3:1 Therefore what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the value of circumcision?
Paul created an imaginary opponent who was asking him some tough spiritual questions. The next question asked was "Since circumcision will not save the Jews, and since the Jews are no better than the pagan, unsaved Gentiles (in fact, even worse since they had more light). then what is the advantage of being a circumcised Jew?"
3:2 Actually, there are many advantages. First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
Paul answered the question of his imaginary opponent. Of all of the nations in the world, God chose the Jews to receive, record, and preserve the Word of God. All of the Gentiles need to be thankful to the Jews, because without their tedious preservation of the Scriptures, they would not exist. Notice also that only the Jews were entrusted with the Scriptures. This means that Luke was Jewish, not a Gentile, as so many of the commentaries falsely teach.
3:3 What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God?
The imaginary opponent asked Paul another question. "What happens next? Since most of the Jews throughout history have rejected Jesus as their Messiah, does this nullify the promises that God made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Jeremiah, and all of their descendants?
3:4 Absolutely not! Let God be proven true, and every human being shown up as a liar, just as it is written: “so that you will be justified in your words and will prevail when you are judged.”
Paul answered this question of his imaginary opponent in the strongest Greek negation. The majority of the bible teachers in the world would disagree with the Apostle Paul on this issue. They would not answer this question with a resounding "no", as Paul did. Instead, they would answer with a resounding "yes".
The majority of denominations, churches, pastors, and bible teachers falsely teach Covenant Theology, or Replacement Theology, meaning that God is finished with Israel and he has transferred the promises that were given to Israel to the church. These false teachers are claiming that since the nation of Israel rejected their Messiah, then they have given up their opportunity to receive the land that was promised to the nation of Israel. According to Numbers 34:3-12, God specifically told the Israelites that they and their descendants would one day receive all of the land from the exact borders of the Nile River, the Tigris-Euphrates River, and the Mediterranean Sea. The link below gives a graphic illustration of the land that was promised to the Israelites.
The covenant theologians, replacement theologians, amillennialists, and post-millennialists teach that God is a liar. They teach that God is an Indian-giver. They teach that God changed his mind and he is no longer going to keep his promise to Israel. Instead, they teach that this promise will now be transferred to the church.
If the reader takes Deuteronomy 34:3-12 literally, then God will have to raise from the dead Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and all of the other Jewish believers who have lived throughout history, place them in the exact dimensions of this promised land, and give it to them as an eternal possession. If God does not do this, then he is a liar. If he lied about this promise, then how can one trust God on his other promises give to believers about eternal life?
If the reader does not take this passage literally, and he decides to spirtualize it to make it fit his own theology, then he has made himself his own interpreter. This is very dangerous. The first rule of hermeneutics is "if the perfect sense of Scripture makes perfect sense, then seek no other sense." If every bible teacher spiritualized the passages of the Bible, then there would be thousands of different interpretations for each verse. To study the Bible, one must read every passage literally in the way that it was written from the original languages. The Holy Spirit does use figures of speeches (such as similes, metaphors, personification, exaggeration, and even sarcasm), but all of these figures of speeches are used to express a spiritual concept or biblical doctrine. Humans cannot spiritualize every passage of Israel and make it mean the church. This is the great crime of replacement theologians.
95% of the bible commentaries teach replacement theology. This false theology is also taught by the Catholics, Anglicans, most Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, Church of Christ, Nazarenes, most charismatics, all of the cults and isms, and most other main-line denominations. The average Christian does not have enough bible doctrine to realize that he is supporting a church that teaches replacement theology heresy. Since 95% of commentaries teach replacement theology, then Christians who do study are using heretical resources. Satan has a monopoly on all of the seminaries, commentaries, and bible translations, but the average Christian does not possess enough bible doctrine to see this connection. The only defense against this kind of subtle attack is the mastery of bible doctrine from the entire counsel of the Word of God.
