Romans 4:1-3 - Abraham our Forefather

Paul concluded that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23) to show that no one - no Jew, nor any Gentile - is sufficiently righteous within themselves to meet God’s perfect standard. No works, no effort, no striving will make you perfect and holy.
We can almost hear people stammering, “But... But... But...”, and “But what about Abraham, the ‘father’ of our nation? But, what about David, our king? Doesn't that prove the Jews and their Law please God?”

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1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."

What Is Said About Abraham?

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V. 1 - “What then shall we say that Abraham... has found?” - What do you think Abraham would say about faith versus works? Would Abraham claim to be righteous because of the things he did?

V. 2 - “For if Abraham was justified by works” - This is the discussion question: What did Abraham DO? Which of Abraham’s actions prompted God to honor him with the promises?
A brief run-down of Abraham’s history:

• God tells Abraham to pick up everything, to leave his home country and go where God will show (Gen. 12:1-4). He and Sarah go to the Canaanite lands west of the Jordan River.
• Because of a famine in the land, Abraham goes to Egypt, where he passes his wife off as his sister (she’s beautiful, and he’s afraid for his life) (Gen. 12:11-17). The famine theme is repeated later in Genesis (Gen. 41:54ff)
• They return and settle near Bethel (much richer than when they left, by the way), where Abraham builds an altar and worships God (Gen. 13:4).
• God promises all the land Abraham can see. Abraham again offers worship to God (Gen. 13:14-20).
• Abraham defeats kings who captured Lot, then offers sacrifices with Melchizedek, giving him a tithe. (Gen. 14:14-20).
• God promises an heir to Abraham, and lots (no pun intended) of descendants (Gen. 15:4-6).
• Abraham believes this promise, which results in him being called ‘righteous’. Sarah is more impatient, and so convinces Abraham to use their slave girl, Hagar, to ‘help’ God in fulfilling the promise (Gen. 16:2ff). This one proves to create long-term problems.
• Abraham turns 100 years old, and Sarah gets pregnant bearing a son, despite being over the age of 90. (Gen. 21:2).

“He has something to boast about, but not before God” - Which of these incidents deserves such high praise - lying about Sarah being his sister? Using Hagar as a surrogate heir which God had promised to Abraham (Gen. 15:4-6)? Hagar has a son, and Abraham treats her callously? I would propose those were not Abraham’s better moments.

V. 3 - “For what does the Scripture say?” - Abraham’s response of faith was proof of genuine loyalty (See: Gen. 15:6) and followed the promise of an heir to Abraham and Sarah. It was not just that single response though. Abraham believed God would show where he was to go, so he was obedient and went. Abraham believed God was giving him the land where he was standing, so he offered a sacrifice on an altar. Abraham believed God was merciful and pleaded for Sodom and Gomorrah. He rescued Lot from four kings, and used only 318 soldiers. He honored God, and was blessed by a ‘Most High Priest of the Most Holy God’.

What is harder to believe: (1)God would actually show you where He wants you to settle, how ever much land you can see is yours because God is going to give it to you? Or: (2) God is blessing you through a priest, and you are going to have a son now that you are over 90 years old?
Which makes more sense? Does either seem reasonable? Abraham believed God’s promises and commands, and showed that belief by obedience and worship.

Abraham was a complicated human: not standing up for his wife. Fighting to rescue his nephew. Accepting the gift of land from God, and giving part of it to Lot to avoid conflicts with their sheep herds. Defeating enemy kings, but taking no tribute from another king. Believing God, but “helping” God by having a child by a slave girl.
For me, Abraham’s biggest, most impressive display of faith in God is when he obeyed God in offering his son as a sacrifice. He believed that if Isaac was offered, God would recompense. His promise would be fulfilled even if it was not to be Isaac! God stopped Abraham, confirming Isaac as the promised heir of blessing and of nations.

