Untitled Sermon

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

Self Righteousness and the Gospel - True righteousness is not the result of human effort.

Universality of sin

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

sin and judgement dealt with - 1:18-3:20

righteousness 3:1-

letter sent from Corinth to church in rome predemonatly gentile with jewish minority

Paul had never been to Rome, but Christians had been there for several years. We do not know how the church began in Rome. Most likely it started sometime shortly after Pentecost when new believers returned home and started to spread the gospel (see Acts 2:10–11).

Paul understood the importance and influence of a strong church in Rome. He wanted to strengthen the existing work in that place initially through the letter and secondly by visiting them (1:8–15; 15:14–33).

Dockery, D. S. (1998). The Pauline Letters. In D. S. Dockery (Ed.), Holman concise Bible commentary (p. 541). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

One important purpose for the letter was to alert the Romans of his coming so they could help him with his journey to Spain (15:24, 28). Paul wanted to inform them of his plans and have them pray for their fulfillment (15:30–32).

In addition to this missionary purpose Paul stated the means by which the righteousness of God had been revealed (1:17).

Dockery, D. S. (1998). The Pauline Letters. In D. S. Dockery (Ed.), Holman concise Bible commentary (pp. 541–542). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

The major theme is the righteousness of God.

(i) Both Gentiles and Jews are equally guilty in face of God’s righteousness (1:18–3:20). This is in spite of the many privileges of the Jews.

Guthrie, D. (1996). Romans, Epistle to The. In D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible dictionary (3rd ed., p. 1024). InterVarsity Press.

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

developer under sin, righteous

how were they turning away/aside? (good, practice kindness)

throat open grave (foul talk)

tongue (lies, deceive)

deet (murder)

ruin and misery (destruction and distress)

they don't know where to find peace.

no one will be declared righteous (works of the law no person will be declared righteous, no human being will be justified in God's sight

held accountable (is guilty before God).

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

notice ALL are not righteous (all translations clear)

understanding and seeking is called out

fear of God clear (all translations clear)

law applies to whom it was given, purpose is to keep people from having excuses and to show that the entire world is guilty before God

law makes us conscious, come to knowledge, simply shows us ... our sin.

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

Rhetorical Question 3:5-9, Allusion (not a direct OT quote), OT quote

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

Rhetorical Question (are we any better) is followed by to scripture sharing the truth we are all the same, sinners who need a savior.

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

3:1-8 God 's Faithfulness (God remains faithful)

3:9-20 No one is righteous, All are sinners

3:21 ... where righteousness comes through, faith.

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

Paul is drawing a logical conclusion based on the previous sections (1-2).

Asks a question - Dw we have any advantage?

Not at all and here is why 9b - all under the power of sin

10-18 comparison to OT to show the truth of this statement.

v19 - Reminds us of Romans 2:12 and 3:9

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

v10-18 answering by pointing to OT

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

LAW (law breaker)

The law is the one revealed will of the one God. It can thus be personified (Rom. 3:19; 7:1). On occasion the nómos may be the Pentateuch (cf. Rom. 3:21

Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985). In Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume (p. 652). W.B. Eerdmans.

RIGHTEOUS (right, justice)

HAVE ADVANTAGE (no other translations of this lemma) 2. In the NT. In the use in Rom. 3:9 there are three possible meanings. First, Paul might be asking: “Do I make excuses?”—but this is unlikely. Second, the point might be: “Are we [the Jews] surpassed?”—but this is awkward. Third, and most simply, Paul is asking: “Have we an advantage?” Having dealt with various arguments in vv. 5ff., Paul asks whether the Jews are any better off, and he rejects the notion. God’s promises do not relieve the Jews of the guilt of ch.

Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985). In Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume (p. 937). W.B. Eerdmans.

DECLARED RIGHTEOUS (justified, proved right, considered righteous, set free, acquitted, innocent)

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

*** SIN

The early church believed that Jesus’ death and resurrection inaugurated the new age, though they did not maintain that the old age had fully passed away. Thus, the early Christians find themselves still living in the world surrounded by sin until the second coming of Christ and the new creation. Therefore the ethical demands for Christians are even more exacting than before Christ. Christians are called to live as members of the new covenant, with the law of Christ written on their hearts, not merely refraining from certain acts but purifying their hearts and minds and uniting their will to that of God.

Moreover, sin comes to be seen not merely as the act of doing something wrong, nor even the act of thinking something wrong, but as an internal, impersonal force within each person and within the church, closely connected with the very personal force of Satan, who seeks to turn people away from God. Thus, in addition to the traditional Jewish metaphors for sin, we see in the New Testament battle imagery applied to one’s struggle against sin. Paul, for instance, calls the church in Rome “conquerors” (Rom 8:37) and calls truth, righteousness, and watchfulness the armor of God against the forces of evil (Eph 6:14–15). Similarly, those enslaved to sin find their redemption in Christ (Rom 8:15).

Henderson, J. J. (2016). Sin. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, L. Wentz, E. Ritzema, & W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Lexham Press.

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

Ps 5:9 Ps 10:7 Ps 140:3 Ps 36:1

Isaiah 59:7 -8

Ps 14:1-3

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

Concordance | Intertext

Ro 3:10—As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Citation

Source: Psalm 14:1

Ro 3:10—As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Allusion

Source: Psalm 53:1

Ro 3:10—As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Allusion

Source: Ecclesiastes 7:20

Ro 3:11—there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Citation

Source: Psalm 14:2

Ro 3:11—there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Allusion

Source: Psalm 53:2

Ro 3:12—All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Citation

Source: Psalm 14:3

Ro 3:12—All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Allusion

Source: Psalm 53:3

Ro 3:13—“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.”

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Citation

Source: Psalm 5:9

Ro 3:13—“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.”

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Citation

Source: Psalm 140:3

Ro 3:14—“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Citation

Source: Psalm 10:7

Ro 3:15—“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Allusion

Source: Proverbs 1:16

Ro 3:15–16—“Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways,

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Citation

Source: Isaiah 59:7

Ro 3:16—ruin and misery mark their ways,

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Allusion

Source: Proverbs 1:16

Ro 3:17—and the way of peace they do not know.”

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Citation

Source: Isaiah 59:8

Ro 3:17—and the way of peace they do not know.”

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Allusion

Source: Proverbs 1:16

Ro 3:18—“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Corpus: New Testament

Relationship: Citation

Source: Psalm 36:1

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

under the law

universality of sin

justified by faith

knowledge of sin

Romans 3:10-12 : Ps 14:1-3 - Ps 53:1-3

Romans 3:13 : Ps 5:9 Ps 140:3

Romans 3:14 Ps 10:7

Romans 3:15-17 Pr 1:16 Is 59:7-8

Romans 3:18 Ps 36:1

Romans 3:20 Ps 143:2

Romans 3:9–21 NIV

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “The poison of vipers is on their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

Contents: The common guilt of both Jew and Gentile. Justification by faith, not by the law.

Characters: God, Jesus.

Conclusion: The sum of all sin is coming short of the glory of God for which we were created—therefore all the world stands guilty before God, unable by any works to gain acceptance with God. Justification before God is resolved thereby purely into the free grace of God through Jesus Christ to all who will receive it as a free gift.

Key Word: All under sin, v. 9.

Brooks, K. (2009). Summarized Bible: Complete Summary of the New Testament (p. 43). Logos Bible Software.

God’s righteousness is revealed in condemnation against the sinful human race.

Witmer, J. A. (1985). Romans. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 449). Victor Books.

v9:

Jews have advantages over Gentiles (2:17–20a; 3:1–2), but God does not give them preferential treatment.

Witmer, J. A. (1985). Romans. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 449). Victor Books.

Apart from the indwelling Holy Spirit people cannot exhibit this fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). They have no inner spiritual capacity whereby they can normally and automatically exercise genuine kindness toward others. Instead sin causes them to be selfish and self-centered.

Witmer, J. A. (1985). Romans. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 449). Victor Books.

These seven condemnatory phrases end with the words not even one, which are also in Romans 3:10. This repetition stresses that not a single exception in the human race (except, of course, the Son of God) can be found.

Witmer, J. A. (1985). Romans. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 449). Victor Books.

Fearing God (i.e., reverencing Him by worship, trust, obedience, and service) is the essence of a godly person (cf. Job 28:28; Prov. 1:7; 9:10; Ecc. 12:13). So for a Jew not to fear God was the height of sin and folly. In these verses (Rom. 3:10–18) Paul left no basis whatsoever for Jewish readers to say that his point that Jews are sinners contradicts the Old Testament!

Witmer, J. A. (1985). Romans. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 450). Victor Books.

The Mosaic Law is an instrument not of justification but of condemnation.

Witmer, J. A. (1985). Romans. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 450). Victor Books.

‘Well then,’ the interlocutor proceeds, ‘you have said that it is an advantage to belong to the Jewish nation. Does it not follow that we Jews are superior to those Gentiles who lack the privileges we enjoy?’ ‘No indeed,’ says Paul; ‘we may have received greater advantages, but we are in fact in no better case than they are. They have sinned, it is true; but then, so have we.

Bruce, F. F. (1985). Romans: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 6, pp. 102–103). InterVarsity Press.

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. N. A. Dahl omits ‘No, not at all’ (following the uncial P) and takes the preceding question to mean ‘What do we hold before us as a defence?’ (answer: ‘Nothing; we are all alike held fast by sin’).

Bruce, F. F. (1985). Romans: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 6, pp. 103–104). InterVarsity Press.

*** summed up ****

The pagan, rejecting the revelation of God in nature and pursuing a lifestyle that was both idolatrous and degrading, was deserving of the wrath of God (Rom 1:18–32). The Jews, who had the law but failed to put it into practice, received no benefit from their privileged position (Rom 2:1–3). What does all this imply?

Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 107). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

3:9-12

This entire section reflects a courtroom scene (the accusation in v. 9, the evidence in vv. 10–17, the courtroom setting in v. 19, and the verdict in v. 20).

(Jews commitment to the truthfulness of scripture would have a difficult time deny to what it says to Paul's point:

To substantiate his claim that both Jew and Gentile stand accused before the bar of divine justice, Paul cited a collection of Old Testament verses. Once again we hear the rhetoric of the evangelist as he urged people everywhere to recognize their need for salvation

No one has genuine understanding (v. 11). If they fully understood the consequences of sin, they would not live as they do. By nature people simply do not seek out or search for God. This insight will come as a surprise for many moderns. People throughout the world are often pictured as seeking God through the various paths offered by different religions. Paul would not agree. It is true that they may be seeking some sort of religious experience, but that is not at all the same as seeking God. Scriptures teach that it is God who takes the initiative. He is the one who seeks us; not the other way around.

Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, pp. 108–109). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Jesus said that “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt 12:34). Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in the conversation of the ungodly. Although the speech of many believers is not as gross as that of their unsaved neighbors, it often is more like the world than the courts of heaven (see Col 3:1–3).

Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 109). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

The way of peace is unknown to those who turn from God. Their lives are marked by unrest and lack of genuine satisfaction. They live out their days haunted by a dim vision that there must be something in life that would satisfy their deeper longings.

Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, pp. 109–110). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

we participants in this fallen world tend to minimize the difference between our own conduct and the expectations of a holy God. In view of what God intends, humans fall lamentably short (cf. Rom 3:23).

Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 110). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

3:19–20 Paul’s Jewish audience would have known that the law was applicable only to those who were under its jurisdiction (Rom 2:12). What they apparently were not aware of was that the law placed them in a defenseless position. Rather than providing access to the favor of God, it served to silence any attempt on their part to argue personal righteousness. The law spoke to them “so that no one may have anything to say in self-defense” (NEB

Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 110). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Once again Paul reiterated the theme that was so difficult for his Jewish audience to understand and accept. No human being can be brought into a right standing with God on the basis of doing what the law requires. Why? Because the law makes a person conscious of sin. It reveals that we are unable to live up to the righteous requirements of a holy God. Law encourages effort. But human effort inevitably falls short of the divine standard. The purpose of the law is to guide conduct, not to provide a method to stand before God on the basis of one’s own righteousness. Phillips notes that “it is the straightedge of the Law that shows us how crooked we are.”

Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, pp. 110–111). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

*** next week ***

Paul had now made his case. People have turned from the knowledge of God revealed in creation and degraded themselves. The Jew, who has the law, has not obeyed the law and is therefore no better off than the Gentile. Both Jew and Gentile fall under the condemnation of sin. Is there hope? In the verses that follow we will be introduced to the righteousness of God, a righteousness that has nothing to do with our performance but everything to do with God’s provision in Christ.

Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 111). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

The third declaration was obvious, for Paul had already proved (charged) both Jews and Gentiles to be guilty before God. Next he declared that all men were sinners, and proved it with several quotations from the Old Testament. Note the repetition of the words “none” and “all,” which in themselves assert the universality of human guilt.

Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 521). Victor Books.

These verses indicate that the whole of man’s inner being is controlled by sin: his mind (“none that understandeth”), his heart (“none that seeketh after God”), and his will (“none that doeth good”). Measured by God’s perfect righteousness, no human being is sinless. No sinner seeks after God. Therefore, God must seek the sinner (Gen. 3:8–10; Luke 19:10). Man has gone astray, and has become unprofitable both to himself and to God. Our Lord’s parables in Luke 15 illustrate this perfectly.

Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 521). Victor Books.

In Romans 3:13–18, Paul gave us an X-ray study of the lost sinner, from head to foot. His quotations are as follows: verse 13a—Psalm 5:9; verse 13b—Psalm 140:3; verse 14—Psalm 10:7; verses 15–17—Isaiah 59:7–8; verse 18—Psalm 36:1. These verses need to be read in their contexts for the full impact.

Romans 3:13 and 14 emphasize human speech—the throat, tongue, lips, and mouth. The connection between words and character is seen in Matthew 12:34: “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” The sinner is spiritually dead by nature (Eph. 2:1–3), therefore only death can come out of his mouth. The condemned mouth can become a converted mouth and acknowledge that “Jesus Christ is Lord” (Rom. 10:9–10). “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matt. 12:37).

Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 521). Victor Books.

Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, pp. 107–108). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 107). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Paul has been cutting away any grounds we may think we have for being right in God’s sight. It makes uncomfortable reading, both for the unreligious person and, perhaps more so, for the professing Christian. In this section, Paul moves relentlessly toward his conclusion: that “no-one will be declared righteous in [God’s] sight by observing the law” (Romans 3:20).

Keller, T. (2014). Romans 1–7 for You (C. Laferton, Ed.; p. 65). The Good Book Company.

We learn much from the very fact that Romans 3:1–8 is here.

These verses are thus best understood as a Q+A session between Paul and his imagined reader:

Keller, T. (2014). Romans 1–7 for You (C. Laferton, Ed.; p. 65). The Good Book Company.

All Lost

“What shall we conclude then?” (v 9). Here is where Paul has been leading us since 1:18. And the conclusion is: everyone is “under sin.” “There is no one righteous” (3:10). To be “under sin” and to be “unrighteous” are the same thing. To be unrighteous is a positional term; we stand before God not in right standing with him, or others, because we have wronged him and them. To be “under sin” is a legal term; we are citizens of sin. It is as though we all have a spiritual passport, which shows our legal citizenship. It is either stamped Under sin or Under grace. And Paul’s astounding statement is that Jews and Gentiles, religious and unreligious, are all under sin. The person who lives a life of tremendous immorality and debauchery, who fits every description of 1:18–32, and the person who is conscientious and moral are alike under sin.

This does not mean that every person is as sinful as every other person. It means that our legal condition is the same. We are all lost, and there are no degrees of lostness.

Keller, T. (2014). Romans 1–7 for You (C. Laferton, Ed.; pp. 66–67). The Good Book Company.

*** ILLUSTRATION ****

Imagine three people try to swim from Hawaii to Japan. One cannot swim at all; he sinks as soon as he gets out of his depth. The next is a weak swimmer; he flounders for sixty feet before drowning. The third is a championship swimmer and swims strongly for a long time. But after thirty miles he is struggling; after forty he is sinking; after fifty miles he drowns. Is one more drowned than the others? No! It doesn’t matter at all which swam further; none were anywhere near Japan, and each ends as dead as the others. In the same way, the religious person may trust in morality and the pagan indulge in sensuality, and neither comes close to a righteous heart. They are equally lost, equally condemned to perish. We “alike are all under sin” (3:9).

Keller, T. (2014). Romans 1–7 for You (C. Laferton, Ed.; p. 67). The Good Book Company.

How Sin Affects Sinners

Next, Paul gives a long list of sin’s effects on us. Not only do we need to accept that we are sinners; we need also to begin to grasp the problem of the reality of our sinfulness. As Paul provides layer after layer of evidence, we see in stark terms who we are, and what this means for us. There are seven effects that sin has:

This is a detailed, depressing list. It also contains two particularly surprising claims, and a striking conclusion. Paul claims that “no one … seeks God” and that “no one … does good.” “No fear of God” is both a summary of, and the pointer to the antidote for, our sin.

Why Seekers Aren’t Seeking God

Seeking after God (3:11) should be understood in its obvious meaning. It is a desire to know the true God, to find and enjoy him; a desire to worship, appreciate and rejoice in him for who he is.

Many will say: Paul has gone too far here. I know many people who aren’t Christians and who don’t go to church—but they pray, and they think hard; they are searching profoundly for the truth. And then there are people in other religions, too. And after all, I was once a seeker, and I found God!

But Paul isn’t saying: No one seeks for spiritual blessings or No one seeks God to answer their prayers or No one is seeking to have spiritual power or peace or experiences. He does not say these things because many, many people do them. What Paul is saying is: No one, prompted by their own decision and acting in their own ability, wants to find God.

Here’s what he means. Someone might have an intellectual interest in the possibility of God, or a philosophical conviction that there is a God. But that is not a real passion to meet with God. In fact, both can be a way of avoiding meeting the real God—if we can keep him in the realm of intellectual argument or philosophical construct, we can keep ourselves from having to deal with the objective reality of the true God.

Or, someone might have a problem in their lives and realize that they need forgiveness to deal with their guilt; or spiritual peace to deal with their anxiety; or power or wisdom to be able to and know how to move forward in life; or a mystical experience to deal with the emptiness they feel. But that is not the same thing at all as truly seeking to know, and be known by, the holy, living, sovereign, relational God. It is seeking what God can give us, but not seeking him.

Paul is saying that sinful self-centeredness controls all spiritual searching for meaning and experience, so that we will try simply to get blessings from God, keeping control ourselves and expecting (or demanding) that God serve us and shape himself to fit our needs. We won’t bow down before the living God, giving him control of our lives and futures, enjoying him for who he is and experiencing his blessings in relationship with him as we ask him to shape us as we serve him.

This means that anyone who is truly seeking God has been sought by God. If no one is capable of seeking God, then any human who is truly searching for him must have already undergone some change inside them that is caused by God’s Spirit, not their own. Jesus himself said: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44, see also v 65). Paul hopes for the ungodly that “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:25, ESV). Turning to God as Lord, and knowing the truth about who he is and who we are, are not things we do so that God will work in us; they are works God does in us so that we can find him.

When we consider our own path to finding God, we need to realize that we did not seek him out; he drew us to him. We decided to put our faith in him only because he had decided to give us faith. What difference does this make? You rejoice to see that God is not trying to hide from you, that all the things you know about him he has chosen to reveal to you. You are humbled by the truth that there is nothing better or cleverer in you which means you sought God; that you have nothing that you weren’t given (1 Corinthians 4:7). You are comforted and confident “that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). And you praise God with greater gratitude, because you know that everything about your salvation comes from him, from first to last. Salvation did not begin with you deciding to seek God, but with him choosing to seek you. You know that everything you have and are is by sheer grace. You sing:

’Tis not that I did choose thee, for Lord, that could not be;

This heart would still refuse thee, hadst thou not chosen me …

My heart owns none before thee, for thy rich grace I thirst;

This knowing, if I love thee, thou must have loved me first.

Questions for reflection

Keller, T. (2014). Romans 1–7 for You (C. Laferton, Ed.; pp. 67–71). The Good Book Company.

PART TWO

Why Goodness Isn’t Always Good

If it seemed an exaggeration for Paul to say that no one seeks God, it will certainly appear outrageous for him to claim that “no one does good” (Romans 3:12).