The main point of this verse is that those who teach that God has nullified his promises to Israel are liars. God is not a liar. The advantage for the Jew is that God will keep his promises that he made to Israel. They will be raised from the dead and planted back in the land of Israel forever.
3:5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is he? (I am speaking in human terms.)
The imaginary opponent of Paul asked another tough question, "Since the sinners demonstrate the righteousness of God, then is it right for God to use man's sin in order to glorify himself?
Paul answered as a human, but his answer was still inspired by the Holy Spirit. His answer in the Greek expects a "no" answer. His answer is "Man's sinful nature demonstrates the grace, or the kindness, of God.
3:6 Absolutely not! For otherwise how could God judge the world?
Paul used the strongest possible Greek negation to answer this question. The answer is "God is in no way unjust. The sin of man glorifies God by not only showing his righteousness, but it also show his grace, and his reason for judging the world."
3:7 For if by my lie the truth of God enhances his glory, why am I still actually being judged as a sinner?
The imaginary opponents asked another tough question to Paul, "If sin glorifies God, then how can he turn around and judge their sin?"
3:8 And why not say, “Let us do evil so that good may come of it”? – as some who slander us allege that we say. (Their condemnation is deserved!)
The imaginary opponent asked another question, "If sin glorifies God, then should we not sin more so that God can be glorified even more?" After Paul established a church, then Juadaizers would wait for Paul to leave town. They would sneak into the churches with "letters of authority" and claim that Paul was teaching them error in order to make profit. They falsely claimed that Paul was teaching them to sin more so that they could receive more grace from God.
The Condemnation of the World
3:9 What then? Are we better off? Certainly not, for we have already charged that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin,
The Greek word for "charged" is προαιτιάομαι (proaitiamai), an aorist middle indicative verb, meaning that Paul himself was immediately making a legal accusation in court. The legal accusations was that all Jews and Gentiles are alike in that they are all born into sin and they will all die in their sin. They are all short of being declared innocent before God. Therefore, they are all condemned and none of them will enter into God's heaven. Paul is going to prove these legal accusations from seven sources of the Old Testament.
3:10 just as it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one,
This is a quotation from Psalm 14:1-3. The evidence that Paul provided in this imaginary court of Law came from the written Word of God. The evidence that Paul provided was that there has never been a Jew or Gentile throughout the entire history of the world who has even been righteous.
God is the Judge, so he determines what is right and what is wrong. He decides who is right and who is wrong. As Judge, God is the one who sets the standards of who gets into his heavenly kingdom and who does not. He decides who will co-reign with him and who will not. He decides who will burn in the Lake of Fire and who will not.
According to this Psalm, which was one of the national songs of Israel, no man is righteous, not even one. No man will be allowed into the heavens. Every man is judged and the verdict is guilty. Every man will burn in the Lake of Fire forever. This includes every Jew and Gentile who has ever been born.
God has a company of elect angels who did not rebel against him at Satan's fall. They are not men, they have never sinned, and they are all righteous. If God left man alone, then he would still have fellowship with his angels. However, his angels would not be able to watch and experience the grace of God, which is one of God's finest characteristics. They would only know the judgement of God, which is God's strange work.
3:11 there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God.
Music is powerful. This national song of Israel (Psalm 14), inspired by the Holy Spirit, taught that there was not a single man in all of history who has ever understood God. Not only does man not understand God, but he does not even seek God. If man does not seek God, then how can man be saved?
This verse teaches the total depravity of man. Man is so totally depraved and evil, that he does not even seek God. There is no divine spark in man, such as those of the Renaissance taught. Man does not have enough good in him that he will eventually choose God, as the Arminians teach. If God leaves man completely alone, then no man will understand God or seek God. Every man will reject God and burn in the Lake of Fire forever. Because of his condition, man is in a terrible place. God must act on his behalf, or mankind is doomed forever.
3:12 All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.”
