Do You Need the
Gospel?
Background Passage: Romans 3:1-20
Lesson Passage: Romans 3:1-12; 18-20
Introduction: Paul’s indictment against the human race reached a crescendo in Romans 3:1-20. Chapter One, verses eighteen through thirty-two, centers on the sins of the entire human race; then, Chapter Two narrows the focus to the particular sins of the Jewish people. The apostle challenged the common Jewish claim that their pedigree and the practice of circumcision offset their rampant disobedience to God. The first eight verses of Chapter Three continue Paul’s concern with the Jews. He anticipated three objections that the Jews might have raised to the points the apostle made in Chapter Two. Then, having dealt thoroughly with these objections, Paul concluded this section of Romans with a final, powerful summation of the sinfulness of mankind.
Bible students may wonder if the objections raised in Romans 3: 1-8 arose from real-life conflicts or from Paul’s considerable wisdom in anticipating, in theory, how his opponents might argue. We must avoid dogmatism on this matter, but the Acts of the Apostles records several conflicts between Paul and his Jewish antagonists. Years of missionary experience, no doubt, had sharpened the apostle’s awareness of potential objections to the gospel. One can imagine that Paul encountered many tense and heated exchanges with the Jewish religious leaders. They probably peppered him with questions intended to ensnare him in his words. These questions, of course, were not intended to acquire information; rather, Paul’s opponents hoped to get ammunition against the apostle. Paul may have encountered these three objections, in one form or another, on a host of occasions during his missionary journeys. He answered these questions forcefully and biblically.
Verses nine through twenty provide a summary statement concerning the sins of the world. Line upon line, the apostle quoted passages from the Old Testament that subsume the entire human race under the just condemnation of God.
Outline of the
Passage:
I.
Paul’s
Answers to Jewish Objections to the Apostle’s Theology (3:1-8)
A.
Objection
One: “Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?”
(vv. 1-2) Paul’s observations about the
Jews, the law, and circumcision may have mistakenly led some to conclude that
these things had no value. Paul disputed
that false conclusion. The Jews enjoyed certain privileges; namely, they
possessed the “oracles of God.” The word
translated “oracle” means words or sayings. This statement clearly refers to
the Old Testament. “Entrusted” denotes
not only great privilege but also great stewardship.
B.
Objection
Two: “What if some were unfaithful? Does their unfaithfulness nullify the faithfulness
of God?” (vv. 3-4): In other words, did the unfaithfulness of
1.
“By no
means”: Paul recoiled from such a
blasphemous suggestion.
2.
“Let God
be true though every one were a liar”: The apostle asserted the absolute
faithfulness and veracity of God. It was
unthinkable to Paul that any circumstance could reveal God as an unfaithful
liar.
3.
“As it
is written, ‘That you may be justified in your words and prevail when you are
judged’”: Paul quoted a portion of Psalm 51:4.
In this Psalm, King David expressed his profound repentance for his sin
with Bathsheba. David knew that his
sins, though harmful to many people, had ultimately been against God. Whatever sinfulness may have characterized
David’s conduct, the Lord was justified and blameless in his judgments of the
King’s sins.
C.
Objection
Three: “But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God,
what shall we say? That God is
unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak as a man.)” (vv. 5-8): The
sinfulness of the Jews highlighted the glorious righteousness of God. They sinned against God’s kindness to them,
and the Lord manifested his righteousness by judging their disobedience; thus,
their sin served as a means of revealing the righteousness of God. If their sins highlighted the righteousness
of God, how could God bring judgment upon them?
Paul answered this objection in four ways.
1.
“I speak
as a man”: Paul acknowledged the unworthy, base nature of this objection. This type of reasoning, he agued, would only
seem persuasive to a sinful man.
2.
“By no
means”: The whole proposition seemed distasteful and repugnant to Paul.
3.
“For
then how could God judge the world?”: If
one follows the “logic” of the objector, God could not judge anyone in the
world.
4.
“Their
condemnation is just”: Those who reason
in such a manner will be condemned for their obstinacy.
II.
Paul’s
Final Indictments (3:9-18)
A.
All men
are under sin (v. 9): Corley and Vaughan list several ways of interpreting
“under sin.” Perhaps the term includes all of these elements.
1.
under
the guilt of sin
2.
under the
control of sin
3.
under
the condemnation of sin
B.
Old
Testament quotations concerning the universal sinfulness of man (vv. 10-18)
1.
“None is
righteous, no, not one…” (See Psalm 14:1-3)
2.
“Their
throat is an open grave…” (See Psalm 5:9
and Psalm 140:3)
3.
“Their
mouth is full of curses and bitterness” (See Psalm 10:7)
4.
“Their
feet are swift to shed blood and in their paths are ruin and misery” (See
Isaiah 59:7-8)
5.
“There
is no fear of God before their eyes” (See Psalm 36:1)
Paul’s Concluding Remarks (vv. 19-20): Paul
made three concluding assertions.
1.
All men
are under the law; that is, all men are accountable to the righteous demands
and authority of the law (v. 19).
2.
The law
shuts the mouths of men. Their
rationalizations and excuses fall silent before the holy, just demands of the
law (v. 19b).
3.
Works of
the law ca never justify a man before God; indeed, justification is not the
purpose of the law. The law functions,
in part, as a diagnostic force. It
detects the horrible maladies that plague the human race. The law brings an end to all excuses, and
reveals man’s utter helplessness against the disease of his own sinfulness.
Discussion Questions: