"What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way; for we have before proved both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin; as it is written, There is none righteous, no not one; there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." (verses 9-11). Paul is still holding court. The prosecuting attorney is operating in a trial motif: the arraignment is found in verse 9, the indictment in verses 10-17, the motive in verse 18 and, finally, the verdict in verses 19,20. The attorney asks two questions, "What then" or "is there any further testimony?" The case is about to rest, but, there is one more question, "are we (the Jew) better than they (the Gentile)?" Then he answers his last question, "No, in no wise." All are reprobate and guilty before a righteous God. All - Jew and Gentile; pagan and enlightened; slave and freeman; Oriental and Occidental, red and yellow, black and white - all are under the penalty, power and dominion of sin. The word translated "better" means "in a better position" or "to have an advantage." Whether men are Jew or Gentile, regardless of the social status, or their educational level - all are under sin. Sin is the great leveler, and the ground is level at the foot of the Cross - Charles Evans Hughes, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, and a Chinese laundry-boy were saved in the same service at a prominent Washington D.C. church one day because they both trusted the same Jesus. Paul has selected a series of indictments drawn from the Old Testament and covering a wide range of human character and activity to demonstrate that the verdict of Scripture is one of universal and total depravity. He uses no verbatim quotations but probably quotes directly from the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament).
"As it is written," Paul writes, seeking an indictment with Old Testament Scripture to "back it up." He first quotes from Psalm 14:1a,3 which reads, "They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good...They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." The days of the judges is a good illustration of the sinfulness of man - black with apostasy and foul with glaring immorality. The writer states (Judges 17:6), "in those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes." He repeats the same sad story in 21:25 which produced one of the darkest eras in Israel's history.
Paul's graphic picture of sinners (3:10-18) actually paints man as he really is: depraved, debauched, desecrated, deceitful and desperately sinful. One is reminded of Jeremiah 17:9, "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" God does not try men by human standards; He tries them by His Own standards of absolute perfection. Jesus is God's Standard.
All men are spiritually ignorant; they cannot understand; that is, "put it all together," which is what the word means. From Psalms 14:2 and 53:3 Paul quotes, "The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God...Every one of them is gone back; they are altogether become filthy. There is none that doeth good, no, not one." The mind was affected by depravity. Because of his depravity man is also rebellious. No one has ever sought God initially and desired to find Him. Sin has alienated man and God; a spiritual barrier has been erected separating sinful man from a holy God. In the Corinthian letter, Paul wrote, "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (I Corinthians 2:14). Man's corrupt will and his depraved flesh do not permit him to reason his way to the light (Psalm 53:1-3).
"They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." (verse 12) Man has "gone out of the way," literally, "turned aside." Man is like a soldier in the army who runs the wrong way; he deserts in the midst of battle. The army has coined a word for this A.W.O.L (awol) - absent without leave. Isaiah 53:6 says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way." Sheep are neither smart, swift nor strong. Man goes his own way than to flee to God and His Son Jesus Christ Who said, "I am the Way" (John 14:6). Early Christians were called followers of "the Way." Natural man follows his evil way. Proverbs 14:12 reads, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Furthermore, lost man is unprofitable or useless. He is like milk turned sour and unfit to drink. He is like a runaway slave; the slave who deserts his master is useless (Philemon 11). Lost man does no good in God's eyes; he has no ability to do anything upright and good. The Greek compared the unprofitable man to salt that had lost its savor (Matthew 5:13); the Hebrews looked at a man who was unprofitable like rotten fruit.
"Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness" (verses 13,14). Man speaks out of the heart (Matthew 12:34,35). If the heart is evil, in the case of Paul's reference to man, the only thing coming out of the mouth is evil. The mouth of the lost man breathes out filth and evil. Proverbs 10:31,32 reads,"the mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue shall be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked speaketh perverseness." The writer probably had Psalm 5:9 in mind here, "for there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulcher; they flatter with their tongue." The stench of an opened grave comes from the mouth of the wicked. The tongue is a deceptive organ because the heart is wicked. It lures others into evil much the same way the fisherman hopes to catch the attention of the fish. The evil man's tongue continually talks evil and deceptive words. (See also: Psalm 36:3 and Jeremiah 9:3-5). Paul now quotes from Psalm 140:3, "they have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips." Asps and adders are enemies of man spiting out poison from the mouth. Their fangs contain deadly poison. McBeth says of these verses, "vulgarity (13a) is the most obnoxious form of speech; flattery (13b) is the most hypocritical form of speech; slander (13c) is the most deadly form of speech and profanity (14) is the most inexcusable form of speech" (p. 109).
To curse a person is to desire misfortune to come upon them. This may be done by calling God's wrath upon them or through public criticism or defamation. "Bitterness" is expressed through hostility against another. Could Paul have had Psalm 64:2-4 in mind here? David's characterization of the enemies of Israel is expressed in this way, "hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked, from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity, who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words, that they may shoot in secret at the perfect." What David applied to the enemies of Israel may characterize the enemies of Christianity.
"Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace have they not known" (verses 15-17). The unsaved man delights in seeing blood and gore; he hastens to the scene of bloodshed and becomes active in it himself. He is blood-thirsty, like the primitive cannibal who preys upon other innocent victims. One of the most sordid of all the actions of man is his inclination to kill, destroy and maim others of his species. Mankind kills others in both war and peace. The "seed" of murder is innate in the bosom of all men because of depravity. Yeager writes, "note the sequential results of the depravity of the unsaved in verse 10 (and verses following). It is philosophical (verse 11), pragmatic in terms of economic productivity and utility (verse 12a), ethical (verse 12b), verbally destructive (verses 13,14), physically destructive (verses 15,16), obdurate (verse 17), and unrepentant (verse 18). What we believe is the root of which what we do is the fruit (p. 345). Paul probably refers to Isaiah 59:7, "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." Most men hunt for the challenge and joy of killing, rather than for necessity of food. Boxing matches and wrestling matches are appreciated more by men and women if blood is shed. Auto racing is more exciting if a car spins out of control and hits the wall.
Man is also inclined to destroy whatever he touches and in a fit of rage he will abuse himself and other human beings. Man reeked devastation worse than any of the other of God's creation. Examples are common on battlefields and the homes of the unsaved. In our day abuse of children and spousal abuse are rampant. Robbery, rape and murder are common headlines in every newspaper and every newscast on television and radio. Misery and harm seem to await mankind on every street corner and in every inhabited block of our cities.
Peace is an illusive condition wherever lost mankind is found. Man cries out, "peace, peace," but he doesn't really desire peace. Jeremiah 6:14 says, "they have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, peace, peace; when there is no peace." God is the only One and His saving grace is the only thing that can bring peace of soul to the individual, peace among fellow-beings and national and world peace. The Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ, has been willfully rejected.
"There is no fear of God before their eyes" (verse 19). Paul, the attorney, quotes from Psalm 36:1 in our text, "the transgress of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes." Every true believer has a reverential fear or awe of Jehovah God. We are aware of His power, His holiness and His glory. The wise man wrote, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Proverbs 36:1). If the sinner would but see God in all of His majesty, he would fall down in reverential fear.
"Now we know that whatever things the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (verses 19,20). The verdict is now in; the law-breaker is speechless. The Law speaks out in condemnation; the whole world stands condemned and accountable to God. Even the keeping of the law does not justify man in God's sight; no salvation is forthcoming to those who are under the law. The Mosaic law could point man to the Savior, but it could not save him. It takes faith in Christ's redemptive act pointing to the Cross to save man and insure him a place in God's heaven. When God speaks all the world must be silent. Job (40:4-6) found this out, "behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken, but I will not answer; yea, twice, but I will proceed no further." Isaiah (6:5) was awe-stricken, "woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." Habakkuk (3:16) expresses his amazement in God's presence in this way, "when I heard, my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice; rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble. When he cometh up unto the people he will invade them with his troops."