Paul has already explained that God has given revelation to man through nature, conscience, and revelation. However, this makes no difference to man. He is uninterested in God or in the things of God. These three types of revelation will not produce in man the desire to seek God. Instead, man will turn from God and turn to idolatry. He will worship the creation rather than the Creator.
Instead of going down the narrow road which leads to life, they have all chosen to follow the path of the wide and broad road which leads to destruction.
The Greek word for "worthless" is ἀχρειόω (achreiow), meaning sour or spoiled fruit. When man turns away from God, then he becomes like spoiled fruit to God. He becomes a deadly animal that serves the satanic world system. Since they are incapable of developing agape love, then they will instead love the world. They will show kindness to the satanic world system, which is showing kindness and acceptance to evil. They will not have the spiritual capacity to show kindness to God, his people, or the things of God.
3:13 “Their throats are open graves,they deceive with their tongues, the poison of asps is under their lips.”
Those who reject God have throats that are open graves. Open graves contain dead bodies that have been decaying. They stink and they are not pleasant to observe. When the Great Physician says "Open up and let me check your throat", he finds that man is dead and decaying on the inside. When God looks down from heaven, he does not observe a sweet little boy or girl. He sees a stinky, dead, decaying corpse.
When the Great Physician examines the tongue, he does not find a tongue that praises God. Instead, he finds a tongue that is used to build and glorify the satanic world system.
When the Great Physician diagnoses the lips, he sees that they speak the words of poisonous vipers. The words of those who reject God are like deadly, poisonous vipers that are hidden in the grass, waiting to strike and kills its victim.
3:14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
Those who reject God do not use their mouths to praise God. They use their mouth to curse others and bring bitterness into their lives. Profanity is prevalent not only in the ditch digger performing manual labor, but also in the mouths of college professors who are training future leaders.
3:15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
This is a quotation from isaiah 59:7. Those who reject God are violent. They show no regard for human life, unless it is their own. They would murder and kill if the civil law allowed them to do so. This is why God ordained civil law in chapter 13. It was created to protect man from himself.
3:16 ruin and misery are in their paths,
Those who reject God exist not to bring glory to God, but to bring ruin and ministry to anyone who crosses their path.
3:17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
The natural man is looking for peace, but he cannot find it. The natural man will eventually desire peace at such intensity, that he will exchange his freedom for a one world dictator who will promise "peace and safety". This dictator will be called the Antichrist. Those who reject Christ will "accept another who comes in his own name".
Man and God are hostile enemies. Man is evil, but God is good. Man cannot enter God's kingdom in his totally depraved and evil condition. The only way that a man can have peace with God is if man believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. However, he cannot make this choice, because of his total and depraved sinful nature. He cannot make this choice, unless God seeks him and changes his attitude.
3:18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Men who reject God live as though there is no God. They do whatever they please, because they have suppressed the knowledge of God deep into their consciences. In fact, they even flaunt their rebellious attitude and shake their fist at God.
3:19 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 may be held accountable to God.
Man cannot hang his hat on the Mosaic Law. It is like jumping out of an airplane and expecting a parachute, but a heavy rock pops out instead. The Mosaic Law does not save man, but it condemns him. It shows man that he is a sinner and he needs a Savior. It shows man that he is a dead man, on his way to execution, unless someone steps is and saves him.
The pagans had knowledge of God through creation. The cultured Greeks had knowledge of God through conscience. The Jews had knowledge of God through revelation. All three of these groups had knowledge of God, but all three of these groups rejected God. Therefore, all three groups are guilty before God.
3:20 For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
The "first" law does not have the Greek article, meaning the internal law given to all men. The second "law" does have the Greek article, meaning the Mosaic Law.
The Greek word for "justified" is δικαιόω (dikaiow), a future passive indicative verb, meaning a court room term where the judge listens to the verdict and decides that the party is innocent, or not guilty. The Works of the Law is the Mosaic Law, which accuses a man of being guilty before God. Once a man knows the Law, then he must keep it, or be judged by it. God's standard is perfection. If one cannot keep the Law perfectly, then he is guilty of all of it and he must face the punishment, which is eternal death.
