week 13 day 1

Day 1

Read Romans 3
3:1–8 Paul will elaborate further on God’s faithfulness to Israel in Romans 9–11. At this point, Paul provided a correction to a possible misunderstanding that he was implying that it was no longer of any worth being Jewish—that somehow, with the coming of Christ, God emptied the nation Israel of all worth and promise. However, the issue was not the failures of Israel, but the faithfulness of God (3:3). Paul responded to the question, “what advantage, then is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?” He made it clear that God’s promises would be upheld in spite of human unfaithfulness (3:3). Paul stressed Jewish disobedience to God’s Messiah, though he began the stress on what the Jewish future would be. Paul met two objections (3:5–8). The first concerned the justice of God (3:5). The second concerned the false accusation of lawlessness hurled at Christians (3:8).

3:9–20 In light of 3:1–8, is the Jew better off when it comes to escaping God’s wrath (3:9)? Paul answers no, because sin has brought everyone to the same level. The “we” (3:9) referred to the believers, with a possible Gentile emphasis. Paul had “already shown” that all have sinned (Rom. 1–2).

The organizing image for the string of Old Testament quotations (3:10–18) were the parts of the human body. This revealed the numerical (none) and particular (parts of each one) pervasiveness of unrighteousness. The basic cause of this state of sin was a lack of fear in God (3:18). Paul appealed to the testimony of Old Testament Scripture (Ps. 14:1–3; 53:1–3; 5:9; 140:3; 10:7; Isa. 59:7–8; Ps. 36:1) to confirm that both Jew and Gentile were under sin and guilty.

Paul had already revealed how the law could not bring salvation, and next he revealed the purpose of the law (3:19–20). On 3:20, see Psalm 143:2. No one could in reality keep the law. Everyone knew that. What they missed, and what Paul was trying to teach, was that knowledge of sin did not equal a knowledge of damnation. The problem was serious. While everyone might have admitted they were not perfect, Paul had to convince them that their imperfections, minor as they might be, were fatal.

3:21–26 Paul answered the question, If it is impossible to keep the law perfectly, where can righteousness be found? The manifestation of righteousness returns to the topic of 1:17. Righteousness is manifested apart from the keeping of the Mosaic Law (3:21). The words “apart from law” (3:21) are key to Paul’s theology of justification. Righteousness is attained through faith (3:22) and witnessed to by the Law and the Prophets (as Paul’s Old Testament quotations throughout the letter confirm). Justification is free to people but cost God an infinite price (3:23–26). Redemption (“justified freely,” 3:24) is a price paid as a ransom. Jesus Christ was the price; God was the one who paid. All people were in bondage. The word “redemption” means “to purchase and set free. The word contemplates mankind’s bondage to sin and God’s provision of grace to release them from that bondage. The word “justified” (“not guilty,” 3:24) means “to be declared righteous” as by a judge. This righteousness is not something earned, but something given as a gift on the basis of faith. For an Old Testament illustration of imputed righteousness, see Zechariah 3:1–5.
The sacrifice Jesus made in “sacrificing his life for us” (3:25) is a satisfactory sacrifice (1 John 2:2; 4:10). Such a sacrifice has God’s wrath in full view. The need for the sacrifice and the cause of God’s wrath were painfully explained in Romans 1:18–3:20. God sent Christ to satisfy that need of a sacrifice. The atoning sacrifice or propitiation contemplates mankind’s liability to God’s wrath against sin and is God’s gracious provision to deliver them from that wrath. Christ is the believer’s atoning sacrifice, satisfying with his blood God’s holy demand that sin be judged.

The section of 3:21–26 emphasizes faith as the only way to justification. It clarifies the relationship of God’s forgiveness of sin to his inherent justice. Paul could have ended his letter right here. But at this point another critical issue was addressed—boasting (3:27–31). Relate this to 2:17; 3:1, 9, and Paul’s recent experience with the Corinthians’ boastings (1 Cor. 4:18; 5:2; 8:1; 13:4).

3:27–31 Salvation by faith excludes boasting (3:27–28). Where there is no room for self-effort, there is no room for boasting (cf. 1 Cor. 4:7). Take note of Romans 3:28. Because God is sovereign over Jews and Gentiles, there is a unity in his chosen means of redemption by faith (3:29–30).

Discussion question

How does the statement “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” break down the barriers between Jews and Gentiles?

Reflection question

How do you perceive the above statement, as a freely given gift from God or an excuse that it is okay to sin because everybody else does?