What is the point of Paul’s letter to the Romans?
He wants to show us that our world has a massive problem. It is called sin. Sin brings about an insurmountable distance from God. It leaves the whole world alienated from God, fit for the cosmic rubbish dump/ Gehenna called hell.
But, thanks to divine intervention Paul shows us an even greater solution to that problem. This is the gospel, which he introduces in 1:16,17. Paul's letter to the Romans is a beautiful treatise on man's great problem and God's greater solution.
From 1:18 – 3:11 Paul shows us the dilemma. From 3:21, beginning with the famous, “But now...” he offers God's solution to our dilemma.
ROMANS 3:1-8
But now an interesting matter arises. Paul imagines a Jewish believer, expressing the opinion, that he is excluded from the wrath of God, since he is in possession of the presence, promises and privileges from God. He thinks that he stands outside Paul's discussion on the plight of mankind.
But not so! Paul, a Jew himself, quickly points out in Romans 2 and into chapter 3:20 that Jewish privileges did not exclude them from the wrath of God, particularly if these privileges were disregarded.
You know that the history of the Jewish nation is littered with countless stories of Israel's apostasy from God.
The same can be said of the church of the last two millennia. The history of the church is littered with countless stories of apostasy from God. There are many, after having started well that did not finish the race.
This observation begs us to answer the question
What advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Remember that Paul has just challenged the Jews in Chapter 2 that being a Jew, bearing the outward sign of being a Jew (circumcision) was no guarantee of being considered righteous. So, the question naturally follows, “Then what advantage has the Jew?” Listen to Paul's response. He responds positively:
3:2 “Much in every way …”. Firstly, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles (lit. the words Gr. “ta logia”) of God. Incidentally, Paul does not make a point 2 or 3 afterwards. That list is only completed in Romans 9:4&5.
But Paul starts with a really important point. Israel had received special revelation from God. He had done this for no other nation. Ps 147:19 says,
”He declares His word to Jacob, his statutes and His rules to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know His rules.”
Think of it. In Israel every Jew had access to the Word of God. The Levites, who were the priestly tribe and the teachers of Israel, were deliberately distributed throughout the land. The gentile nations had no such privilege. The Jewish nation had been singularly favoured in this aspect. They had received special revelation from God.
What then about other faiths and their sacred writings? Let's think about the Quran. This is the sacred text for all Muslims. According to conventional Islamic belief, the Quran was revealed by the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad in Mecca and Medina beginning in 610 AD, ending with Muhammad's death in 632 AD.
By way of contrast, the law of Moses was received more than 2000 years before the Quran. I remind you that Muhammad, although he recognized Moses, and the biblical prophets, and even Jesus himself in his writings, he essentially ignored what Paul calls "the oracles of God". Muslims acknowledge the prophet “Isa” (Jesus). However, they do not assign to Him the place that the Bible assigns to Him - the Name above all names. In the Quran He is named among the prophets, but He is not the greatest of prophets. He certainly is not considered THE Word of God. Furthermore, Muslims deny the resurrection and ascension of Christ. These are precious truths and central to the Christian faith. Quite frankly, the Quran and the Holy Bible are fundamentally incompatible.
What about the Jews? Jews believe in the Old Testament. They share a vital foundation with Christians, except that they do not recognize Jesus as THE Messiah. John's gospel sums it up, "He came to his own and His own people did not receive him (Jn 1:11).
Unlike the Quran however, the OT is fundamentally compatible with the NT. The NT gives light and clarity to the OT, but the OT remains foundational through it all. The OT explains the nature of God, the origin of the earth and of life, the origin of man's fall into sin, the redemptive plan of God through the means of the atonement of sin by means of a sacrifice, leading to a full restoration of the relationship between the sinner and His Maker.
All these are huge truths.
This was the Word that the Jews had access to.
That is no small privilege!
Now a quick word of application: “Is there any advantage in being someone that calls themselves a Christian and who is a church member?”
The same argument holds. Yes, in every way!
The church is God's plan and design.
There the oracles of God are proclaimed.
Being in a church community brings us under the means of God’s grace.