Now, how can Paul say this? After all, many non-Christians do many good things, using their talents and wealth in ways which are kind and generous and which make the world a better place. And the Lord Jesus himself commanded us to do “good works” (Matthew 5:16).

But we need to remember what kind of “goodness” Paul is talking about here. His focus is on our relationship to God, and whether our good deeds can fix that broken relationship; whether they can establish a righteousness of our own. The teaching is that, ultimately, our good deeds cannot do anything to get us saved. In fact, they can leave us further from, not closer to, righteousness.

The Bible sees a truly good deed as being good in form and in motive. For example, if you help an old lady across the street, that is good in form; it conforms to God’s will for our behavior. But why are you helping her? If it is because it is dark on the other side and you will be able to rob her; or (less extreme, and more likely) it is because you are hoping she will give you some money in gratitude; or because you have seen a friend further down the street who you know will notice and be impressed—then your good work arises from a selfish heart and selfish motives. But a good deed in God’s sight is one done for his glory, not our own (1 Corinthians 10:31).

The nineteenth-century preacher C.H. Spurgeon reputedly often told a story which gets to the heart of this:

Once in a kingdom long ago, a gardener grew a huge carrot. He decided to give it to his prince because he loved his sovereign. When he gave it, the prince discerned his love and devotion, and the fact that he expected nothing in return. So as the gardener turned to leave, he said: “Here, my son, I want to give you some of my land so that you can produce an even greater crop. It is yours.” The gardener went home rejoicing. A nobleman heard of this incident and thought: “If that is what the prince gives in response to the gift of a carrot, what would he give me if I gave him a fine horse?” So the nobleman came and presented the prince with a fine steed as a gift. But the prince discerned his heart and said: “You expect me to give to you as I did to the gardener. I will not. You are very different. The gardener gave me the carrot. But you were giving yourself the horse.”

If you know God loves you in Christ, and that there is nothing you can do or need to do but accept his perfect righteousness, then you can feed the hungry, visit the sick, and clothe the naked, and all of it will be done as a gift to God. But if you think you are going to get or keep your salvation by doing these good deeds, it is really yourself you are feeding, yourself you are clothing, yourself you are visiting. It is who we are serving in our hearts that matters, not how we are serving with our hands. Without faith in Christ, good deeds are not truly done for God, but for ourselves—and thus are not truly good.

This is why any goodness we have becomes sour. If we do good to gain God’s favor, blessing and salvation, and do well, we will be smug, superior, and complacent; if we do badly, we will be anxious, self-pitying, and angry. The “good deeds” done outside trusting the gospel will make a soul go sour.

All of us have to understand this to be saved Christians, rather than unsaved-but-religious people. The main difference between a Christian and a religious person is not so much their attitudes to their sins, but toward their “good deeds.” Both will repent of their sins; but only the Christian will repent of wrongly-motivated good works, while the religious person will rely on them. The eighteenth-century preacher George Whitefield said:

“Our best duties are as so many splendid sins … you must not only be made sick of your … sin, but you must be sick of your righteousness, of all your duties and performances. There must be a deep conviction before you can be brought out of your self-righteousness; it is the last idol taken out of your heart.”

(Sermon 58, from J.C. Ryle, The Select Sermons of George Whitefield)

No Fear

Verse 18 is Paul’s summary of everything he has said from Romans 3:10 onward. Where do the ignorance of God (v 11), willful independence from God (v 12), and selfish good deeds (v 12), words (v 13–14) and actions (v 15–17) come from? “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (v 18).

The “fear of God” is a central concept in the Bible. We are repeatedly told: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (eg: Psalm 111:10). It is the starting point for everything else; it is the stumbling block which bars everything else. What is the “fear of God”? The psalmist says something surprising: “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared” (Psalm 130:3–4). He “fears” God because God forgives sins! So the “fear of God” does not mean a servile, cringing fear of punishment. It means, rather, an inner attitude of awe, respect, and sober, trembling joy before the greatness of God. Another way to put this is in Psalm 16:8: “I have set the Lord always before me.” He is saying: My secret is that I live my life keeping the greatness of God always before me. I always think of his glory, love, and power; and I let who he is control me at all times. I live in light of him.

And so “fearing God” is the antidote to everything Paul says about sin. Take two of the effects of sin that Paul lists:

■ “No one … seeks God” (Romans 3:11). Sin is characterized by running from God. Sin makes you forget God, makes him unreal to you. It is the opposite of fearing God, in which your passion is to come before him and always think of him. So there are the two ways to live life: forgetting his reality, and being aware of his reality.

■ “Their throats are open graves” (v 13). It is only if the glory and love of God are unreal to you that you can lie or harm with the tongue, or that you can fight with people or be willful in the heart.

The Spiritual Condition of Silence

All the way through this section—even in 1:18–32, when he was talking about sinful pagans who deserve and experience God’s wrath—Paul has been speaking primarily to the “religious.” That is, he is talking to law-keeping, Bible-believing, self-righteous people. This is why Paul has quoted the Old Testament Scriptures in his description of the effects of sin in 3:10–18. This is what the “law” says people are like—and Paul has shown that the people whom it is describing are Jews as well as Gentiles. “Whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law” (v 19). It applies to everyone who knows and seeks to keep the law, just as much as to those who don’t know or don’t care about it.

