Daily Thoughts from Romans: To Whom Much Is Given (3:1-20)

Daily Thoughts from Romans: To Whom Much Is Given

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,

   “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”

But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 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 slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”  “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.”  “The venom of asps is under their lips.”  “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”  “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.”  “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.  (Romans 3:1-20 ESV)

If being a Jew does not guarantee salvation, what advantage is it?  This is the objection Paul anticipates and has likely heard many times from Jewish unbelievers as he presented the gospel.  And though, as he has just argued, a Gentile can acknowledge the Law of God in his conscience and so be like a Jew inwardly, the advantage to being a Jew is they are entrusted with God’s revelation of the Law and the promises.  They have clear testimony to the salvation God is offering.  Just because they have not listened does not mean God was unfaithful to them.  He is the judge.  And if they object that God judges them for showing up their unrighteousness and so gets to show off His righteousness by doing so and they should therefore be all the more unrighteous, Paul shows up their inconsistency by reminding them that they believe God judges Gentiles as well and they could make the same argument.

No, everyone is under sin, under condemnation for rebellion against God.  Paul pulls together a list of passages from the Old Testament, mostly the Psalms, that highlight humanity’s inability to do anything to please God.  Since this is spoken to the Jews primarily in their Scriptures it must apply to them as well.  And so Paul concludes that no amount of works done in compliance with the Law will ever be enough to declare someone righteous in God’s sight.  The Law just makes us all the more accountable for sin since we see our sin more clearly and God’s answer more clearly.

To whom much is given, Jesus said, much is required (Luke 12:48).