Only by the Law can man know that he is a sinner and in need of salvation. The "therefore" of verse 20 means "on account of which thing" - the conclusion based upon what had been written before. This verse looks back to Romans 1:18-3:18. The Law shows man how morally crooked he really is. Phillips translates a part of this verse in this way,"indeed it is the straight-edge of the Law that shows us how crooked we are." The law is like a mirror which shows the unclean face and disheveled hair, but the mirror cannot wash our face nor comb our hair. The prosecutor has arraigned the entire human race before the bar of God and indicted every son and daughter of Adam. Man's condition is helpless without God and His Son.
"But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference" (verses 21,22). Notice the contrast - "But." This may be called "the turning point" of Romans or God's great "nevertheless" in the face of man's failure. "But now" provides "a cry of great joy, a paean of victory." There is hope. In Romans 1:1-3:20 the wrath of God has been revealed; now the righteousness of (from-NIV) God has been revealed. "But now" sounds like something new is being ushered in by God - His plan of amazing grace. But not so, it is a new expression of a plan that had been saving people since the beginning of the world. God's plan of redemption had its roots in His mind and heart from before the foundation of the world. "Be not thou, therefore, ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God, who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel," (II Timothy 1:8-10).
The law and the prophets testified of God's grace and righteousness from the beginning. A scarlet thread (the blood) is found throughout the Bible from Genesis 3:5 to Revelation. An animal's blood that was shed points to the shed blood of Jesus Christ, God's Lamb. In spite of man's wickedness and estranged condition apart from God, the Father has provided a way, an access to Himself. The righteousness unobtainable by the law is made manifest being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Apart from Paul's continuing message, man would be hopeless and helpless before God. The Law (Genesis - Deuteronomy) and the prophets (Isaiah - Malachi) have forever pointed to the Messiah which Jehovah God would send. Jesus said to the Jews who seemed to be diligent students of the Old Testament, "search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me" (John 5:39).
The righteousness that pleases God is the imputed righteousness of Jesus granted to the hell-bound sinner through faith in the Son. Righteousness is acquired through faith; this has ever been God's plan of redemption. Genesis 15:6 reads, "(Abraham) believed in the Lord; and (God) counted it to him for righteousness." The faith way is God's way for man to see God as his heavenly Father. The faith way is more than intellectual assent; it is a committal of oneself totally in submission to Jesus Christ as Savior and also as Lord of one's life.
Paul makes it clear in this verse that the righteousness which is acceptable to God is for "all those who believe;" in other words, everyone and "there is no distinction" between the Jew or Gentile. All cultural, sociological and economic barriers are destroyed. The reason all are included is reinforced in the next verse (23).
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus" (verses 23-25). "For" here could mean "since" or "because." The first step in Paul's "Roman road" to salvation is found here. The message of salvation by faith is open and available to all "for all (everyone) has sinned and come short (failed to measure up to) to the glory of God." God's standard is perfection, and everyone (except Jesus Christ) has not measured up to God's standard of righteousness. "To fall short" can mean "to lack," "to want," or "to be destitute of." The most logical meaning seems to be that the writer is saying that the sinner "comes short of reflecting the glory of God; that is, of conformity to His image." Man repeatedly falls short; it is not a one time thing. All have sinned, in a completed act or will, mind and body (in Adam) and now all (all of us) are continuing to stop short of divine glory. Sinning does not make us a sinner; we sin because we are sinners. We inherited Adam's sin nature.