So the effect of knowing the law should not be a proud claim that I am a good law-keeper, that I stand right with God. Its effect should be that: “every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God” (v 19). The law is not given to us so that, in observing it, we can “be declared righteous” (v 20), because we are all sinful. The law is not a checklist we keep; it is a benchmark we fail. “Through the law we become conscious of sin.” Whenever someone reads God’s law, however loyal, kind, thoughtful, generous or loving they are, their response can only be: I am a sinner. I have nothing to say to God—no defense to make or offer to make. I am in desperate trouble.

This is a bleak truth; but hard truth is better than sweet deceit. And it makes sense of what we see in and around us. The seventeenth-century mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal put it like this:

“Nothing offends us more rudely than this doctrine, yet without this mystery, the most incomprehensible of all, we are incomprehensible to ourselves.”

(Pensées, Section VII, 434)

A silent mouth is thus a spiritual condition. It is the condition of the person who knows that they cannot save themselves. As John Gerstner explains:

“The way to God is wide open. There is nothing standing between the sinner and his God. He has immediate and unimpeded access to the Savior. There is nothing to hinder. No sin can hold [you] back, because God offers justification to the ungodly. Nothing now stands between the sinner and God but the sinner’s ‘good works.’ Nothing can keep him from Christ but his delusion … that he has good works of his own that can satisfy God … All they need is need. All they must have is nothing … But alas, sinners cannot part with their ‘virtues.’ They have none that are not imaginary, but they are real to them. So grace becomes unreal. The real grace of God they spurn in order to hold on to the illusory virtues of their own. Their eyes fixed on a mirage, they will not drink real water. They die of thirst with water all about them.”

(Theology for Everyman, page 72–73)

“In the gospel, a righteousness from God is revealed” (1:16). All we need do is come to Christ with empty hands and receive his righteousness. What keeps people from salvation is not so much their sins, but their good works. If we come to God telling him that we are good, offering him the works of our hands as our righteousness, we cannot take the righteousness he gives by grace. We need to give up our goodness, and repent of our religiosity as well as our rebellion. We need to come with empty hands, and silent mouths, and receive.

Questions for reflection

Keller, T. (2014). Romans 1–7 for You (C. Laferton, Ed.; pp. 72–77). The Good Book Company.

The rhetorical question translated “Are we better than they?” in the NASB is actually one Greek word, the form of which could mean either “Are we making ourselves excel?” or “Are we being excelled?” Most translators opt for the former because it parallels the question Paul posed in 3:1. To link the two questions as synonymous, he introduces each with the Greek expression, “Ti oun,” or “what then?” But he then proceeds to answer the same question differently:

As it is written …

3:10–12

“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.”

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds;

There is no one who does good.

The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men

To see if there are any who understand,

Who seek after God.

They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;

There is no one who does good, not even one.

3:10–12

Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.

3:13

“Their throat is an open grave,

With their tongues they keep deceiving,”

“The poison of asps is under their lips”

There is nothing reliable in what they say;

Their inward part is destruction itself.

Their throat is an open grave;

They flatter with their tongue.

3:13

They sharpen their tongues as a serpent;

Poison of a viper is under their lips. Selah.

3:14

“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;

His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression;

Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness.

3:15–17

“Their feet are swift to shed blood,

Destruction and misery are in their paths,

And the path of peace they have not known.”

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.

3:18

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart;

There is no fear of God before his eyes.

“What advantage has the Jew?” “Great in every respect.” (3:1–2)

Are we [Jews] advantaged? “Not at all.” (3:9)

3:9

So, which is it? did the Jews have an advantage over Gentiles? The answer is yes … and no—depending upon how you look at it.

Suppose a multibillionaire were to visit your home with a proposition: “I want to give my money to the most needy people in the world and I want to funnel those funds through your personal bank account. As I make the deposits, you write the checks.” Now imagine ten years have gone by and no one was any better off than before. None of the recipients cashed their checks; even you failed to make a withdrawal for yourself. Did you have an advantage? Certainly! You enjoyed complete access to the billionaire’s wealth. Yet, in a practical sense, you gained nothing. Because you failed to withdraw funds for yourself, you’re no better off than the people who mindlessly tore up their checks.

The Hebrew people were given direct access to the truth of God as the agent of His Word, the means by which He would bless the world (Gen. 12:3; 22:18). Yet, just as the Gentiles “exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (1:25), so the descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob turned from God, causing His name to be “blasphemed among the Gentiles” (2:24). The Jew and the pagan are no different. Within each beats the same sin-sick heart.

3:10–18

A good friend of mine has been in the funeral business for more than thirty-five years. One particularly vivid conversation with him made a lasting impression on me. He said in a pensive tone, “I have seen what most people will never see. In my career, I’ve had just about every age, race, nationality, size, and religion represented on my coroner’s table. When you cut them open and look inside, they all look the same. And, let me assure you, it’s never pretty.”

