The Grace Commentary – Your free verse-by-verse Bible commentary Romans 3

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Romans 3:1–2

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

(a) What advantage has the Jew? If the circumcised Jews are no better off than uncircumcised pagans, what benefits are there to being Jewish? There are several, as Paul outlines in Romans 9:4–5. But in this passage, Paul zeroes in on one key advantage: The Jews had been entrusted with the oracles or message of God.

(b) The oracles are the utterances or sacred sayings of God. The original noun logion is a diminutive form of the word “logos” and means “a little word” or “a brief utterance.” Prophecies are sometimes called oracles (e.g., Is. 14:28, Jer. 23:33, Hab. 1:1, Mal. 1:1).

(c) The oracles of God given to the Jews refer to the Old Testament scriptures and specifically the promises given to Abraham and the patriarchs of Israel (Rom. 9:4, 15:8). These promises were inherited by the Jews and affirmed through their prophets.

Romans 3:3

What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?

(a) If some did not believe. Some of the Jews did not believe God’s promises to their fathers, and they rejected the Savior he sent. But God’s promises still came true (see Rom. 1:2, 15:8).

(b) Unbelief is refusing to be persuaded that God is good and trustworthy. It is refusing to be convinced about the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus.

Our unbelief in God’s promises does not make him a promise-breaker, but unbelief can hinder us from receiving the benefits of his promises. This is what happened to the Jews as a nation. They cut themselves off from God’s favor through their unbelief (Rom. 11:20).

(c) Nullify. The original verb katargeō means “to render useless” or “make of no effect.” It is sometimes translated as “done away with” (Rom. 6:6).

(d) The faithfulness of God. God keeps his promises. His faithfulness reaches to the skies (Ps. 36:5). Even if we are faithless, he remains faithful (2 Tim. 2:13). He is a righteous God of faithfulness (Deut. 32:4). Great is his faithfulness (Lam. 3:23)!

Like a good preacher, Paul says the same thing in different ways to establish his point. In chapter 1, he exalts the righteousness of God (Rom. 1:17). In chapters 2 and 3, he magnifies the kindness and faithfulness of God (Rom. 2:4). In chapters 4 and 5, he draws our attention to the promise and grace of God (Rom. 4:13, 20–21, 5:2, 15, 17, 20–21). These are all variations on a theme: God is good and trustworthy.

Romans 3:4

May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written,
“THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS,
AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.”

(a) “May it never be!” is one of Paul’s favorite expressions (Rom. 3:4, 6, 31, 6:2, 15, 7:7, 13, 9:14, 11:1, 11, 1 Cor. 6:15, Gal 2:17, 3:21). It is an indignant aversion to some false conclusion. “‘Paul, are you saying God canceled his promise to Abraham and his descendants?’ Absolutely not!”

(b) Let God be found true. People may be unfaithful, but God is always faithful and true. He is the very definition of truth (John 3:33, 1 John 5:20).

(d) Justified in your words. God’s fulfilled promises prove him true.

(e) Prevail when you are judged. If God was sued for breach of promise, the case against him would be dismissed as frivolous. Everything God promised to the patriarchs has come true or is fulfilled in Christ.

Romans 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.)

(a) If… what shall we say? If our unfaithfulness does not affect God’s faithfulness—if, in fact, it makes God’s faithfulness shine all the brighter—why inflict wrath on the sinner? Can’t God achieve his purposes without being wrathful?

(b) Our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God. Our unrighteousness gave God an opportunity to demonstrate his righteousness. Our sin paved the way for his grace (Rom. 5:20).

If we were good and righteous, we would not need rescuing. If we could save ourselves, we would not need a Savior. But we are unrighteous, lost, and beyond hope (Rom. 3:23). Enter, God. Because God is good, he has a plan for saving us. Because he is righteous, he makes sinners righteous (Rom. 4:5). Because he is faithful to his creation, he intends to restore all things (Col. 1:20).

(d) God… is not unrighteous, is he? “Shall we say that it is unjust of God to inflict wrath on the unjust? God forbid!”

(e) Wrath. The wrath of God rights all wrongs and heals all hurts. He does this by bringing an end to all ungodliness and unrighteousness; see entry for Rom. 1:18.

See also the entry for the Wrath of God.

(f) I am speaking in human terms. “I am using human logic to show how this is flawed reasoning.”

Romans 3:6

May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?

(a) May it never be; see entry for Rom. 3:4.

