Romans 3:1-8

The Gospels make clear the strength of opposition from the Jews to anyone who challenged their privileged position.  In His ministry Jesus made the same charge Paul makes: do what the Jewish teachers say, not what they do (Matt. 5:19-20; 23:1-3).  The words of Isaiah (29:13) were repeated by Jesus (Mark 7:7): they talk the talk but do not walk the walk.  Isaiah predicted this blindness (6:9-10) and Jesus (Matt. 13:13-14), John (John 12:40) and Paul (Acts 2:26-27; Rom. 11:8) noted its fulfillment.

The Jews would respond to this condemnation rather harshly, as seen in this passage.  Paul anticipates the objection of the Jew to being found inexcusable along with the rest of humanity.  He does this by raising and briefly answering 4 objections.

·        Objection #1 (v1): If the  Jew is condemned, even though he practices circumcision, which was by God’s command, then where is the advantage he is supposed to have?  What’s the difference between being a Jew or a Gentile?

Answer (v2): There is an advantage in being a Jew and it is that God’s written lawwas committed to them.  In Rom. 2:17-29 Paul did not deny that the Jew had and knew God’s law, only that they did not keep it from the heart.

·        Objection #2 (v3): If Israel is condemned because some did not believe, doesn’t that make God unfaithful to His covenant with Abraham?  God had promised grace to give Abraham a people and a land (Gen. 12:1-3).  If Israel is condemned, even because of unbelief, does this not make God unfaithful to Abraham?

Answer (v4): Paul’s answer is brief, reminding the Jews of basic truth.  God is never unfaithful!  All men may lie, but not God.  The Jews knew this from Psalm 51:4 which Paul quotes.  Paul gives a longer answer in Rom. 9-11, which in a nutshell says:

v God has chosen Israel (9:1-29).

v Israel has failed by unbelief (9:30-10:21).

v God is not finished with Israel; He will fulfill His covenant (11:1-36).  In other words, God will be justified and will overcome (3:4).

·        Objection #3 (v5): If our unfaithfulness proves God’s faithfulness then how can God hold us accountable?  If God is made to look good by our sin, isn’t He unfair to judge us?

Answer (v6): Again the answer is short and based on truth the Jews hold to from their own Scripture.  God is not unfair because He is the judge of the world.  To call God unjust is to take the role of judge from Him, something no Jew would do.  The closing verses of Rom. 11 (v33-36), after explaining God’s faithfulness, will reiterate this truth: His judgments are unsearchable!  He needs no advice!  All glory is His!

·        Objection #4 (v7): But if our sin makes God look good, shouldn’t we sin more?

Answer (v8): Paul’s answer to this is to simply call it slander and then to say that those who say this are rightly condemned.  It is a foolish thought (though he will later explain the answer in full in Rom. 5-8; the same question is posed in 6:1.)

The sum of this is to say that the charge against the Jews sticks: they are without excuse.  Though they are God’s treasured people, they are judged by the same standard of truth as all mankind and are found wanting.  Are you still denying your guilt before God?  Like the criminal who maintains his innocence in the face of overwhelming evidence, we need to humbly bow before the Judge and plead for mercy!