In a final, dramatic flourish, Paul settles the issue of universal human depravity, leaving no room for argument or objection. And, in the time-honored tradition of a rabbi, he strings together the indisputable words of God like pearls. Note the apostle’s direct quotations and clear allusions from the Old Testament:

Paul lays humanity on the examining table and cuts through all outward appearance to expose what lies within.

Their throat is an open grave.

With their tongues they keep deceiving.

The poison of asps is under their lips.

Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

There is no fear before their eyes.

Their feet are swift to shed blood.

These are not my words or the words of any other human being. These are the charges of the Ultimate Judge against all of humanity—including you, including me. Does this sound too extreme? To raw? Perhaps you’re thinking, That may be true of the worst elements of humanity, but I’m not that bad. Let’s examine each charge in detail.

“There is none righteous, not even one” (3:10). We must, of course, remember that the standard by which our righteousness is measured is not merely the goodness of a very good person, but the unblemished, perfect character of God. God has placed the goodness of each person on a scale opposite His own perfection and no one—not even the best among us—has been, or can be, good enough.

“There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God” (3:11). The verb for “understands” means “to bring together,” not unlike what someone might do with puzzle pieces. “No one has put the puzzle together correctly so no one can see the picture.” Moreover, no one “seeks out” God by his or her own initiative. Only when people have no other choice do they turn toward Him. Francis Thompson captured this idea well in his poem, “The Hound of Heaven”:

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;

I fled Him, down the arches of the years;

I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways

Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears

I hid from Him, and under running laughter.

Up vistaed hopes I sped;

And shot, precipitated,

Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears,

From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.

But with unhurrying chase,

And unperturbed pace,

Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,

They beat—and a Voice beat

More instant than the Feet—

“All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.”

Some flee faster and longer than others—some to their grave—but none seeks Him apart from His pursuit.

“All have turned aside, together they have become useless” (3:12). “Turned aside” comes from a Greek term that combines ek, “out of,” and klinō, “to bend.” The meaning is to bend aside. Peter calls for believers to “turn away from evil and do good” (1 Peter 3:11). Instead, people “bend away” from God. The Lord designed us with certain needs that only He can fulfill, and rather than come to Him to satisfy those longings, we pursue fleeting, temporal, even destructive substitutes. Invariably, these substitutes not only fail to fill our longings, they leave us more empty than before.

“Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips” (3:13). Paul draws on the laments of David, who petitioned God to judge his enemies. To say that one’s throat is an open grave is to accuse him or her of giving destructive advice. Poisonous lips deliver a kiss of death. Perhaps, enemies disguised as friends offered counsel that nearly killed him.

Paul recasts David’s specific laments to draw a more general principle concerning false religions. Note: “… they keep deceiving.” Faith healers prey upon the pain of those willing to do anything, go anywhere, pay any amount to end their suffering. Mediums and channelers convince the distraught that a modest fee will help them communicate with their deceased loved ones. Religions of all sorts promise salvation in exchange for deeds of service or sacrifice. Preaching a false religion is no better than convincing cancer patients that aspirin will substitute for their prescribed treatments.

“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness” (3:14). Paul draws on another psalm, this time concerning the powerful and prosperous who live completely unaware of their coming judgment.

For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire,

And the greedy man curses and spurns the Lord.

The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him.

All his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

His ways prosper at all times;

Your judgments are on high, out of his sight;

As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them. (Psalm 10:3–5)

Let’s face it; we tend to think of God only when things stop working well. When the wheels of prosperity whirl and our creature comforts feel cozy, the Lord is the last thing on our minds. We may fire up a quick prayer of thanks, but no one seeks God or searches for spiritual insight during times of prosperity—not like we do when enduring harsh suffering.

“Their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace they have not known” (3:15–17). In 1954, William Golding published his Nobel prize-winning novel Lord of the Flies, which tells the story of British school boys shipwrecked and stranded on a small island. They began well, creating an ad hoc society that provided food, shelter, and safety for all, and even maintained a signal fire to attract passing ships. Before long, however, most of the boys abandoned their society for savagery, even to the point of killing some of the weaker boys to get what they wanted. A small minority chose to remain civilized. One crucial factor divided the savage boys from the civil: hope of rescue. Those who expected to be found and subsequently held accountable for their actions behaved well. Those who abandoned that hope saw no reason to keep their natures in check, and their depravity found complete expression.

Faith of Our Fathers

Paul taught and quoted from the Old Testament to demonstrate clearly that the righteous have always received their justification by grace through faith and not by obedience to God’s standard of goodness. Naturally, this raises the good faith question, “How were people saved by grace through faith before Jesus The answer has been and always will be, “Faith in God as He has revealed Himself.” If one genuinely believes, his or her belief will naturally result in obedience to God’s instructions. Nevertheless it is God’s grace that saves, and this grace can only be received through faith.

While God remains the same and never changes, He has nevertheless revealed Himself to humanity differently in times past, and His instructions have changed over time. The Lord revealed Himself to the people of Israel in the form of a glowing cloud above the ark of the covenant. He then instructed them to build a sacred structure, to obey certain rules of conduct, and to sacrifice animals when they inevitably failed. The genuine belief of those who had placed their faith in God could be seen in their obedience to His instructions. God’s grace, His revelation of Himself to Israel, saved those who believed. Meanwhile, their obedient response was a tangible expression of their genuine trust in Him.