(b) How will God judge the world? If God turned a blind eye to injustice, he would not be a God of justice. A just and loving God must respond to ungodliness and unrighteousness.

(c) The world that is judged is the fallen and self-serving civilization that remains under the influence of Satan and the powers of darkness (1 John 5:19).

God does not hate the natural world and the people who live in it (see John 3:16). Jesus is the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14). The “world” in this context is the City of Man, which stands opposed to Zion, the City of God. Metaphorically, it is Babylon the Great, the “dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit” (Rev. 18:2). It is Satan’s home from where he has exported untold misery and pain. It is the fallen world that is passing away (1 John 2:17).

Romans 3:7

But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to his glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?

(a) My lie. “If my falsehoods and sins make God look more forgiving and patient, why condemn me as a sinner?” Paul is building an argument against those who say grace is a license to sin (see next verse).

(b) The truth is that God does not overlook our sin. (He is just). But nor does he treat us as our sins deserve. (He is merciful.). These two apparently contradictory statements are reconciled in Christ Jesus. God’s justice and mercy meet at the cross (see Rom. 3:24–26).

(d) Sinner; see entry for Rom. 5:19.

Romans 3:8

And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.

(a) Why not say. Preach on the mercy and kindness of God, and you will be falsely accused of being a closet sinner who encourages sinning.

Jesus was slandered, Paul was slandered, and those who preach grace still face slander. Those who spread false accusations are often hypocrites trying to deflect attention from their own lawless lifestyles (Gal. 6:13). Others seek to build their reputation by tearing people down (Gal. 6:12).

Further reading: “The high cost of free grace”

(b) Slanderously reported. Some people are so offended by the gospel of Christ that they slander those who preach it. They say things like “Jesus was a drunkard” (Matt. 11:19) and “Paul was promoting sin.”

Three Greek words are translated as “condemn” or “condemnation” in this letter. In this verse and Romans 13:2, the original noun krima means “a judgment or verdict,” which may be positive or negative depending on the context. (The noun is translated as “judgment” in Rom. 2:2, 3, 5:16, 11:33). In Romans 5:16, 18, and 8:1, the original noun katakrima denotes “a guilty or condemning judgment.” It is the opposite of justification (see Rom. 5:18). In Romans 2:1, 8:3, 34, and 14:23, the original verb katakrinō refers to “the act of judging someone as guilty.”

Romans 3:9

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;

(a) Are we better than they? “Are we Jews any better than everybody else? Not at all.” All people, whether Jew or Gentile, are in the same sinking boat.

(b) We have already charged. In the first two chapters of Romans, Paul proved that Jews and Gentiles alike had breached the law. The Jews had violated the Law of Moses, while the Gentiles had transgressed the universal law of right and wrong. “All have sinned” (Rom. 3:23).

(c) All under sin. Humanity lives under the enslaving power of sin, and nothing we do can free us from our captivity. We all need a Savior.

(d) Sin. The word “sin” and its derivatives appear more than 50 times in Romans. On most occasions, the original word is a noun (hamartia) and not a verb (hamartanō). Sin is a failure and falling short on our part (e.g., Rom. 3:20, 23). In chapter 6, Paul personifies sin as an enslaving tyrant who seeks to deceive and dominate you; see entry for Rom. 6:14.

(e) Greeks. Non-Jews.

Romans 3:10

as it is written,
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;

(a) As it is written. Like a rabbi riffing through the Scriptures, Paul strings together several Old Testament texts to paint a picture of humanity’s great need for a Savior. In verses 10–12, he quotes David (see Ps. 14:1–3 and 53:1–3) and Solomon (Eccl. 7:20).

(b) None righteous. None of us lives right. In our own strength, we cannot live the life God wants for us.

Some people see themselves as basically good, but our standards of righteousness are far lower than what God has in mind for us (Rom. 3:23). Only God is truly good (Mark 10:18).

(c) Righteous. To be righteous is to be right with God. We become acceptable and pleasing to God by trusting in his righteousness and putting our faith in his kindness and grace (Rom. 10:3). To be made righteous is to be transferred out of Adam’s unrighteous family and adopted into the righteous family of God.

Romans 3:11-12

“There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God. All have turned aside, together they have become useless. There is none who does good, there is not even one.”

(a) None who understands. Humanity is groping in the dark when it comes to God. Although his invisible attributes are clearly seen through the witness of creation (Rom. 1:20), we have shut our eyes to the truth (Rom. 1:18). It is only by the revelation of the Holy Spirit that we truly see (1 Cor. 2:10–12).