Side note: Several of the heroes of the OT were flawed men, yet were “God’s men”. As mentioned above, Abraham was not perfect. Moses led the nation Israel out of Egypt, but was an imperfect leader, sometimes whiny, sometimes stubborn, but still overall doing God’s will. King David was impetuous, violent, lustful and yet a man after God’s heart. (See: 1 Sam. 13:14; 1 Cor. 16:7, 13)

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Romans 3:27-31 - Justified by Faith

27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.
28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
30 since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

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Does Faith Nullify the Law?

V. 27 - “Where then is boasting?” - Who can brag of the amazing their feat of satisfying the requirements of God? Absolutely no one. (Other than Jesus Christ, the LORD.) This is not exactly a new idea. “Thus says the LORD, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the LORD.” ( Jer. 9:23-24)

“By what kind of law?” - Which part of the law followed exactly, without fail, justifies us to God? What part from Genesis through Deuteronomy? What about working through ALL of it? Not works, but faith. 

Placing our trust in our own efforts encourages us to say, “Look! I did this!” However: “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:5-6)

V. 28 - “A man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” - This message had to be distressing to the Jews for they had based their whole existence on doing the Law. They were operating by rote, not by trusting God. We must be careful to not sneer at the Jews for their failure. It is far too easy to ‘love God’ by habit. We are drifting into the area of ‘works’ if our relationship with God and Jesus is founded on singing worship songs, going to church on Sunday mornings, baptism or communion, or any other of the things we do as Christians,. 

The Jewish leaders wanted to know what to do, so they asked Jesus. "'What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?'  Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.' " (See: John 6:28-35) His answers was, “Believe.”

V. 29-30 - “Is God the God of Jews only?” - This is a rhetorical question. Paul wants you to know faith in the Law means only Jews can be saved, hence: “God of the Jews only.” But God’s plan of salvation was not just for a few, but to be offered to all - both Jews and Gentiles. God's plan is to save all humans. Judaism was not designed for all, but for the chosen descendants of Abraham.
Perhaps that statement is too simplistic. It would seem to imply that only if you were born a Jew did you have any hope. After all were not the Jews God's chosen? But we can see in the laws God gave them that a Gentile who follows all of the Law - from circumcision through offering sacrifices and obeying holy days and festivals, and following His laws could be 'Jewish'. So it was not the birth that made you a follower of God, but obedience. For me, the understanding that the Jews were God's own special people is based on the fact that Jesus Christ, the savior of the world who took all of our sin upon Himself was to come from the Jewish nation. The Jews were to be tutors for the world, so the world would know that following God and His rules leads to salvation, blessing and mercy.

“God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.” - There is one God, the LORD. He is God of all creation. He has bridged the sin chasm between His Holy Being and sinful man, sinful Jews, sinful Gentiles.
Salvation does not come from a system of works. Salvation comes by knowing and believing in Jesus Christ - accepting His death as payment for your failure.

V. 31 - “Do we then nullify the Law through faith?” - Does faith in Jesus invalidate God’s Law? Does belief that Christ died for sin counteract the effectiveness of the Law?
No!
The Law was not given to provide salvation, but to teach us what sin is, and to teach us that we needed God to save us. We need to know that we cannot save ourselves. The act of sacrificing a lamb, a bull, a goat, or a bird did not save. The belief and faith in God and His command provided the cleansing power. Doing the act without the faith, in escence by rote, would be as effective as playing a round of golf.

“we establish the Law.” - Other translations use “we uphold the Law.” The Law has not lost its value. We still need to be reminded what sin is. I am not referring to the “civil” or “ceremonial” parts of the Mosaic Law, but to the “moral” laws, including the Ten Commandments.

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End of Chapter

Romans 3:21-26 - Righteousness by Faith

21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;
26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

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God's Righteousness is Shown

V. 21 - “the righteousness of God has been manifested” - God’s righteousness has been clearly shown (See: Rom. 1:17-21), and then testified to (“witnessed”) by the Old Testament scriptures. This is echoed in Heb. 2:3,4. God told us, and others saw what He has done and also told us.

