A Study of The Book of Romans

Lesson 21 Chapter 3:13 – 18

 

  1. Introduction
    1. Paul is asked a question in Romans 3:9a “What then? are we better than they?” Are we Jews better than them Gentiles? Paul answers this way; Verse 9b “No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;”
    2. Paul continues to answer in Verse 10 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” No matter who you are or what you are, there is NONE RIGHTIOUS, NO NOT ONE. 
    3. Paul continues his answer in Verse 11 “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” Their not only not righteous by they also do not understand God nor His ways of salvation of anything else about Him. Not only do they not understand they also do not seek to understand. They make God and God’s word what they want Him and it to be and they are satisfied with that. Truth they seek not.  Romans 1:25 “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”
    4. This is called Total Depravity which basically means there is nothing within man that that seeks, or understands God. Man is his own heart would rather believe a lie than seek the truth of God. Man will never on his own desire true salvation; they will hate God for what He truly is and never accept His way of salvation. Every part of mans being is Anti-God in every possible way.
    5. So far we have learned that all men are sinners, that among all of mankind there is not one single righteous man, that there is not one single man to understand God in any way, and not one single man will ever seek God on his own.
    6. Paul continues in verse 12 “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” They are all together in totality “become unprofitable” and not one single person has ever done good nor will all of mankind put together ever do one single thing good. They may in our eye but not God’s eyes.    
  2. Verse 13 “Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:”
    1. This is like Psalms 5:9 “For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.”

a.       The word “sepulcher” means grave so the Apostle Paul makes it clear that a mans mouth is like an open grave. The question I have is; what good comes from an open grave? It stinks, meaning everything that comes from mans mouth stinks and it is dead and worthless.

b.      Jesus told us in Matthew 15:11 “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” The word “defileth” means profane, polluted, and unclean.       

    1. “with their tongues they have used deceit;”

a.       Deceit means - the act or practice of deceiving; or an act or device intended to deceive; or trick.” In other words their tongues are used to lie.

b.      Lying is not of God but the Devil. John 8:44 “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”  

    1. “the poison of asps is under their lips”

a.       The word “asp” means - any of several venomous snakes, especially the Egyptian cobra or the horned viper. Which would be deadly poisonous, as is the poison under the lips of man.   

b.      All of these venomous snakes are small but very poisonous and deadly, as is also the tongue James 3:5 “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!”

c.       Psalms 140:3 “They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.” John Gill says; “This comes from the old serpent the devil; and is very infectious, like poison, and deadly and incurable, but by the grace of God, and blood of Christ.

    1. Another question, what good did God says comes from mans mouth? NONE!
    2. Paul adds in Verse 15 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:” Psalms 10:7 “His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.”
  1. Verse 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood:”
    1. The feet are a symbol of running and shows mans eagerness.  Isaiah 59:7-8 “Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. (8.) The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.”
    2. Man should run to God’s commandments but rather the natural man runs from God period. Psalms 119:32 “I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.” 
    3. Proverbs 1:16 “For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.”
    4. Barnes' Notes on the New Testament says; “The expression, "their feet are swift," etc., denotes the eagerness of the nation to commit crime, particularly deeds of injustice and cruelty. They thirsted for the blood of innocence, and hasted to shed it, to gratify their malice, or to satisfy their vengeance.”
    5. John Gill says; “The sins of the heart and mouth are before described, and now the sins of action are taken notice of; for "the feet" are the instruments of motion and action: and when these are said to be "swift to shed blood", it denotes the readiness and eagerness of men, to murder innocent creatures; which shows the dreadful malice and hatred that is in them.”
    6. The Lord continues in verse 16 “Destruction and misery are in their ways:” – this is their way of life and their deepest desires of life, Gill adds “all the ways they take, and methods they pursue, are to make their fellow creatures miserable, to ruin and destroy them”
    7. The Lord continues in verse 17 “And the way of peace have they not known:” Mankind does not know peace because true peace is in Jesus Christ. Man is not about peace he is about misery, hate, and destruction. Let’s remember Isaiah 59:8 “The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.”
    8. Paul finishes up with verse 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” This is their biggest problem, they have no fear of God, they are in control, they rule everything, they fear no one. Psalms 36:1 “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.”  Barnes' Notes on the New Testament says; “The word fear here denotes reverence, awe, veneration. There is no such regard or reverence for the character, authority, and honour of God, as to restrain them from crime. Their conduct shows that they are not withheld from the commission of iniquity by any regard to the fear or favour of God. The only thing that will be effectual in restraining men from sin, will be a regard to the honour and law of God.”