(b) None who seeks for God. The enchantment of worldliness is so compelling that we don’t look for God. We think everything we need can be found on this earth.

David’s observation is accurate, but there are exceptions. The same psalmist who wrote “no one seeks God,” also wrote “I sought the Lord, and he answered me” (Ps. 34:4). Humanity is far from God, but God is not far from those who look for him (Acts 17:27).

(c) All have turned aside. Humanity has gone off course. We have turned our backs on God and wandered into the wilderness.

(d) Useless. The original Greek verb achreioō means “worthless” and “unprofitable.” In the original Psalm that Paul is quoting, David says, “They have become corrupt,” and the original Hebrew verb ‘ālaḥ means “rotten” or “spoiled.” Disconnected from the Author of life, humanity became worthless and unfit for the kingdom of God. Like milk left in the sun, we spoiled and became sour.

(e) There is none who does good. We may tell ourselves that we are good, but our very best is nowhere near good enough (Is. 64:6).

Romans 3:13–14

“Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The poison of asps is under their lips.” “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;

(a) Their throat. Our rotten speech reflects our rotten hearts (Luke 6:45). “How can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” (Matt. 12:34). The sin in our hearts burbles up through our tomb-like throats, is uttered by deceitful tongues, and passes our lips like venom. Our sinful speech releases death and destruction. We cannot be fixed by watching what we say. We need the Holy Spirit to make us new and give us new hearts and new words.

(b) Open grave. The “open grave” quote comes from Psalm 5:9, the “poison of asps” quote comes from Psalm 140:3, and the “cursing and bitterness” quote comes from Psalm 10:7.

Romans 3:15–17

“Their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace they have not known.”

(a) Their feet. Wherever people go, death and disease are sure to follow. The “feet are swift” quote comes from Isaiah 59:7–8 as it appears in the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament. (See also Prov. 1:16.)

(b) The path of peace they have not known. Humanity’s history is a woeful tale of injustice, oppression, violence, and war. Having spurned the God of peace, we cannot break the cycle of conflict. We end wars only to start new ones. We have made the world wretched for countless millions of people. We have pillaged creation to fuel our lust for more.

Romans 3:18

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

No fear of God. The ungodly have no regard for the things of God. (The “no fear” quote comes from Psalm 36:1.) Paul concludes his recitation of Old Testament scriptures and returns to his own words.

Romans 3:19

Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;

(a) The Law, in this context, refers to the Law of Moses, the commandments, ordinances, punishments, and ceremonial observances given to the nation of Israel through Moses (Jos. 8:31, John 1:17). This law was given exclusively to Israel and is known as the law of the Jews (Acts 25:8). Yet some adopt it in the modern Church.

Further reading: “The Law in the Bible.”

(b) It speaks. Unlike Jesus, who speaks in your defense (see John 8:11, 1 John 2:1), the Law accuses and condemns you (2 Cor. 3:9). It empowers sin (1 Cor. 15:56) and compiles a list of charges against you (Col. 2:14).

(c) Those who are under the Law. Those who view the Law as a guide to holiness and righteous living are said to be under the Law.

(d) Every mouth may be closed. Under the Law, there is nothing we can say to justify ourselves before God.

In Biblical times, an official might strike a prisoner on the mouth to indicate they were answering inappropriately and should stop talking. Both Jesus and Paul were unfairly struck this way (John 18:22, Acts 23:2). When the Law condemns us, the only proper response is a closed mouth. There is no defense we can make to excuse our sin.

(e) World. No one, whether Jew or Gentile, can stand before God and claim to be righteous based on their good works or law-keeping (see next verse). The Gentiles were never under the Law of Moses, but all of us have been condemned by the universal law of right and wrong (Rom. 2:14–15).

(f) Accountable to God. Answerable to God.

Romans 3:20

because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

(a) Works of the Law. To do the works of the Law is to keep the Law of Moses. It’s living by the Ten Commandments and the 600 other laws of the Old Testament.

(b) No flesh will be justified. No one can be made right with God by keeping the Law because the Law is not of faith (Gal. 3:12). To trust in the Law is to say, “I don’t trust Jesus” or “My righteousness is greater than the righteousness of God.” To live under the Law is to walk in unbelief.

