Romans 3:1-31

Romans 3:1 and 2:

^3:1Therefore what (is) the exceeding-thing of the Judean, or what (is) the profit of the circumcision? ^.2Much according to every manner: firstly indeed because they were trusted-with the declared-words of God.

Following-on logically from what is written in chapter 2, verses 17-29, the questions may arise:

• What is the Judean’s exceeding-thing (that-which would be abundant over and above people who are not Judean by lineage/birth, what does a Judean have in excess of a Gentile), or
• what is the profit (benefit, advantage) of the physical circumcision?

The answer…

• A lot – in accordance with all/every manner (method, any mode or direction you may turn to look at the situation):
  • firstly indeed (primarily, foremost, in the first place emphatically)
    • because they were trusted (entrusted) with the declared-words of God.

In verse 2, the Greek verb translated as "trusted-with" comes from the root-word pisteuo which means "to believe, to have faith, to trust." When it is in the passive form of the verb with accusative, as it is here, it has the meaning that the recipient of what is given is being believed-in by the giver that he is willing and capable of taking-care-of and fulfilling all that is involved pertaining to that-which is given to him. The recipient is entrusted with what is given to him by the giver.

God had entrusted these people with His declared-words (the uttered accounts of God’s inner thoughts, all of His spoken sentences as each being little or brief words, the collection of words originating from God that were spoken to them). What a great privilege and responsibility had been entrusted to them!

[Reference: Deuteronomy chapter 4; Acts 7:38; Romans 2:25; I Thessalonians 2:4; I Peter 4:11.]

Verses 3 and 4:

^.3For what if some-people disbelieved, their unbelief will not render-ineffective the belief of God, will it? – (no) – ^.4may it not become! But God must become (the) True-One, but every man a liar, according as it was written², "So-that ever You may be made-righteous in Your words and You will be-victorious in Your judging."

Since it is a fact that God made known His declared-words to them, the question may be posed:

• in truth, what if some of them did not believe (did not have faith/trust in what God gave them to believe),
  • their unbelief (lack of belief, faithlessness, being without trust relative to God and the things of God) will not render the belief that God gave them ineffective (inactive, inoperative, useless), will it?
    • The answer: No! The Greek construction of this question indicates that the expected answer is "no." Then Paul confirms the negative answer by writing: may it not become! May that not come to pass! May that not happen! The thought of such a thing being so repulsive to Paul is conveyed in his expression of may it not become or come into being that such a thing would occur at any time!

But, even if some people did not believe what God entrusted to them, God must presently continue becoming the One Who is true (being and having the essential reality, inherent verity; He must keep coming to pass to be true in all of His words and actions). But on the other hand, every man (all, every one of mankind who does not believe what God says) must become a liar (a person who speaks and lives lies, falsehoods; this man must be shown as being a false person, a falsifier).

This is just as what was previously written in the old covenant writings…

• "So-that ever (in such a manner or method that it would happen at any time that)
  • You may be made-righteous in Your words (You, God, would be declared righteous, caused to be righteous, justified within the sphere of action of the words that You speak)
  • and You will be victorious in Your judging (You, God, will conquer during the time when You will be making Your decisions regarding people in light of what You spoke to them; You will have the victory at judgment time)."

[Reference: Psalm 51:4.]

Verses 5 and 6:

^.5But if our unrighteousness commends (the) righteousness of God, what will we say? God (is) not unrighteous, the (One) carrying the wrath upon (unrighteousness), is He? – (no) – according to man I say (this) – ^.6may it not become! – since how will God judge the world?

The argument that may arise from the viewpoint of the Judean / circumcision would be:

Since it is a fact that our unrighteousness (unjustness, injustice) causes God’s righteousness to stand in conjunction with it (as favorably introducing His justness, justice together with it, refer to verse 4 above), what will we say (mindfully tell others)?

God is not unrighteous…

• emphatically the One Who is carrying the wrath (bearing, bringing His lasting angry vengeance) upon unjustness,
  • is He? – Again, the Greek construction of this question indicates that the expected answer is: No! God is not unrighteous (in other words: God is righteous) –  
• according to man I say this (I lay this question out before you here in human terms, from man’s viewpoint) –
  • may it not become! (as verse 4 above) –
• since how will God judge the world (if God were unrighteous then how would it be possible for Him to make a righteous decision passing sentence regarding the world including its inhabitants at a future time)?

Paul poses some questions to help the reader or listener to consider what is written and to gain understanding.

[Reference: Romans 1:18, 2:5, 6 and 8.]

