activities and personal relationships, which if unregulated would lead to murder, robbery, adultery, thus this instruction to Noah is the fundamental basis for all human legal and governmental institutions.