Some may think that keeping the Law can make them pleasing and acceptable to the Lord. Paul shatters this misperception (Gal. 2:16, 3:11, 5:4). Although the Law is holy, righteous, and good (Rom. 7:12), it cannot make you holy, righteous, and good. No one was ever justified or made righteous through the Law (Rom. 9:31, Gal. 2:16, 21, 3:11, 21). If we could be made righteous through the Law, Christ died for nothing (Gal. 2:21).

(c) No flesh. No one. It’s not just the law-abiding Jews who will fail to be justified. Anyone who tries to keep the Law is doomed.

(d) Justified. To be justified means God has declared you not guilty of sin; see entry for Rom. 3:24.

(e) Knowledge of sin. The Law was not given to help you live right; the Law was given to reveal your captivity to sin. “I would not have come to know sin except through the Law” (Rom. 7:7).

Further reading: “What is the purpose of the law?”

(f) Sin; see entry for Rom. 3:9.

Romans 3:21

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

(a) But now. A new and better path to life has been revealed, and it has nothing to do with the Law of Moses.

(b) Apart from the Law. The Law leads to self-righteousness; it does not reveal God’s righteousness.

If we could justify ourselves by keeping the law, or the Law of Moses, we would not need God’s help. But no one can keep the law perfectly. Like a concrete life jacket, the law offers an illusion of safety. It promises life, but delivers death (Rom. 7:9–10, Gal. 3:21).

(d) Has been manifested. The righteousness of God is revealed in the cross of Christ (Rom. 3:25–26).

(e) Witnessed by the Law and the Prophets. God’s righteous plan to justify the ungodly, which is proclaimed in the gospel (Rom. 1:16–17), is no new revelation. It was signaled in the Law of Moses and foretold by the Old Testament prophets. Moses and the prophets point to Jesus, who is our righteousness from God (Luke 24:27, 1 Cor. 1:30).

Romans 3:22

even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;

(a) The righteousness of God. The faithfulness of God; see previous verse.

(b) Faith in Jesus Christ. The faithfulness of the Father is revealed in the faithfulness of the Son.

Although many verses speak of being made righteous through faith in Jesus Christ (e.g., Rom. 3:26, 28, 5:1, 9:30, 10:10, Gal. 2:16, 3:24, Php. 3:9), this is probably not one of them. The emphasis here is on God’s faithfulness, not ours. (Recall that the Greek words for “faith” and “faithfulness” are the same. The noun pistis, which is translated here as “faith,” is translated as “faithfulness” in Romans 3:3.)

The King James Version and a few other translations translate this verse as “by faith of Jesus Christ.” Christ’s faith or faithfulness in going to the cross reveals the Father’s faithfulness. If this is the correct interpretation, we can say that we are justified and declared righteous because Jesus was faithful unto death, and we are empowered to live because Christ is faithful and will always remain faithful.

(d) There is no distinction between the Jews and Gentiles. Although all are lost (see next verse), all may be made righteous through faith in Christ (Rom. 3:29–30).

Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

(a) All have sinned. Both the Jews who had the Law of Moses and the Gentiles who didn’t have fallen short of God’s glory.

Paul says “all have sinned” in the same way he says “all have turned aside” (Rom. 3:12). The Scriptures declare that all have gone astray (Heb. 3:10, 1 Pet. 2:25). “All have turned aside and become corrupt” (Ps. 14:3). “No one seeks the Lord” (Rom. 3:11). These claims do not demonstrate original sin; they reveal humanity’s utter lostness.

(b) Sinned. To sin is to fall short of the glorious and divine life God has for us.

What is “sinning”? Under the old covenant, sinning meant breaking the rules. But the Galatians sinned by trying to keep the rules. They embraced the Law and cut themselves off from Christ (Gal. 5:4). In the new covenant, sinning is living without regard for the things of God. It’s walking after the flesh instead of according to the spirit (Rom. 8:4). The devil does not mind if you are a law-breaker or a law-keeper. As long as you are walking after the flesh, you will fall short of the life God has for you.

See entry for Sin.

(c) Fall short. God is whole, good, and perfect, but we are imperfect and broken. As fallen humanity, our best efforts fall short of the blessed life God wants us to have.

(d) The glory of God. It is not God’s standards we fall short of, but his glory. Just as a caterpillar cannot soar like a butterfly, we fall far short of the divine and magnificent life of God.

(e) Glory. The original noun doxa means majesty, magnificence, splendor, preeminence, and exalted. See entry for Rom. 1:22.