Verses 7 and 8:

^.7But if the truth of God in my lie exceeded into His glory, why am I also yet judged as a sinner, ^.8and not according as we are blasphemed and according as some-people say us to say, that, "Let us do the bad-things in order that the good-things may come"? – whose judgment is rightly-due.

Paul continues by using himself as the example:

• if God’s truth
  • in/during the lie that emphatically I propound (if I were an unbeliever, as verse 3 above)
• exceeded (is caused to abound over and above the number or measure already attained)
  • with a view to God’s glory (His importance, splendor, renown; refer to verse 4 above),
• why emphatically am I also yet judged as a sinner (why is the decision still being made that I am a sinner),
• and why am I not judged
  • just as (according to how, in comparison to the way that) I and others with me are blasphemed (being evilly spoken-of, treated with lack of Godly reverential respect, calumniated)
  • and just as what some people bring to light by their speech saying that we say the following polite command or very strong suggestion advising people,
    • "Let us do the bad-things (perform things that do not issue from God, activities that are against God)
    • for the purpose and result that the good-things (things that issue from God, that are in alignment with God Who is good and sets the standard for what is good, such as causing the truth of God to exceed into His glory) would come"? –
  • whose judgment is rightly-due (God’s judgment, the decision God makes or arrives-at issuing from the judging process, the sentence He passes or pronounces pertaining to the people who actually blaspheme and propound wrong information is rightly/justly due to them).

Verse 9:

^.9Therefore what? Are we held-before (other people)? Not altogether, for we charged-with-cause-beforehand both Judeans and Greeks – all to be under sin;

Following-on logically, what is the meaning of all of this? Are we (referring to people of the Judean / circumcision background) presently being held before (in front of other people; is there something regarding ourselves that either gains some preferential treatment for us over others or causes us to be in a worse position than others)?

The answer: Not altogether (not at all, entirely not, by no means, in no way)! In truth, we previously brought the cause for charge (the grounds, reason for accusation; refer to Romans 1:18-31 and chapter 2) against…

• both Judeans and Greeks (Gentiles) – as follows:
  • all to be under sin (every Judean and Gentile is legally in submission or subjection to sin, which is missing the mark of what God says, aberration from God's Word, God's will, God's law, God's precepts).

[Reference: Romans 7:14; Galatians 3:22; and refer to my study of Appendix to Romans.]

Verses 10-18:

^.10according as it was written² that, "There is not a righteous-person, not-even one; ^.11there is not the (person) understanding; there is not the (person) seeking-out God; ^.12all-people leaned-out, unitedly they were made-useless; there is not the (person) doing benevolence, there is not until one; ^.13their throat (is) a grave having been opened²; they used-deceit with their tongues; (the) emitted-poison of asps (is) under their lips; ^.14whose mouth is-full of cursing and bitterness; ^.15their feet (are) sharp to pour-out blood; ^.16crushing and distress (are) in their ways, ^.17and they did not know (the) way of peace; ^.18(the) fear of God is not before their eyes."

The information contained in verse 9 above was not kept a secret by God – it is just as it was previously written down and we can still read it today:

