Romans chapter 3

by Keith Simons. Free online Bible course and commentary from the Useful Bible Study Centre.

Why God gave the Bible firstly to the Jews

(Romans 3:1-2)

Paul has shown us that people in every nation should respect God. They should learn about his power and his greatness from the things that he has made (1:19-20). Also, from their conscience (their personal judgement about what is right or wrong), they should know something about how God wants them to live (2:14-15).

However, people across the world chose not to live as God wanted them to live. They gave honour to the images of false gods (1:23); they wanted to please themselves (1:24-25). In the end, people were carrying out every kind of evil deed (1:29-31).

God was right to be angry with them (1:18). However, God is very kind. He decided to give people a new and clearer way that they could know him. He himself would declare his word to them, in the Bible (Psalm 19:1-11). From his law, they could learn how to live (Psalm 1:1-3). When people study God’s word, God himself is their teacher (Psalm 119:33-36).

However, wicked people were not ready to receive the precious gift of God’s word (compare Matthew 7:6). So, God chose one particular man, Abraham, who trusted him (4:3). From that one man, God made a great nation, called Israel or the Jews (Hebrews 11:12). They are a holy nation; ‘holy’ means that God has separated them for himself (Hosea 11:1).

God gave the Bible firstly to their nation. God’s plan is that by means of them, he shows his kindness to the people in every nation (Genesis 12:1-3; Romans 11:11-12; Romans 15:8-12). Therefore, the Bible is God’s gift to the whole world (15:4).

God is right to make his judgement against our evil deeds

(Romans 3:3-6)

God would not give his holy law to an unholy nation. So, he separated one nation, called the Jews, to be his holy nation. To them he gave his law, by means of Moses.

However, most of the people at the time of Moses refused to trust God (Hebrews 3:7-19). God had trusted them with his holy law, but they would not trust him. Although God has a permanent relationship with their nation, those people did not themselves have a right relationship with him.

Those people were not loyal to God. However, of course, God’s word is still true. Their wrong actions could not change God’s perfect character. Their evil deeds only proved that God was right to make his judgement against them (Psalm 95:11).

David recognised that fact in his own experience. Paul repeats his words from Psalm 51:4. David had been guilty of a series of evil acts; the Psalm was his prayer to ask God to forgive him. David confessed that God’s judgement against him was right. God’s judgements are perfect.

Therefore, people’s evil deeds only show more clearly that God is right. It is foolish to say that God’s anger against our evil deeds is wrong. Instead, we must turn to God, because God is our judge too.

God does not want to punish us for our evil deeds. He wants to forgive us, as he forgave David (Romans 4:6-8; Psalm 51:10-17). However, for that to happen, we must first understand that our evil deeds offend God. Then we must confess to God the guilty state of our lives. Then we must invite Christ into our lives. God can forgive us because of Christ’s death (5:6-9).

Can we use evil methods to achieve good results?

(Romans 3:7-8)

The first Christians had many enemies who often spoke cruel or untrue things against them (1 Corinthians 4:11-13). In Romans 3:8, Paul records one of the things that those enemies were saying.

The enemies lied that Paul and his companions used evil methods in order to achieve good results. Of course it was not true. Paul believed that God’s people must always be careful not to carry out evil acts. God wants Christians to live in the right way that pleases him (Galatians 5:22-23). That, of course, is how Christians should still behave today.

It seems likely that those enemies were saying that untrue thing for a particular reason. Paul has just referred to someone who lies in order to prove the truth of God (verse 7). Perhaps the enemies were saying that Paul was lying in order to convince people to become Christians. However, Paul was pleased that he declared God’s message in a very clear manner (2 Corinthians 4:2). He did not use clever arguments, but instead he spoke simply about Christ, and about the death of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).