Romans 3:24

being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

(a) Being justified. The law condemns the best of us, but grace redeems and justifies the worst of us. We are not made right with God through our behavior or law-keeping (see entry for Rom. 3:20). Our justification is paid for with the blood of Jesus (Rom. 5:9).

(b) Justified. To be justified means that God has declared you not guilty of sin. You were condemned as a sinner, but by the grace of God you have been declared innocent of all charges against you. (The original verb dikaioō means “acquitted” or “to render innocent.”) As preachers like to say, “Justification makes it ‘just as if I had never sinned’.”

To be justified means the chains that once bound you have been removed, and the prison doors swung open. You have left death row and returned to the land of the living. You have been set free and are now reconciled to God your Father.

No one is justified through good works or law-keeping (Rom. 3:20). Instead, our justification was purchased by the blood of Jesus (Rom. 5:9) and comes to us as a gift of grace (Tit. 3:7), received by faith (Rom. 3:26, 28, 5:1, Gal. 3:24).

(c) As a gift by his grace. Justification comes to us as a gift of grace (Tit. 3:7) that is received by faith (Rom. 3:28, 5:1, Gal. 3:24).

(d) Grace captures the goodwill, lovingkindness, and favor of God that is freely given to us so that we may partake in his divine life. Grace is supernatural aid that empowers you to be who God made you to be.

Grace is what makes the good news good news. A gospel without grace is no gospel at all, for it is grace that saves us (Acts 15:11, Eph. 2:8, 2 Tim. 1:9), forgives us (Eph. 1:7), justifies us (Rom. 3:24, Tit. 3:7), declares us righteous (Rom. 5:17, 2 Cor. 5:21), and raises us to new life (Eph. 2:5). The grace of God makes life worth living.

(e) Redemption means ransoming. To redeem is to purchase a slave or release someone by paying a ransom. Jesus gave his life as a ransom for humanity (1 Tim. 2:6).

Everything that needed to be done to save and set you free was accomplished at the cross (Eph. 1:7). And since Christ’s sacrifice was perfect and never to be repeated, it wrought an eternal redemption (Heb. 9:12). In him, you have an eternal salvation (Heb. 5:9) and an eternal inheritance (Heb. 9:15), guaranteed by an eternal covenant (Heb. 13:20), resulting in eternal life (John 3:16), and a welcome into the eternal kingdom (2 Pet. 1:11) by the eternal God (Rom 16:26). This eternal gospel (Rev. 14:6) should give you eternal comfort (2 Thess. 2:16).

(f) In Christ Jesus. All the blessings of God are experienced in our union with the Lord; see entry for Rom. 8:1

Romans 3:25

whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;

(a) Whom God displayed publicly. God presented Jesus Christ for all to see. Heaven and earth bore witness to his sacrificial act.

(b) Propitiation. The original noun hilastērion means “mercy seat,” and this is how the word is translated in Hebrews 9:5. In the Old Testament, the mercy seat was the golden lid of the Ark of the Covenant, which was kept in the innermost room of the temple. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest sprinkled the blood of sacrificed animals on the mercy seat, atoning for the sins of Israel (Lev. 16:15). The mercy seat was the place of grace where God dealt with the sins of the nation. In the new covenant, Jesus is our mercy seat whose shed blood is the means by which our sins are dealt with.

Propitiation means “appeased” or “satisfied.” Because of Christ Jesus, the demands of justice have been fully satisfied. Since your sins were carried away at the cross, no further sacrifice is needed (Heb. 10:12). Nothing you do can add to the perfection of Christ’s sacrifice. If God is satisfied with the Son, let us be satisfied too.

(d) Through faith. We receive the benefits of Christ’s propitiation by faith (see next verse).

(e) To demonstrate his righteousness. The cross of Christ reveals the Creator’s faithfulness to creation (Rom. 8:19–21). It displays his justice (toward sin; Rom. 3:25) and mercy (toward sinners; Rom. 11:32). If Christ had never gone to the cross, we might wonder whether God cared about all the pain and suffering in the world. And if God had punished every sinner, we might wonder whether he cared about us. But through the cross, God declares, “I love you, and I am making things right.”

(f) He passed over the sins previously committed. The sins committed before the cross were passed over or unpunished, demonstrating the forbearance or patience of God. At the cross, all those old sins, along with all present and future sins, were dealt with once and for all (Heb. 9:26).