• "There is not a righteous person (one who is just, in a right/just state, justified, living his life in a right manner, being and doing what is just/right from God’s viewpoint),
  • not even one righteous person;
• there is not the person understanding (who has insight, who puts the information together in his/her mind to the end of gaining insight into what God has spoken and done to/for people);
• there is not the person seeking-out God (who is looking out for God, in the sense of looking to God for His response);
• all-people leaned-out (bowed out, bent outwards, left, departed, shunned, turned aside and kept away from the only true God),
  • at the same time in union together they were made-useless (caused to become of no use, without use, no advantage in service, they did not use what God gave to them);
• there is not the person actively doing benevolence (performing kindness, supplying what is appropriately needed for use in specific situations),
  • there is not until one (as much as would reach the number of one);
• their throat (larynx) resembles a grave (sepulcher, burial place) which has been opened and remains open;
  • [A grave is a place where dead-bodies are deposited. Normally people would cover it over or roll a stone against the entrance to the grave so that people would not accidentally go in or fall in there, and sometimes they would whitewash it so it could be easily seen, because it is a place of corruption where dead-bodies decay and emit stink. God had previously declared that any person coming into contact with a dead-body or a grave would become "unclean" or defiled. Therefore this statement in verse 13 was understood quite emphatically by the people in Paul's time – anyone coming too close to listen to the speech emitted from their throat would be in danger of receiving a detrimental effect.]
• they used-deceit with their tongues (they were repeatedly using bait/guile to catch by stratagem or subterfuge with/by their tongues, forming false words in their mouths adulterating and misrepresenting the true Word of God to lead people away from it);
• the emitted-poison of asps is under their lips (“lips” are used as being the outer gates of the mouth, and what is emitted has the quality of venom, the poison of asps which are small venomous viper-like snakes of Egypt);
• whose mouth is-full (stuffed as a loaded ship with freight) of/with
  • cursing (prayer or supplication for something harmful to come to pass regarding a person or situation, an imprecation against someone, invoking something which would be harmful to the recipient if/when it would come to pass – this is not according to God’s will) and
  • bitterness (pointedness, sharpness, keenness which is piercing and pungent, acridity, it is cruelly-painful to the recipient of it);
• their feet are sharp (quick in motion) to pour-out blood (to shed blood);
• crushing (the state of having been rubbed together and shattered, broken, devastation) and distress (toil, hardship, misery) are in their ways (figuratively referring to their progress, their manners of action or methods of proceeding in all they do),
• and they did not personally know the way of peace (the peaceful manner of action or method of proceeding, peaceful progress);
• the fear of God (fright of/towards God, being afraid at the consequences of the performance of any wrong behavior, and therefore exhibiting the awe and respect that is rightfully due and ought to be shown towards God and the things of God)
  • is not before their eyes (it is not in front-of, opposite-from, in the presence or vicinity of their eyes; in other words, they cannot see or perceive what it is to have and behave with fear, awe and respect to/for God)."

[Reference: Psalm 5:9, 10:7, 14:1-3, 36:1, 53:1-3, 140:3; Proverbs 1:16; Isaiah 59:7ff; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Matthew 23:27 and 35; Luke 1:79; Acts 8:23; Romans 16:20; II Corinthians 6:16, 11:13; Hebrews 11:6, 12:15; James 3:8, 5:1; I Peter 1:10.]

Verses 19 and 20:

^.19But we knew² that as-many-things-as the law says it utters-forth to the (people) in the law, in order that every mouth may be fenced-in and all the world may become under-right-sentence to God, ^.20for-this-reason-that from works of law all flesh will not be made-righteous before Him, for by means of law (is the) full-knowledge of sin.

We knew and still know (see, perceive) that as many things as the law says (as much as the law lays out in its collection of words communicating the content), it speaks to/for the people who are living within the cause and sphere of action of the law. Why? For the purpose and result that…

• all/every mouth may be fenced-in (stopped, shut-up, hedged-in, enclosed so as to inhibit these people from using their mouths)
• and all the world (everyone, including Judean and Gentile, all within the ordered arrangement that God created, the universe)
  • would cause itself to become under right sentence to God (liable to the correct action from God, legally subject to God’s justice, the just sentence, the required penalty which would be right in the judicial sense – refer to verse 9 above),
• on account of this reason that
  • all flesh will not be made-righteous before Him (every fleshy-being will not be justified, set-forth by a judicial act declaring him/her righteous in God’s sight or presence)
    • out-from works of law (originating from the law's deeds, the actions expending energy stipulated by the law which God gave to Moses for Israel to adhere to; from things wrought, effected, produced by adherence to/with the law of the old covenant),
  • in truth, by means of (through) law is the full, clear, and exact personal knowledge of sin (the law of Moses clearly defines what sin against the only true God is).

[Reference: Acts 28:4; Romans 2:12; I Corinthians 15:56; Galatians 2:16, 3:2, 5, 10 and 22; II Thessalonians 1:9; Hebrews 11:33.]

Verses 21-23:

^.21But now, without law, (the) righteousness of God was manifested² being witnessed-of by the law and the prophets, ^.22even (the) righteousness of God by means of belief of Jesus Christ into all the (people) believing – for there is not a distinction, ^.23for all-people sinned and are-lacking the glory of God –

In verse 21 Paul writes “now” referring to this time period that began on the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts chapter 2, and it will continue until the Lord Jesus Christ will come to gather all the holy-people (Christians) together with him (refer to I Thessalonians chapter 4 and I Corinthians chapter 15).

But…

• now (emphatically at this present time)
  • without the law (separated or apart from the law of Moses because it is not the standard by-which God administers or takes-care of His children/people at the present time),
• the righteousness of God (His justness, justice, the attributes of justification, the quality of being and doing what is just/right from God's point of view) was manifested and it is still manifest (evidenced, brought to light, shown-forth)  
  • being witnessed of (attested to) by the power of (the instrumental agent being)
    • the law (of Moses, which is part of the old covenant writings) and
  • the prophets (the prophecies that the prophets spoke and wrote down, which are also part of the old covenant writings),
• even (emphatically) the righteousness of God which is
  • by means of belief of Jesus Christ (through the faith/trust pertaining-to or regarding Jesus Christ)
    • [Belief is the information that God makes known to have confidence-in with assured certainty and surety; belief of Jesus Christ is the action or agency by way of which the initiated progress passes-through in order to reach the accomplishment of any person being made-righteous.]
  • into all the people believing (with a view to, directed to everyone who is presently and actively having faith, trusting the belief that God makes known regarding Jesus Christ) –
    • for there is not a distinction (there is no separation, differentiation, drawing-asunder, between people of a Judean / Israeli background and people of a Greek / Gentile / other-nation background),
    • for all-people sinned and are lacking the glory of God (everybody has committed sin and are in-want, deficient, falling short of or behind God's glory, His importance, splendor, renown; everybody, all of mankind, are placed in the same category, which is the state of being without holy spirit-life, and therefore no Judean or Gentile should think that he is in a superior position from God's point of view over anyone else!) –

Jesus Christ believed all that God gave him to believe (Hebrews 12:2) and thus he accomplished what God asked him to accomplish. Since the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2) God has made known to mankind the belief that we must believe in order to become God's children receiving the gift of holy spirit thereby becoming righteous (Romans 10:9 and 10). Prior to Jesus Christ accomplishing redemption and salvation for mankind, it was not available to believe regarding what he did because he had not done it yet (Galatians 3:19-29). Today, all who believe the belief regarding Jesus Christ receive holy spirit. All of us who are holy-people have the spirit of Christ in us – now it is up to our freedom of will to listen attentively to our holy spirit-life and behave accordingly.

[Reference: Matthew 5:17, 7:12, 11:13, 22:40; Acts 13:15, 24:14, 28:23; Romans 1:16 and 17, 5:12, 10:4 and 8-17; Galatians 2:16, 3:19-29; Philippians 3:9.]

Verses 24-26:

^.24being made-righteous free-giftly with His grace by means of the full-redemption, the (full-redemption) in Christ Jesus ^.25whom God purposed (to be the) propitiatory(-gift), by means of belief, in his blood, into a pointing-out of His righteousness because-of the going-by of the sins having come-to-pass-beforehand² in the holding-upwards of God, ^.26towards the pointing-out of His righteousness in the present time with-a-view-for Him to be righteous and (the One) making the (person) righteous from belief of Jesus.

Paul explains in more detail that the people who are believing (refer to verse 22 above) are…

• being made righteous (declared righteous, caused to be righteous, justified)
  • free-giftly (as a free gift; the adverb translated "free-giftly" means: gratuitously, without any payment on their part because a free-gift cannot be earned, worked-for, or begged-for; this word places the emphasis on the fact that it is freely given to be received by another, even though what is given and received is a valuable quality item)
    • with/by/in His grace (God’s bestowed unmerited or undeserved favor)
• by means of the full-redemption (through the complete releasing or liberation on receipt of a ransom away from captivity or bondage with its due guilt or punishment because of sin that was previously committed),
  • emphatically and specifically the full-redemption in Christ Jesus (within the sphere of action of Christ Jesus; complete redemption is brought-about by complete expiation – Jesus Christ is the one who paid the full-price for it, and he is now the resurrected Christ Jesus because the full-payment has been accepted by God)
    • whom God purposed (proposed, put-forward before Himself)
    • to be the propitiatory gift (the Greek word translated "propitiatory" comes from the Septuagint Greek translation in Exodus 25:17 as being the mercy-seat or cover of the ark on which the blood was sprinkled as the means of propitiation, which is the gaining or re-gaining of favor, blessing, atonement, etc; God purposed Christ Jesus to be both the sacrificial offering shedding his blood and the covering-place of propitiation, and thus God could provide the availability of propitiation as a gift to mankind),
• by means of belief (through the belief pertaining to Jesus Christ),
  • in his blood (within the cause and sphere of action of Jesus’ blood),
• into a pointing-out of His righteousness (for, directed-to, resulting-in a pointer, display, as in the process or act of pointing with the finger, an indication of the justness of God, His justice)
  • on account of the going-by of the sins which had happened previously (the state of leaving or letting the sins that occurred beside/at a place or point-in-time without doing something about them; during the old covenant times the sins committed by God’s people were allowed to be passed-by without punishment before Jesus offered himself as the propitiatory gift, shedding his own blood)
    • in the holding-upwards of God (within God’s restraint, holding Himself upwards or back in restraint),
• towards the pointing-out of His righteousness during the present time-period (now, the current occasion, specific season during the new covenant times)
  • with a view for Him to be righteous (for the purpose of God being just, to presently and actively be in the state of justness in what He says and does)
  • and the One making the person righteous (God is justifying the person who believes what God has given mankind to believe regarding Jesus, causing that person to become righteous, setting him forth by a judicial act making or declaring him to be righteous, justified),
    • from belief of Jesus (out-from or originating-from the information that God makes known to people to have confidence-in, to believe, to have faith-in, to trust with assured certainty and surety, which is regarding Jesus).

[Reference: Leviticus 16:15; Matthew 20:28, 26:28; Acts 17:30 and 31, 20:28; Romans 1:2-4, 16 and 17, 2:4, 5:1 and 9; I Corinthians 1:4 and 30, 10:16, 11:25-27, 15:10; II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:16, 3:6-8; Ephesians 1:7-10, 2:5-8 and 13; Colossians 1:13, 14 and 20; Hebrews 2:14, 17, chapter 9, and 10:1-10; I John 2:2, 4:10.]

Verses 27 and 28:

^.27Therefore where (is) the boasting? It was shut-out. By means of what-kind-of law? Of the works? No – but by means of (the) law of belief, ^.28for we calculate a man with belief to be made-righteous without works of law.

Following-on logically from the previous verses…

• where is the boasting (the reason to boast, the action of speaking loudly as though it were a justifiable claim)?
  • It was shut-out (boasting has been closed out from it, excluded, boasting has no part in God's righteousness).
• By means of what-kind-of law (through what sort of law, what has been set-up, divided-out and is being administered to be customarily and rightly used among people whereby boasting is excluded)?
  • Of the works (consisting of the deeds, actions, things-wrought, effects produced by adherence with the law of Moses, the old covenant)?
    • No (absolutely not) –
  • but on the contrary,
• by means of the law of belief (through the law consisting of God’s belief, which is what God has given people to believe regarding His son, the Lord Jesus Christ; belief has been set-up, divided-out and is being administered to be customarily and rightly used among people; refer to verses 22 and 26 above).

In truth, we calculate (reckon, compute, count)…

• a man with belief (a human-being with faith, who believes what God has given us to believe)
  • to be made-righteous (justified by God)
    • without (separated, apart from) works of law.

[Reference: Acts 13:38 and 39; Galatians 2:16, 3:12; Ephesians 2:9; Philippians 3:9.]

Verses 29-31:

^.29Or (is God) the God of Judeans only – (but He is) also (the God) of Gentiles, isn't He? Yes, also of Gentiles, ³⁰since-indeed God (is) One (God), Who will make-righteous circumcision from belief and uncircumcision by means of the belief. ^.31Therefore do we render (the) law ineffective by means of the belief? May it not become! – but we cause (the) law to stand.

Paul continues posing some additional questions and answers:

• Or is God the God of Judeans only (people of the Judean/Israeli background alone) –
• but He is also the God of Gentiles (people of the Gentile background, of nations other-than Israel/Judah, other ethnic groups),
• isn't He?
  • Yes (with definite affirmation), the same God is the God of Gentiles also,
    • since it is a fact emphatically that
    • God is One (there is only one true God; He is not a divided-up-entity),
• Who will make-righteous (this one God will justify)
  • circumcision (people who were previously circumcised in accordance with the old covenant demonstrating their desire to live according to what God said)
• from belief (out-from or originating-from the information that God makes known to people to have confidence-in, to believe, to have faith-in, to trust with assured certainty and surety, which is regarding Jesus Christ)
  • and uncircumcision (people who previously refused to live in accordance with what God said)
• by means of the belief (through the belief – emphasizing that it is the same belief, not a different belief – the belief regarding Jesus Christ is the action or agency by way of which the initiated progress passes-through in order to reach the accomplishment of an uncircumcised person being made righteous by God).

Therefore do we (holy-people) render the law ineffective (cause the law of Moses to be inactive, inoperative, useless) by means of the belief (through the belief regarding Jesus that we have believed)?

• May it not become! (as verse 4 above) –
• but contrary to rendering the law of Moses ineffective,
  • we cause the law to stand (we presently and actively set the law in place, as opposed to causing it to fall or fail).

[Reference: Matthew 5:17; Romans 10:4; I Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]