V. 22 - “through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe” - His righteous nature is demonstrated again for our benefit in the advent, life, sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If no one can be justified by their actions or following the Law there is no hope to come to God. Working your way to God is more impossible than jumping across the Grand Canyon on a motor cycle. 

In His righteousness, God does not require you to do the impossible. He has provided the way - Christ Jesus. Our only access to God is through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved... " (Acts 16:31) Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.“ (John 14:6 )

“for there is no distinction” - This the first part of a parenthetical statement, second part is in verse 23. When it comes to meeting God's standards there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles. "No distinction" equals you cannot tell them apart, both are lost.

V. 23 - “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” - The last half of the parenthesis. Paul spent the majority of the letter to this point on this subject. The world is depraved. The chosen people of God have fallen short. There is no excuse because we know what sin is. “There is none righteous, not even one.” (See: Rom 3:10)

V. 24 - “being justified as a gift by His grace” - This part of the sentence is tied to the first half of verse 22. All who believe will be justified. When I committed my life to Christ, a mnemonic I learned was “Justified = Just-As-If-I-had-Never-Sinned.” This does not mean I have never sinned. It means the penalty is paid - Jesus is my advocate and sacrifice. The penalty, death, has been paid; God considers that I have not sinned. It is a gift from God to me. The gift is given by His grace, not by obligation.

“through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” - In the Old Covenant, a person indentured to another could be purchased or redeemed by a relative (this is the concept of a ‘kinsman redeemer’) by making the payment of the debt. When the payment was made, the person was free from the debt. In the New Covenant the debt is our sin. That sin debt was described by as a certificate which was nailed to the cross. (See: Col. 2:14)

V. 25 - “whom God displayed publicly” - The sacrifice that satisfied God’s justice, in paying for our sin, was not done in secret. In truth, Jesus’ life and ministry was public. The trial, in the Sanhedrin, at Pilate’s palace, the torture, the execution and death were horribly public. A significant reason for the Roman method of execution was the humiliation of the criminal and his family. The crucified were often left for days after death as a grim reminder and lesson. Interestingly, even though Jesus was despised by the Jewish leaders, they were adamant that Jesus would be taken down and buried before that day was finished, so Jewish rules and customs would not be violated.

Jesus was executed on Friday, was taken down and buried before sundown (this made it possible for Him to be buried before the Sabbath day started). The high priest asked Pilate to guard the tomb so Jesus’ body wouldn’t be stolen. The Jewish leaders did not believe Jesus was the Messiah, nor that He would be resurrected, but they were taking no chances. If his body disappeared from the tomb by nefarious means His followers could falsely claim resurrection.
What irony! The very thing they guarded against - an empty tomb - happened anyway, and with credible witnesses. (Who in their right mind would accuse the Roman soldiers of lying? Think of the trouble the Roman guards were in, when the very thing they were assigned to guard against happened!)

“as a propitiation in His blood through faith” - The image here is the sprinkling of blood on the mercy-seat of the Ark of the Covenant by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. (See: Lev. 16:14-15, 30.)
His blood cleanses us from all our sins when we through faith believe in Jesus. His death paid for all sins, but is only efficacious for those who accept the gift. Compare these two verses from Isaiah: “All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him...” (Isa. 53:6) “As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.“ (Isa. 53:11b) The emphasis: all versus the many. All of human sin fell upon Jesus on that cross. "Many", but not all will be justified because they believe in Him.

“in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed” - God shows His patience. See: “But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” (1 Tim. 1:16 ) God "passed over"; i.e., the sins were still there, but He does not see them.

