A Study of The Book of Romans

Lesson 17 - 18 Chapter 3:1 – 8

 

  1. Verse 1 “What advantage then hath the Jew? Or what profit is there of circumcision?”
    1. Paul is asked basically two questions in one sentence here, (1.) since being a Jew does not preeminence one above the Gentiles and (2.) since circumcision means nothing toward salvation then what is the use in it?
    2. It seems to me that being a Jew is a blessing from God, He loves them as a Nation and His love will always be with them as along as they are on earth, however God gave them a law knowing they could not live it without failure, He gave then rituals and ordnances but never promised to save them by these works.
    3. Paul stated in Chapter 2 and verse 25 “For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.” This is the exact problem people have today with works; no Jew was ever saved by the law just as no man has ever been saved by works.
    4. God tells both Jews and Gentiles to do a lot of things but without faith in Jesus Christ they are done in vain. Romans 3:28 “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
    5. People today confuse works and salvation just as the Jews confused the law and ordnances for salvation.
    6. James does not contradict Paul but rather builds the step beyond faith which Paul very boldly teaches here.

a.       James said in James 2:24 “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” Taken out of context and in contradiction with Paul and other men of the bible this can be made to mean works is a part of salvation, however you must view the three verses before it to get the context.

b.       James 2:21, 22 “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? (22.) Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” however verse 23 is the context “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” Abraham did what he did because of his faith, not to be justified; Abraham was justified by faith before this act of offering his beloved son. Romans 4:3 “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”

    1. James never said works save just as God never promised the Jews that their obedience to the law and rituals would save them, however it they had faith and Abraham then it would advantage them to do them, just as works today will advantage the saved man.
    2. Paul was simply stating that being a Jew and following the law and ordnances in itself has not saving benefit. We simply look at it all as James stated in James 2:18 "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works."
  1. So what was the advantage of being a Jew? Paul answers in verse 2 “Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.”
    1. “Much every way: chiefly…” means this the principal advantage or this is the most impotent advantage. “…because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” God entrusted His word to you. 
    2. The bible is penned primarily by Jews, most in the Old Testament was written to them, the first church was a Jewish church, and etc.
    3. The writer of Acts concludes this;   Acts 7:37-39 "This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. (38.) This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: (39.) To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,”
    4.   The Jews were certainly a blessed people, however whether Jew or Gentile we are all only saved through faith in Christ Jesus.
  2. The argument continues in verse 3 “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?”
    1. Paul quickly answers this in verse 4 “God forbid: yea, let God be true…”  (Let not this by any means be supposed)
    2. The question is this; (it some Jews did not believe would that make God’s word unfaithful?) “God forbid”
    3. Even though God put and trusted His word to them and through them brought His own Beloved Son (Jesus Christ) does not mean He was wrong. It is not God’s fault the did not believe their own prophets or their writings, it is not God’s fault the crucified Jesus Christ, but even with all of this He used them and they failed God.
    4. God is always faithful. 2 Timothy 2:11-13 "It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: (12.) If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: (13.) If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
  3. Verse 4 “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.”
    1. “…let God be true, but every man a liar…”  This is a fact, God is forever true and all men are liars. Psalms 116:11 “I said in my haste, All men are liars.” Are you going to believe man and his teachings or God and his word?

a.       God is true, faithful to his word, constant in his promises, and will always fulfil his purposes.

b.      The Life Application Bible Commentary Gives us this;
GUILTY AS CHARGED
Our world, which worships at the shrine of public opinion, where truth is determined by percentages rather than absolutes and where might claims to be right, needs to be reminded again and often that we will not appear before God to state our case. We will come before God with our guilt proven. Any hope other than God's mercy in Christ will prove to be false.

c.       Romans 10:16-21 “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? (17.) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (18.) But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. (19.) But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. (20.) But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. (21.) But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.”

    1. V. 4 “…That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings…”

a.       When Paul said “as it is written” we believe the reference is about David, Psalms 51:4 “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.”

b.      Please be assured that David did not sin against God just to show that God is justified in His judgment, but if God had chosen to condemn him he had it coming, however David pleaded with the Lord for forgiveness. If you read deeper in Psm 51 you will see David ask God to cleanse him from his sins.

c.       What was the sin of David? It is believed that Psalms 51 is speaking of 2 Samuel 12:7-13 "And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; (8.) And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. (9.) Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. (10.) Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. (11.) Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. (12.) For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. (13.) And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

d.      Verse 4 “…and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” Only by the grace of Gods forgiveness was David forgiven for his sin against God, God would have been true in sending him to hell. The bottom line is this that God is always true.

  1. Verse 5 “But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)”
    1. Paul says “(I speak as a man)” meaning he is not asking as a Christian but rather as the lost may ask.

a.       “But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God” That is if God is true and punishes all sin, then how can God accept any sinner into His kingdom? Would that not make God unjust? Speaking as a man would not consider the pardoning of sin through the blood of Jesus.

b.      Perfectly speaking, without Christ Jesus every person ever born would go to hell.

c.       However when we speak as a Christian we do know that sin is forgiven and we are washed as white as snow in the blood of Jesus Christ.

    1. Verse 5 “what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance?”

a.       Still speaking as a man “Is God unrighteous” No! because God has ever right to inflict punishment here and hereafter as He chooses, just as He can save who He chooses.

b.      John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

    1. Verse 6 “God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?”

a.       God can judge the world for their sins because they are sinners. He owns no explanation for His actions. He can forgive one and condemn another and still be totally just in His actions.

b.      He can continually forgive sin even after one has been saved and still sins because the blood of Jesus was enough to forgive all of our sins.