Justification before God for the sinner is a "gift" by God's grace. "Justification" is a theological term meaning "to declare right" or "legally just." This is what God did for Abraham and for every man since his time who has placed faith and trust in His Son. The gift of grace or righteousness makes the sinner acceptable to a holy and righteous God. A "gift" is something freely given; it is unearned and unmerited by the recipient. The gift of salvation was a worthy gift because it comes to the sinner "through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus." Death upon the Cross of Calvary paid the redemptive price for man's salvation. Only a sinless Savior could pay the redemptive price, and He did just that.
All of God's creation are recipients of God's common grace; Jesus said in Matthew 5:45, "(God) maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." In the text, however, Paul is referring to saving grace, grace that is unmerited. Grace is freely given to man by Christ Jesus. God paid the price in Christ, so that salvation might be free to all. Justification is a matter of imputation (a reckoning, a charging): the sinner's guilt is imputed to Jesus Christ, and the Lord Jesus Christ's righteousness is imputed to the sinner. This concept is found in God's Word as early as Abraham's time (Genesis 15:6) and is referred to in the Psalm (32:1,2) and the prophets (Isaiah 53:4-6; Jeremiah 3:6). The reason for justification is God's grace; the ground for justification is redemption in Jesus. Redemption of the sinner came at a costly price and the price paid enhances the gracious character of the act. Salvation is free, but it is not cheap; it cost God His precious Son, and it cost Jesus His shed blood. The price magnifies the marvel of the free grace. Our Lord paid the price; it was His shed blood.
Man cannot provide his own righteousness so God graciously provided His redemption in and through the atoning sacrifice of His precious Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Propitiation here means the act of appeasement or satisfaction. Although among the pagan religions man seeks to appease his deities with gifts and sacrifices, in the New Testament we have the work of God in providing the gift or sacrifice and not man. God was acting in satisfying Himself with the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. He paid the ransom and provided the propitiation as His Son became flesh and "gave Himself a ransom for all" (I Timothy 2:6).
On the Day of Atonement the high priest entered the Holy of Holies with the blood of a
sacrificial animal (a lamb), sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat for his own sins and for the
sins of the people. Our Lord offered Himself as a Lamb without blemish for our atonement, and
thus appeased the wrath of God that should have fallen on the sinner. "Propitiation"
presupposes the wrath of God - a wrath that needs to be appeased or turned aside. But isn't God
a God of love, someone will ask? He is a God of love, but He is also a God of righteousness, and
He cannot pass over sin lightly. The wrath of God and the love of God are not incompatible.
God hates sin, and He must punish it. Actually God Himself satisfied His wrath through the
death of His Son. In Jesus, God placates (appeases) His own wrath against sin so that His love
may go out to save sinners.
In verses 25, 26, Boice refers to the "salvation triangle" to explain what God can do for sinful man through the Lord Jesus Christ. Picture a triangle with the bottom line connecting Jesus Christ with us is - "redemption by blood" is what Jesus Christ did in relation to His people - He redeems us. The line on the left connecting the Son with the Father - "propitiation by death" describes what Jesus Christ did for us in relation to the Father; God's wrath was turned aside from us to Jesus Christ. The line on the right side of the triangle connecting Jesus Christ with the Christian - "justification by faith" and is what God the Father does for fallen man (Vol. I, pp. 381,382). Salvation is "through faith in (Christ's) blood," Paul writes. Charles Haddon Spurgeon gives a clear definition of the faith of which Paul writes, "faith is believing that Christ is what He is said to be, and that He will do what He has promised to do, and then to expect this of Him." Propitiation in its ordinary use in the Septuagint is to designate the lid of the ark (the mercy seat). Christ is regarded as the antitype of the mercy seat - the medium of atonement and approach to God. The Lord Jesus Christ is at once Mercy-seat, High Priest and Lamb. At the Mercy-seat God has agreed to meet and fellowship with sinners. In the Old Testament transgressors looked forward in anticipation (to what Jesus would do), and we look back in contemplation (to what Jesus has already done).