God did not ignore sins committed. God withheld execution of His judgement on sin until after the crucifixion. In Hebrews, in the “Heroes of Faith Hall of Fame” we can see rewards delayed, so to speak: “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.” (Heb. 11:13) And, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Heb. 11:39-40)
The faithful believed God would honor their faith. Note that they will be made perfect when we are made perfect. We are not perfect as yet, and must wait until Christ returns and all is completed. Likewise, judgement for sin is certain, but not yet completely executed. Sins committed before the advent of Christ, will be judged on the basis of belief and faith in God, for Jews and Gentiles. After Christ’s death and resurrection judgement is based on belief and faith in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior.

V. 26 - “demonstration... of His righteousness at the present time” - I repeat, God shows us His righteousness through Christ. He shows us now. Not ‘now’ as in 17-Mar-2019, nor in the year 67 A.D. He has done it this one time, and it counts for all time - one sacrifice one time for all. It never will need to be repeated. He has done it for me, and it is effective now, the moment I believe and accept Him.

“He would be just and the justifier” - We want an honest legal system. We do not want a criminal to go free if they have committed the crime. We reject the idea of an innocent person being convicted because the jury is rigged. God commanded that judges rule fairly. (See: Lev. 19:15; Deut. 1:16-17) We also want that the Law is applied with no regard to class, race, wealth, or political affiliation - no respecter of persons. This same desire is even more true when applied to eternal matters.
God has also solved the other problem that faces us - we are incapable of meeting God’s righteousness with our own. We are as dirty rags when compared to His holiness. We are doomed. Payment must be made for sin. God therefore provided the payment. We do not need to do it; we cannot do it.
Justice must be served. God satisfied the penalty. He is the justifier. As noted above, Faith in Jesus Christ is the means. The lyric to a hymn says it well:
Living he Loved Me, Dying he saved me
Buried carried my My sins far away
Rising he justified me, Freed me forever
One day he's coming back. Glorious day.

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Romans 3:19-20 - Bound by Law

19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;
20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

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The Law is Still There. But, We Are Under a New System

V. 19 - “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;

“whatever the Law says” - Gentiles are not responsible to follow the commands of the Law. The Law was provided to the Jews. The Gentile world does not need to complain about the Law, and the difficulty of following the Law - it does not apply to Gentiles. This does not mean that Gentiles may live and do as they please, violating all principles of the Law, getting away scot-free. 

all the world may become accountable to God” - How can the world be held responsible if the Law does not apply? It could be argued that people may not know and understand what God requires of us if the Law was not written down. That may be weak, but it will be used. Now there is no excuse, so shut your mouth, quit complaining. The information is available to any who would look for it. “The truth is out there.” (See note 1) What it, the Law, does show is that God has standards of behavior and living for humans. Only in the Law is it clearly spelled out. 

V. 20 - because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

“through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” - We see the foundation of moral law, starting with the 10 commandments . We see how to relate to people through the ‘civil’ portion of the Law. Sin has been defined as active rebellion or passive indifference to God’s laws. There could easily be a warning at the beginning of the Law: “Sins include, but are not limited to the following:”. 

Sinful acts are shown to be lying, murder, adultery, stealing, respect, false worship, etc.
Now you know.
If you want to say, “But, what about...” you are trying to parse the commands to rationalize your behavior.

Dr. Toussaint from Dallas Theological Seminary points out the Law has three (3) parts:
Ceremonial - sacrifices, offerings, etc.;
Civil - governing the nation of Israel;
Moral - the 10 Commandments (he calls this ‘theonomic reconstruction’).
This is the Old Testament system. Even though nine of the Ten Commandments are written in the New Testament, we are not under any of it. The New Covenant is a different system. The Old Covenant offered no enablement. What the Law could not do was provide a way to flee to grace. We flee to grace through the cross to eternal life.

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Note 1: quoted from “X Files” TV series.
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Romans 3:9-18 - No Fear of God

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;
10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."
13 "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "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 PATHS,
17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN."
18 "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."