Prior to the cross, Jesus promised that all sins would be forgiven (Mark 3:28), and on the cross, the promise was fulfilled (1 Jn. 2:12). Because of his great grace, God is no longer holding our sins against us (2 Cor. 5:19, Heb. 8:12, 10:17).

Romans 3:26

for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

(a) The demonstration… of his righteousness. “Let me say it again for emphasis—the cross triumphantly displays God’s justice and mercy.” Sin demanded your life (Rom. 6:23), but God provided a substitute in the form of his Son.

(b) His righteousness. The righteousness of God; see entry for Rom. 1:17.

(c) At the present time. “Formerly, God left sins unpunished (see previous verse). But now he has revealed his righteousness by dealing with all sin through the cross.”

(d) So that he would be just. God did not sweep your sins under the rug or smuggle you out of the sin’s prison. Through the offering of his Son, he paid your ransom and redeemed you from captivity to sin (Rom. 3:24).

(e) The justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. In doing it this way, God shows that he is both just (he pays your ransom price) and gracious (he declares you innocent). Your part in this is to trust that Jesus has done all that needed to be done.

(f) Faith in Jesus. The primary call to action of Paul’s gospel is “Receive the righteousness of God that comes through faith in Jesus Christ (Php. 3:9).” We are justified through faith in Christ (Gal. 2:16), made sons of God through faith in Christ (Gal. 3:26), and we receive God’s promises by faith in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:22).

Romans 3:27

Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

(a) Where then is boasting? We have nothing to brag about because our justification is entirely God’s doing. Our works and law-keeping do not come into it.

Some believe that God will accept them because they are better than other people, but not one of us is righteous (Rom. 3:10). Others imagine that the Lord will tally up their bad works and subtract them from their good works, but the only “work” that makes you right with God is faith in Christ (John 6:29).

(b) What kind of law? We are not made right with God by keeping any moral or religious law, but through the law of faith.

Romans 3:28

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

(a) Justified. To be justified means God has declared you not guilty of sin; see entry for Rom. 3:24.

(b) Justified by faith. Paul concludes the argument he has been making, which is that no one was ever justified or made righteous through their good works or law-keeping (see entry for Rom. 3:20). Our justification was paid for with the blood of Jesus (Rom. 5:9) and comes to us as a gift of grace (Rom. 3:24, Tit. 3:7) that is received by faith (Rom. 1:17, 3:21–22, 26, 4:13, 5:1, 9:30, Gal. 3:6, 24, Heb. 11:7). We are justified and declared righteous when we put our faith in the Risen Lord (Rom. 10:9–10).

(d) Works of the Law. We are not made right with God through law-keeping.

Romans 3:29–30

Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.

(a) Is God the God of Jews only? There is not one God for the Jews and another for the Gentiles: God is one, and his grace is offered to all people. His gift of righteousness is for anyone who will receive it.

(b) The circumcised … and the uncircumcised. The Jews and the Gentiles (Eph. 2:11). We all stand on level ground before the Lord. We are all condemned as sinners by the law and are justified freely by God’s grace.

(c) God who will justify anyone and everyone who comes to him through faith in his Son. All are invited to the house of grace and the table of the Lord.

Romans 3:31

Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

(a) Do we then nullify the Law? “Does that mean the Law of Moses is useless and serves no purpose? God forbid!” The Law does not make you righteous, but it is still good if it is used correctly (1 Tim. 1:8). The proper purpose of the Law is to reveal sin and frustrate our self-righteous attempts to save ourselves (Rom. 3:19–20).

(b) Nullify; see entry for Rom. 3:3.

(d) May it never be; see entry for Rom. 3:4.

(e) Establish. The original verb histēmi means “to uphold” or “make something stand.” In this letter, the word is sometimes translated as “establish” (Rom. 3:31, 10:3) or “stand” (Rom. 5:2, 11:20, 14:4).

(f) We establish the Law. We uphold the Law and the purpose for which it was given by letting it silence our self-righteous mouths and reveal our need for a Savior (Gal. 3:24). This is why Paul could say, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom. 10:4).

Further reading: “How does faith establish the law?”

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2 comments

Christine says:

December 7, 2023 at 7:53 am

Why does romans 3 v 25 say specifcally ‘former sins’ or ‘sins previously committed ‘? What about future sins?

1. Paul Ellis says:
  
  December 7, 2023 at 10:09 am
  
  Please see the expanded entry for Romans 3:25 above.