We know, however, that some Christians are not so sincere. Even some Christian leaders do not explain God’s message in a completely honest manner. Perhaps they want to impress other people; or perhaps they care more about the results than about their methods. Their enemies could make such a statement as appears in verse 8 about them; if they did, it would not be a lie, but the truth. It was a shock for Paul that people were saying such things about him. It is very unsatisfactory if people could say this truthfully about a Christian today.

Everybody is guilty of sin

(Romans 3:9-12)

Paul has already shown that the problem of sin (people’s evil thoughts, words and actions) affects all people from every nation. They are all guilty in front of God - but not all for the same reasons. Some people knew how God wanted them to live; but they chose on purpose not to obey him. Other people did not know God’s law; they simply followed their own wrong desires. However, the result is the same: sin separates people from God (Isaiah 59:2). Until God deals with a person’s sin, it is impossible for that person to have a right relationship with God.

Paul did not want people to believe that fact simply because he taught it. He believed that the Bible is God’s word (1:2; 15:4). So, he wanted to show his readers that God had already said those things, in the earlier books of the Bible.

For that reason, in verses 10-18, Paul repeats a series of 8 short passages from elsewhere in the Bible. Those passages come from 3 different books. Most of them are from the Book of Psalms, but Paul also refers to the Books of Ecclesiastes and Isaiah.

In verses 10-12, Paul begins with words from a Psalm that the Book of Psalms itself repeats: Psalm 14 or Psalm 53. He also includes some words from Ecclesiastes 7:20. The Psalm is particularly about people who choose to act wickedly. They behave as if there is no God. However, the problem of sin does not only affect the most wicked people. God looks down from heaven and he sees the true state of people’s lives. They have all turned away from him. The Book of Ecclesiastes agrees. Nobody only does what is completely right. Nobody is good enough to earn for themselves a right relationship with God.

Evil words are sin

(Romans 3:13-14)

One ancient form of poetry in the Hebrew language mentions several parts of the human body in turn. The poem says something about each part. There are examples in Proverbs 6:12-14 and Song of Solomon 4:1-5.

Paul uses such a poem here, although he is actually writing in the Greek language. Its words are not original; it brings together Bible passages from the Book of Psalms and Isaiah. Paul probably chose to use this form of poetry in order to show that sin (evil thoughts, words and behaviour) controls every part of people’s lives.

Paul first uses words that David wrote about his enemies, in Psalm 5:9 and Psalm 140:3 and lastly, Psalm 10:7. These verses contain a series of word-pictures about different parts of a person’s mouth. People speak with their mouths; therefore these word-pictures are about evil words. Fierce and dangerous animals kill with their mouths; therefore these word-pictures are also about cruelty.

David’s enemies used cruel and evil words against him because they wanted to catch him and to kill him. Paul’s purpose is to show us that God is the judge of our words as well as our actions (compare James 3:1-12).

We might protest therefore that David was writing about the words of the most cruel and wicked people. Paul has used these passages to describe everybody’s evil words. However, Paul has proved that bad words can cause evil things to happen. So, nobody should imagine that their wrong words do not offend God. When we all stand in front of God as our judge, he will know about our wrong words (Matthew 12:36-37). Then we will be unable to defend ourselves; we will be silent as he declares his judgement (3:19). Of course, God desires to forgive our wrong words, even as he wants to forgive our evil actions (Exodus 34:6-7). That is possible only because Christ died for us (5:8).

Sin destroys human society

(Romans 3:15-18)

Paul repeats words from Isaiah 59:7-8 to show the effect of sin (evil thoughts, words and deeds) upon human society. Evil thoughts and words can be truly terrible, of course; but it is people’s evil deeds that especially destroy human society.

In the passage from Isaiah, wrong behaviour had spread across the nation. Everyone was acting for their own benefit. Nobody cared about what was right and proper.

That was why there was so much cruelty. People were behaving like the fierce wild animals that move quickly in order to kill. Important and powerful people were behaving like the worst thieves, who do not hesitate to murder. People were causing so much pain and trouble. “Peace” refers to the calm and content attitude that comes from a right relationship with God. Without God, people did not know how to be calm and content. They did not have a right relationship either with God, or with anyone else.

