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| Chapter 3 |
| Bible Text | Notes and Thoughts |
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1 ¶ What advantage then hath the Jew? Or what profit is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way; chiefly because unto them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 God forbid! Yea, let God be true, though every man a liar. As it is written: "That Thou mightiest be justified in Thy sayings, and mightiest overcome when Thou art judged." 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.) 6 God forbid! For then how shall God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God through my lie hath abounded more unto His glory, why also am I yet judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say rather (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), "Let us do evil, that good may come"? Their damnation is just! 9 What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise! For we have before proved that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin. 10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 there is none that understandeth; there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They have all gone from the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." 13 "Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit." "The poison of asps is under their lips," 14 "whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." 15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 destruction and misery are in their ways, 17 and the way of peace have they not known." 18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes." 19 ¶ Now we know that whatsoever things the law saith, it saith to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law, no flesh shall be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, which is by faith in Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all those who believe. For there is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 Him 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; 26 to declare, I say, His righteousness at this time, that He might be just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 seeing it is one God who shall justify the Circumcision by faith, and Un circumcision through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid! Yea, we establish the law. |
3:1-8 The sin of the Jew revealed. Paul now talks about objections which may come from the Jews. v1 Is it worth being a Jew? Is it worth being circumcised? v2 The "Oracles of God" are referring to the direct instructions from God. These must be of advantage to the Jew. See the following for other examples of use, Acts 7:38 1 Peter 4:11; Heb 5:12. v3 Some will not believe, does this destroy God’s faithfulness in promises? v4 Far from it says Paul. God is true, even though man is a liar. He quotes Ps 51:4. v5 Does our bad things bring out God’s perfection? Does God do wrong when He punishes us? (Paul says he is speaking from a man’s point of view). v6 How can God punish the world if He cannot judge? God is Holy and must judge. v7,8 Before, Paul showed that God’s righteousness showed up against man’s evil and wrong life, now he compares it with human lies. Paul says "if I tell you a lie, it will make people praise God for His truth," he then asks, "so why does God still judge me? Should I do wrong things so that good can come?" In these two statements Paul is saying that God does not need the wrong things (sin) in man to show that He is God. 3:9-20 Both Jew and Gentile are under sin. Paul now concludes that what he has said agrees with the Old Testament teaching showing man’s sin. v9 Paul asks further questions, "are Jew’s better then the rest?" Or "do we have anything to protect us from God?" Paul answers himself"That cannot be right, we have already proved all have done wrong things, and that must include the Jews." v10-18 Paul now quotes various Old Testament scriptures. Showing the affect on people. v10-12 Psalm 14:1-3. No one is good. v13 Psalm 5:9; Psalm 51:4; Psalm 140:3, affects the throat,tongue,lips. v14 Psalm 10:7. The mouth. v15-17 Isaiah 59:7,8. The feet and behaviour. v18 Psalm 36:1. The eyes. v19 By the "law" Paul must be referring to the Old Testament generally, to the various previous quotations from the "writings." We have no way of making ourselves right to the standard set by God. v20 Paul appears to now directly refer to the Mosaic Law. God is perfect and by His Law we are "SIN" Note it is "SIN," not "SINS." Man is sin. The Law shows us what is wrong and right. 3:21-31 How we can be made right with God. v21 God’s righteousness, (the righteousness given by God not His own perfection) is now visible without the use of the law, just as the prophets said He would. Matt 5:17; Matt 7:12; Matt 11:13; Matt 22:40. v22-24 This righteousness of God is given to those who trust, have faith in Jesus. Just by believing, any one can be made right. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile in wrong life (sin). All have failed God’s standard. Neither is there any difference in the way we can be made right, it is a gift given by God’s Grace. 3:25-28 Being made right needs God’s rightness. This is an action by God through His Son Jesus. It was not forced upon God by an outside force, He chose to do it Himself. v25 Jesus has been used as a sacrifice (propitiation) to make each one of us acceptable to God, all we have to do now is believe in what Jesus has done. By believing in Jesus he is able to say that we have now been made right (righteous) with God. In God’s mercy He had chosen to ignore the wrong life (sin) in the past. v26 This action shows that God is just, perfect and right in all His actions. This action allows the forgiveness of our wrong (sinful) lives. v27 Because of this action by God and Jesus we do not have any right to boast, there is no way of living our lives, by obeying the law, good behavior etc. which can make us right in God, only faith in what He has done, we must accept His gift. v28 "Works" whether using the law or just personal belief will only produce pride, it is a self centered life, but we are declared right simply by an act of faith, the law is not involved, it is a personal commitment by each one of us. 3:29-31 Being made right (Justification) problems and answers. v29 It is God who makes the statement that we are made right by faith whether Jew or Gentile. v29,30 Whether we are a Jew who has been circumcised or a Gentile who has not been circumcised, there is no difference because we are made right by FAITH by the ONE GOD. v31 This act of faith does not destroy the law, because by the law we know what is right and wrong. We have actually proved that the law is right, it proves we were wrong because now we have been made right through faith in God’s action and promise. |
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| Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 |
| Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 |
| Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 |
| Chapter 16 | Introduction page |