The primary benefit is that people are privileged to sit under the special revelation of God’s Word.
That is no small privilege.
That being the case then...
3:3 Paul raises another important question: “What if some were unfaithful?” Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?
This problem, whether God is being faithful to his covenant, despite Israel's unfaithfulness is discussed later in Romans 9-11 where he also finishes the list that he has not completed here. Here Paul rejects the assumption that if some Jews are unbelieving that the problem lies with God – that God must be unfaithful.
He reacts very strongly in 3:4, “By no means! Let God be true though everyone were a liar ". He then supports this statement (i.e. that God is not unfaithful) by quoting a text from Psalm 51:4.
You will remember that this Psalm is a confession of David, after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba. There David said to God, "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in judgement".
Do you hear what David is saying? I have sinned, I have offended God – and He is entirely right to judge me. He did not claim that his Jewishness or his special calling and covenantal status should spare him.
SUMMARY:
Paul's answer so far is this: “Jews do have advantages.
They have the very Word of God entrusted to them.
But, if they are unbelieving, they will be judged by God – just like the gentiles who will be judged by the light of their conscience – by the law written on their heart (2:15).
All this does not put God's faithfulness into question. In fact, He must judge in order to be true to His words - to be justified in His words- His truth. He must demonstrate His righteousness. His love for His people is subject to their obedience to His truth.
If they deny His words – they deny Him, and if they deny Him, then His wrath will be inflicted upon them.
3:5 And here comes the next question and the next challenge.
It is a strange and twisted argument. Somebody is saying, “if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us?" Let's paraphrase that: “Ok Paul, so if you argue then that God is ultimately glorified by our unrighteousness – then how then can He judge us? He should compliment us, for we are showing Him by our unrighteousness that he is righteous!”
Perhaps you shake your head at this kind of logic. But here is the twisted thinking that people are capable of when they are cornered by an argument. Instead of hearing the truth, asking for forgiveness, repenting before God, they try to get out of their corner with futile arguments and blame-shifting. That is the way we start using language when we have lost a hold on reality.
3:6 No wonder that Paul repeats,“by no means! If that were so how could God judge the world?”
3:7,8 But they persevere in their perverse logic, and Paul puts the question as if he were in their shoes:
“But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to His glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come as some people charge us slanderously as saying?”
The argument is this: If God’s goodness appears to be enhanced by our sinfulness, then our sinfulness must be a form of good. But, Paul then rightly observes, how could God then judge the world ? We have heard Paul's consistently strong argument that God will judge the world. Now let's stand back for a moment and hear this: It is evident from the Bible that God has the ability to bring good out of evil. The cross is the supreme proof. Satan designed a cross for Jesus to be murdered and put away forever by this shameful death, reserved ordinarily only for the worst of criminals. We know that the devil brought this about by the treacherous act of Judas Iscariot. But, I ask, can Judas now stand before the judgement seat of God and say, "God, you owe me a very great reward because no one has ever done a greater act of kindness to humanity than I. I delivered Jesus up to the cross. If I had not done it, then there would have been no atonement!
That is a perverse argument.
You know that Judas’ act was wicked!
And so, Paul concludes, Your condemnation, you wicked Jew, is just.
Why is it just?
Because they were playing games with the Word of God.
And to this Paul says, "Their condemnation is just."
So, my closing exhortation is this:
Don't play word games with the Bible, and don’t try to be a smart Alec, and don't twist the Scriptures, and don't try to obscure clear biblical arguments as many do in our day. There is only one way to escape the coming judgement. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Obey the gospel, which is the power of God for the salvation of everyone that believes – first for the Jew and then also for the Gentile.
Come to Christ without any but's or if's, or arguments and without long silly explanations. Don't presume upon your Jewish heritage or Christian heritage. These are wonderful heritages, but in and of themselves they will not bring you near to God.
Give up your weapons.
Surrender!
Make peace with God through the shed blood of Christ on the cross.
Believe the Gospel.
Repent from your sin and produce fruit in keeping with your repentance.
Otherwise, your condemnation too will be just.
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