We don’t go to a sacred temple or sacrifice animals anymore. In a dispensation “suitable to the fullness of the times” (Eph. 1:10), God perfectly revealed Himself in the form of a man, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. And, moved only by grace, He instructed, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:28–29). Those who respond to God as He revealed Himself in these latter days—that is, in the person of Jesus Christ—will be declared righteous by grace through faith, just like our Old Testament forefathers.

That’s human nature. The veil between savagery and civility—Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—is only as thick as our sincere belief that our actions have consequences. And history has shown that the veil is extremely thin.

“There is no fear of God before eyes” (3:18). This “fear” can take two forms, both of them proper in the right context. Those who oppose the goodness of God should tremble in terror because of His power. At some point in our lives, everyone should experience such fear. The right kind of fear leads to repentance and a restored relationship with Him. Unfortunately, many will not acknowledge their Creator and will continue to ignore the anger stored up against them (Rom. 2:4–5; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 16:1–21).

3:19–20

Paul concludes the first major section of his letter with a clarification of the Law and why God gave it, a point he will develop in the following section. The Lord never gave the Law with the expectation that anyone could keep it. He knew the outcome from the beginning because He recognized what we ourselves refuse to see, that humanity—Jew and Gentile alike—is lost to sin. Not sins, the things we have done. Sin, what we have become, inside and out, through and through. As one scholar has noted, if sin were blue, we’d be blue all over.

No Secrets with God

While every man, woman, and child conceived by a human father has a dark side that he or she never shows to anybody, nothing can be hidden from God. Humanity may sing our praises, but our Maker and Judge sees all.

• God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Sam. 16:7)

• Then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men. (1 Kings 8:39)

• Know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. (1 Chron. 28:9)

• You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. (Ps. 139:3)

• “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.” (Jer. 17:10)

• And [Jesus] said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15)

• And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (Heb. 4:13)

The grace of God’s Law cannot be found in the healing it brings, for it can only bring death to the guilty. As Martin Luther wrote, “The principle point of the law in true Christian theology is to make people not better but worse; that is to say, it shows them their sin, so that they may be humbled, terrified, bruised, and broken, and by this means be driven to seek comfort and so to come to that blessed [Christ].” But thank God for His Law! Thank God for His relentless, loving confrontation of our problem!

There are preachers today who don’t want to focus on the negative side of Christian truth; that is, the terminal disease of sin. They prefer to remain focused only on the positive, which sounds wonderful on the surface. But that’s like a doctor who only likes to talk about pleasant things. I can’t speak for you, but I don’t go to my doctor for smiles and compliments. I want the truth; the plain, ugly, unvarnished truth about my body. If he or she finds a tumor, I expect to know about it—right away. And if I have cancer, I want to know that I have cancer. Especially if it’s treatable!

God gave us the Law because He knows that the bad news of our terminal condition leads us to the good news: It’s treatable; there’s a cure. Best of all, the cure is 100 percent effective and 100 percent free! Small wonder it’s called “good news.”

Swindoll, C. R. (2010). Insights on Romans (pp. 69–76). Zondervan.

'Do we (Jews) have any advantage (advantage, better off)

ALL are UNDER the POWER of sin.

Where are these references from?

What would these references mean to the Jew and Gentile?

no one righteous, none!

understands - understands what?

seeks?

All Turned away

become worthless ... once were not?

nobody does good, none! (2nd time said this way)

'throats open graves' - what does this mean?

tongues - practice deceit

lips - poison of vipors (why vipors?)

mouths - FULL cursing and bitterness toward ????

feet (remember Eph 6:15)

'mark their ways' - how do other translations say this?

peace they do not know - fruit of not living God's way

no feare of God

Why do we know NOW? (that whatever the law says it says to those under it)

The whole world held accountable to God

KEY: because all sin and held accountable by God NO ONE will be DECLARED RIGHTEOUS in God's sight (notice not ours or others) because of the law. The law makes us conscious of our sin.

Untitled Sermon

1. Our legal standing. No one is legally righteous, and no one’s deeds can change that. We are guilty and condemned (v 10).

3. Our motives. “No one seeks God” (Romans 3:11b). None of us really want to find him; rather, we are running and hiding from him in all we do, even in our religion and morality (we’ll think more about this below).

7. Our relationship to God. “There is no fear of God before [our] eyes” (v 18).

1. How do you feel about Paul’s claim that “all [are] under sin”? Why do you feel like that?

2. How do you see the effects of your sin on your life, thoughts and relationships?

3. How do you respond to the truth that God sought you out before you sought him out? What difference will it make to you?

1. Why do rebels need the gospel? How would you explain this to someone who rejects the existence of God?

2. Why do good people need the gospel? How would you explain this to someone who thinks they are good enough for God?

3. Why do you need the gospel? How do you remind your heart of this when it is tempted to feel pride about goodness or despair about sin?

Ps. 14:1–3 (Ps. 53:1–3)

Eccl. 7:20

Ps. 5:9

Ps. 140:3

Ps. 10:7

Isa. 59:7–8

Ps. 36:1