3:21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God (which is attested by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed –
There is no Greek article, so this verse should be translated as "a righteousness of God". Since Paul has proven that man cannot obtain his own righteousness, then God must provide the righteousness. The Law and the Prophets was a synonym for the Old Testament. The Old Testament confirmed this same doctrinal truth.
3:22 namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction,
The righteousness of God comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no distinction between the Jews and Gentiles. Both groups must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
The pagans had failed to live up the the light given to them through creation. The cultured Greeks had failed to live up to the light of conscience. The Jews had failed to live up to the light of revelation. All three of these groups had failed to live up to the light that God had given them. They all fell short of the glory of God.
Paul has proven in this court case. using seven references from the Old Testament, that there is no distinction between Jews and Gentiles. They are all sinners. They have all fallen short of God's standards. God's standard is perfection. No one can get into heaven unless God declares them as perfect.
3:24 But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
The Greek word for "freely" is δωρεάν (dorean), meaning without a cause. In John 15:25, Jesus was hated "without a cause." There was no basis for anyone to hate Jesus, but they did.
The Greek word for "justified" is δικαιόω (dikaiow), a legal term, meaning a judge who listens to a court case and finds the accused as a righteous person. There was no basis for God to justify anyone, but he did. He could have sent everyone to the Lake of Fire, because no one sought after God and not one chose God. However, God declared all believers innocent through the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Greek word for "redemption" is ἀπολύτρωσις (apolutrwpois), meaning to appease God by offering a sacrifice for the crime. Redemption was the price that Jesus Christ had to pay for believers to be declared not guilty. The price was the innocent and pure blood of the God-man. Now, every believer is secure "in Christ". The believer is baptized "in Christ", meaning that no one can touch the believer, unless God allows them to do so. The believer is completely secure in Christ.
3:25 God publicly displayed him at his death as the mercy seat accessible through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because God in his forbearance had passed over the sins previously committed.
God displayed Jesus publicly as the mercy seat. In the Mosaic Law, once a year on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest had to pour the blood of an unblemished lamb on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. This removed the sins of Israel for one year. The next year, the High Priest had to repeat the process. The mercy seat was a picture of Christ.
God was patient with man for a long time. For a long time, God winked at the sins of mankind. He set up a temporary ritual to demonstrate the atonement of the Messiah who was to come. Every lamb that was sacrificed on the altar looked to the future Messiah. John the Baptist introduced the Lord Jesus Christ as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world". God placed Christ on the cross publicly so that the entire Roman world and the entire angelic world could observe the love that Christ has for mankind. God did this, even though every single man in every minute of history rejected God.
3:26 This was also to demonstrate his righteousness in the present time, so that he would be just and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus’ faithfulness.
The entire angelic world, both angels and demons, were able to observe firsthand the love of Christ. God proved that he was just and righteous.
3:27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded! By what principle? Of works? No, but by the principle of faith!
Since man would never choose God, and since God had to choose men for salvation, then there will be no boasting in heaven. Every believer will have to humbly claim that he was on his way to the Lake of Fire, but because God was kind to him, God chose him off of the broad road leading to the Lake of Fire, and placed him on the narrow road which leads to eternal life.
3:28 For we consider that a person is declared righteous by faith apart from the works of the law.
The conclusion is that man is justified by faith, not the Mosaic Law.
3:29 Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles too? Yes, of the Gentiles too!
Salvation was the same process for both Jews and Gentiles. Both find peace with God by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
3:30 Since God is one, he will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
There is not one God for the Jews who requires , by keeping the Mosaic Law and another God for the Gentiles who requires faith. There is only one God and one method of salvation for both Jews and Gentiles.
3:31 Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not! Instead we uphold the law.
The Mosaic Law was not useless. The Mosaic Law was not given for salvation. The Mosaic law revealed sin, but faith removed sin.