Because Jehovah God is righteous He cannot condone sin; however, He was patient with the sins of the people prior to the cross. The psalmist wrote, "but he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not; yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again" (Psalm 78:38,39). God was patient and merciful until in due time He sent His Son to pay the just penalty for the people's past, present and future sins. Had God not been merciful He would have destroyed the entire human race. In the fulness of time God demonstrated His feelings about the people's sins. Because He was a holy and righteous God could be just and the Justifier of sinful man who would place full trust and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 25 speaks of God's forbearance (patience) and the remission of sins that are past. The sins that are past have to do with the sins of people (the Old Testament saints) prior to the Incarnation. Just as the blood of animals reminded the people of Israel that one day the blood of God's sacrificial Lamb would indeed cover their sins, so God "passed over" or "let pass" the sins or Israel prior to the Incarnation. They would be atoned for indeed when Jesus shed His blood on Calvary. Hebrews 11 and especially verse 13 repeats, "by faith;" these Old Testament saints had faith in the blood of Calvary's Lamb which would be shed "in the future" for them. The foreordained Savior became the historic Savior. The word "remission" also means "the act of disregarding." With God, time is not of the essence as it is with man - He sees everything in the ever-present now.
"Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith" (verse 27). Since Jehovah God is the Author of our salvation from start to finish, man cannot boast of what he has done or can do in the future. Boasting is excluded; the law is excluded for salvation. Salvation is "by the law of faith." Boasting is one of man's greatest sins; boasting is directly related to pride. God's plan of salvation "by grace" destroys pride, rooting it up and casting it out. One of the most vivid illustrations of pride is found in Jesus' story of the Pharisee and the publican in Luke 18. The Pharisee was demanding approval from God which is the rankest of all sins - approval based on his good deeds. If pride is repulsive to others, and it is, how repulsive it must be to a holy and righteous God.
Boasting is excluded when men recognize that there is nothing that they can do to merit salvation - fasting, praying and doing other good works will not substitute; pious feelings are excluded; knowledge of the Bible and Bible-related subjects is excluded. Even faith itself is excluded unless that faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on Calvary. Faith is the channel by which God grants us His grace. It is the instrument by which the righteousness of God in Christ become ours. Faith doesn't save us; the Lord Jesus Christ and His perfect work is what saves the lost sinner and assures him of a place in heaven. Man's boasting is nullified, and God is magnified and glorified.
"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law." Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, seeing it is one God, who shall justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith"(verses 28-30). "Nothing in my hands I bring/simply to the Cross I'll cling" are the words of a Christian song which honors God for His salvation and not man. Never by keeping God's Law or any law can a man be saved. Salvation is all of faith and not by the keeping of the Law. If salvation is by grace through faith then it is available to everyone. God is not a God of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles as well. God is gracious and merciful to Jew and Gentile alike as Jonah discovered. It is ironic that the Jews had forgotten that God must have saved some Gentiles during Old Testament times, people like the Ninevites and Rahab and Ruth and Naaman and others.
Not only does salvation by grace through faith exclude boasting, but it includes everyone whoever he is and whatever he had done or not done. Jesus is the Way, the only way to heaven. Those who reject Him will ultimately be doomed in hell. Salvation by grace through faith has been available to all mankind from Adam unto the present, regardless of race, ethnic origin or nationality. God is One therefore He has one plan of salvation for all. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time" (I Timothy 2:5,6).
"Do we then make the void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law" (verse 31). Why was the Law given? Just because salvation is by grace does make the law useless. May it never be so! God establishes His law; we know that is a school-master to lead men to repentance of sin and faith in God's Son. The functions of the law may be seen in two areas: (1) it restrains evil (in fact, that is the function of secular law) and (2) it reveals sin pointing man to a Savior Who knew no sin, and One Who was able to impute to man His righteousness. Furthermore, the Law of God prompts the saved person to live a life of sanctification; the Holy Spirit in the heart and our love for God makes the child of God strive to live more righteously.