Perhaps we do not live in such a bad society as Isaiah did. However, we can all recognise the troubles that Isaiah describes. We can see many of the same attitudes in our own nations, and even in our own lives. That is because the effects of sin have not changed. Sin still causes the same troubles; and it is in everyone’s lives.

Paul ends his list of verses about sin with Psalm 36:1. People do not fear God; in other words, they do not respect God. If they did, they would give him the proper place in their lives. They would truly love him (Mark 12:30); they would gladly obey his law. When people do not give God his proper place in their lives, that is sin - and that is the state of people everywhere.

God’s law shows us that we need God to save us

(Romans 3:19-20)

God wrote his law in order to show people how they should live. He wanted them, from the law, to understand clearly his standards for their lives. Even without the law, people should have known such things from their conscience, their personal moral judgement (2:14-15). However, God’s law declares clearly what he considers to be wrong. For example, see the commands in Exodus 20:1-17.

It was a shock for Israel’s people when God declared his commands to them. They thought that they would die (Exodus 20-18-21). They could see that their lives did not reach God’s standards.

Paul has just given a series of Bible verses about people’s evil deeds (verses 10-18). Those verses come from the parts of the Bible that God originally gave to Israel’s people. So, of course, those verses are mainly about the people who belonged to Israel. However, as Paul says in verse 9, the message in those verses is for everyone, from every nation. God’s standards are the same for all people; all people are responsible to God for their evil deeds, words and thoughts. God is the judge of everyone.

Paul makes an important statement in verse 20, which he will explain further in chapter 4. Many people try to obey the law and by that, to earn a right relationship with God. However, they have not understood God’s law, because we cannot earn a right relationship with God by our own efforts.

From God’s law, we should recognise our own evil deeds. Then we should understand that we need him to save (rescue) us from our own sin (wrong and evil words, thoughts and deeds). We cannot save ourselves; we need Christ to save us, by his death. We must confess our sin to God, and we must come to him in faith (active belief and trust in God). God can forgive us because of his grace (kindness).

A right relationship with God depends on faith in Christ

(Romans 3:21-22)

God’s law, in the Bible, teaches us his standards for our lives. We are all guilty of wrong and evil deeds. So, nobody can gain a right relationship with God by their own efforts. Our works (efforts) to obey God’s law cannot earn us a right relationship with God (verse 20).

However, God’s law does teach us how we can receive a right relationship with God. So do the books of the prophets (the holy men who recorded their messages from God in the Bible). The law and the prophets teach that a right relationship with God depends on faith - not on people’s efforts. (Faith means active belief and trust in God).

In chapter 4, Paul will show that fact from actual passages in the law and the prophets. First, however, he explains the nature of that faith and its effects. God does not approve of every kind of belief that people may have. Paul is referring to faith, or trust, in Christ; in particular, to what Christ achieved by his death. By his death, Christ suffered all that God’s law demanded (Hebrews 10:8-14). In other words, he suffered the punishment for our evil deeds in order to give us a right relationship with God.

Our faith (or trust), therefore, must be in what God has done. If we depend on our own efforts, we are not trusting in God. We need God to rescue us from our own evil deeds, from the devil and from death. Only God can rescue us from such things; only God can provide us with true safety (Psalm 62:1; Jonah 2:9). Only God can give us real life (John 10:10), and a relationship with him that never ends (John 3:16; Romans 8:18-21).

The most serious problem in the world

(Romans 3:23)

The Bible teaches that the most serious problem in the world is sin. Sin means people’s wrong and evil thoughts, words and actions. We are especially aware of people’s wrong behaviour because of the trouble that it causes. However, that is not the only reason why the Bible considers our sin to be so serious. In addition, sin separates people from God (Isaiah 59:2). It completely ruins the relationship that people should have with God.

In Romans 3:23, Paul explains that fact very clearly. Paul disagrees very strongly with the idea that only a few evil people are responsible for the sin (evil) in the world. God is perfect and his standards (see Exodus 20:1-17) are perfect. None of us live by his standards and therefore we are all guilty (see also James 2:10-11 and 1 John 1:8-10).

That is true for people from every nation. That fact mattered very much for Paul, because of his special task to declare God’s message to people from different nations (Galatians 2:7). If the problem of sin affects people from every nation, then God’s remedy for sin is for people from every nation. Therefore, it is now possible for people from every nation to receive a right relationship with God, because of Jesus.

Jesus is God’s solution to the problem of sin. In other words, when Jesus died, he suffered the punishment for people’s sin (5:8). The Bible urges us to turn from our sin (Acts 2:38) and to receive him into our lives (John 1:12). We must come to him by faith; in other words, we must trust him (3:22). Then God will forgive us, and our right relationship with God will begin (4:1-8).

God can forgive us because of Christ’s death

(Romans 3:24-25)

In verse 23, Paul writes that, in God’s opinion, we are all guilty of wrong and evil acts. So now, of course, we would expect to read about God’s anger against us. However, Paul astonishes us. Instead of God’s anger, Paul writes about the greatness of God’s kindness. God does not want us to suffer his punishment; he wants to show us his kindness. God offers freely to forgive us; and that is possible because of Christ’s death for us.

Our best efforts to obey God’s law cannot give us a right relationship with God (verse 20). However, God offers us that relationship freely because of his grace, his great kindness. Paul describes that offer as the offer of ‘redemption’. Redemption is when someone buys freedom for a prisoner, or for a slave. In the same way, God can free us from the power of the devil, of evil deeds, and of death (1 Corinthians 15:55-57; Hebrews 2:14-15).

We would expect there to be a payment for redemption; however, we cannot pay God to forgive us. Instead, God himself paid the cost by the death of Christ (verse 25). Here, Paul uses the language of sacrifice. The sacrifices were the animals that people offered to God (Leviticus 17:11). In the same way, God can accept us because of Christ’s blood (that is, his death). Christ died so that God can show us his kindness and not his anger. We must receive his kindness by faith; that is, we must put our trust in God. Christ suffered our punishment so that we can have a right relationship with God.

The righteous Lord loves righteousness

(Romans 3:26)

Psalm 11:7 says, ‘the righteous Lord (God) loves righteousness’. To be righteous is to be right and good; righteousness is goodness. God is completely good (James 1:17); he loves what is good and right.

It is at the death of Christ that we see God’s goodness most clearly. God is the good and perfect judge of all people (Genesis 18:25); therefore, he must punish our evil deeds. However, God is so good that he cares even for evil people (Ezekiel 18:32; Jonah 4:11; Romans 5:6-7). So he provided a way by which they could receive a right relationship with him.

God’s plan was that he himself would accept the punishment for people’s wrong and evil deeds. For that reason, Christ, who is God the Son, entered the world (Philippians 2:6-8; Hebrews 1:1-3). He only did what was right and good (1 Peter 2:21-24). However, people dealt cruelly with him (Isaiah 53:1-7) He suffered cruelty, shame, insults and, in the end, death.

Christ deserved no such punishment; he was guilty of no crime (Luke 23:4). Romans 5:8 gives the explanation: Christ died for us. That is, he died for those who have faith (trust) in him. The effect of his death is to justify them, in other words, to make them righteous. They themselves are not perfect but, because of Christ’s death, God forgives them (1 John 1:8-9). So now, they start to live in the way that pleases God.

That shows how much God loves righteousness. He has made it possible for people to become righteous, and he did it by a completely righteous method.

Christians must not be proud

(Romans 3:27-28)

It seems that a lot of people were speaking proudly in the first Christian churches. They were proud about their family origins (2 Corinthians 11:21-22); or they were proud about what they had achieved. (2 Corinthians 10:12). Paul did not approve.

A person can only have a right relationship with God because of what Christ has done. Nobody deserves that, and nobody can earn it. It is God’s free gift to us, because of his great kindness. So we have no right to be proud; instead, we should have a humble attitude, and we should be grateful to God.

God saves (rescues) us from our evil deeds, from the devil and from death. He does it when we have faith (trust) in him. However, we do not even have the right to be proud about our faith. Our faith is God’s gift to us (Ephesians 2:8-9).

We are all guilty of many wrong and evil acts (3:23). Our behaviour has made us into enemies of God (5:10). If we really could stop all our wrong acts, that might be a reason to be proud (4:2). However if we try then we fail (7:14-21). Even if someone succeeded, that person would still not have a right relationship with God. That is only possible because of Christ, because it is a gift of God.

So Christians must not be proud. They are not better than other people are. Their relationship with God is entirely the result of God’s great kindness.

By faith, people from every nation can know God

(Romans 3:29-30)

In the ancient world, each nation had its own god, or, more usually, several gods. In conversation, it was usual to refer to the god of a particular nation. People believed that their nation’s god supported their nation in various ways, for example in agriculture or in war.

Only one nation, called the Jews or Israel, accepted the real God as the God of their nation. It was God himself who established that relationship with them. He gave them his law, and he made wonderful promises to their nation (9:4-5).

God is therefore the God of the Jews (John 4:22), but he is not only the God of their nation. He is the God who created heaven, and earth and everything (Genesis chapter 1). All people receive their life from him (Acts 17:24-25). Therefore, all people belong to him, whether they know him or not. There is no other real God; he is the only true God (Deuteronomy 6:4).

In other religions, people establish a relationship with their god by the things that they do. For example, they offer gifts to their god, or they carry out certain ceremonies. However, the real God wants us to receive our relationship with him by faith; that is, by trust in him.

We may ask, therefore, why God gave his law. Romans 3:20 says that our efforts to obey God’s law cannot give us a right relationship with God. Only by faith in Christ’s death can we receive such a relationship. The explanation is that God’s law appears in the first 5 books of the Bible. Those books clearly teach that people must come to God in faith (4:1-5). Therefore, our message about faith does not make God’s law weaker. Rather, that message proves the importance of God’s law.

Do Christians have to obey God’s law?

(Romans 3:31)

In Matthew 5:17-18, Jesus spoke about the importance of God’s law. Paul expresses his agreement here. The first Christians were eager in their support for God’s law (Acts 21:20).

That causes a problem for many Christians today. They read the many rules and commands that appear in the first 5 books of the Bible. There, they find many commands that are clearly important to follow for moral reasons (see Exodus 20:1-17). However, they also find many rules and ceremonies which seem to have no moral purpose. Several of those rules would be difficult or impossible to follow today. So Christians ask which rules they must follow. However, Jesus insisted that the whole law remains important.

Perhaps an explanation of the word ‘law’ will help us to understand this better. The word in the Hebrew language is TORAH. The real meaning of TORAH is lessons or instructions. God gave his TORAH not to control people by rules, but to teach them how they should live. From it, they would learn how to live in the manner that pleases him. In particular, they would learn to have a relationship of faith (trust) in God, because the TORAH teaches that (4:1-5).

So God’s law, or the TORAH, means the first 5 books in the Bible, and the lessons that they teach. Those books, and the rest of the Bible, are the word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). So, of course they do not change, because God does not change his opinions (James 1:17). We obey the commands that we should obey for moral reasons. However we should study the whole of God’s law and the whole Bible, as God gives us the opportunity. God wants to teach us from all of the Bible; its lessons are important for our lives. We can learn important lessons even from the rules about the ceremonies that we do not carry out today (see for example, Hebrews chapter 9).

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