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All Are Under Sin

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V. 9 - “Are we better than they?” - I struggled for a while with this statement. Who is the ‘they’? Who is the “we”? Look at the line of argument in 1:18 - 2:29. The world (Gentiles) is depraved. The Jews are without excuse. Their history, their Law and circumcision are of no benefit. The last statement is hyperbole - The Law cannot and does not save your soul for eternal life. The Law does emphasize that God's grace is needed - grace provided Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Does that make Christians better than Gentiles or Jews? Are Jews better than Gentiles?

“Not at all.” - That was simple. Does it matter if someone is Jewish or not? No. Does it matter if you are an American, or Canadian, or German, or Arab, or Hispanic, or Indian, or Black, or Asian? Of course not. We all stand before God without hope except for Jesus Christ.

Verses 3:10-18 are all quotes from the Old Testament, Psalms and Isaiah, to show that no one is innocent of sin.

V. 10 - Quoted from Psa. 14:1-3, 53:1-3. No one does good. No one understands God.

V. 11-12 - Quoted from Psa. 14:2, 3. Everyone turns away from God. All their efforts to meet God’s standards are useless.

V. 13 - Quoted from Psa. 5:9, and Psa. 140:3. Because they do not understand God, they are lying to themselves and others. Nothing good comes from an open grave.

V. 14 - Quoted from Psa. 10:7.

V. 15-16 - Quoted from Isa. 59:7. Like marauding bandits, they cause people to die. Because of their teachings, we are led away from saving grace.

V. 17 - Quoted from Isa, 59:8. In Christ we have the peace of God and peace with God. There is no other path.

V. 18 - Quoted from Psa. 36:1. They do not understand God (v. 13, above) They do not know they are in danger. Not recognizing their impending doom, there is no fear. If you step to the edge of the Grand Canyon there is a slight frisson, for you know a misstep would lead to a fall and death. For some reason they do not sense the danger.

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Romans 3:3-8 - Our Unrighteousness Demonstrates Our Need

3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?
4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, "THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED."
5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.)
6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?
7 But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?
8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come"? Their condemnation is just.

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V. 3 - “What then?” - Paul asks a relevant question, “ So what if I don’t believe in God? Doesn’t that mean His judgements have no meaning or consequence for me?”

Are you kidding me?!

“nullify the faithfulness of God” - This attitude, “What does it matter if you think I am depraved? It’s just your opinion. Besides, you said not to judge. So, don’t judge me! It is only my opinion of myself and my actions that matter.” This is the stuff of folly. We think we are the ultimate end of all creation, we make the final decision. There is no other opinion to consider. In effect we “nullify” God.

The meaning of “nullify” is to invalidate, or to make an action ineffective or useless. God has said He will bring judgement to those who sin against Him. (Ultimately, all sin is against God, not just your fellowman.) Do you think your choice to reject Him will stop that judgement from being enacted?
Does God say, “Oh, you don’t believe in Me? Okay. I guess I will let that slide.” That makes no sense. God cannot go against His own rulings and laws. He has said, “The person who sins will die.” (Eze. 18:4, 20) He also said, “The person who lives righteously will live.” (Eze. 18:21) Equally important, "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num. 23:19) He said it. He will make it so.

V. 4 - “May it never be!” - An emphatic, “NO!” Or, “Not only, no, but H___ No!” Just as there are laws that govern the physical universe, there are laws that govern the spiritual universe. I cannot step off a 10th floor balcony into thin air because I decide I don’t believe in gravity. It does not end well for me, and will always be so. Denying the sovereignty of God cannot end well for us.
Do not try to convince yourself you are worthy because of how 'good' you are. God's laws are inviolable. It is only through Jesus Christ that our sins are forgiven, and there we can stand before the Lord without fear, in perfect peace. We are safe; we are saved there in Christ.

“let God be found true” - I don’t think this is an appeal to put God on trial. This is not, “Is God telling the truth?” Instead, open your eyes and see that God is true. Open your hearts and know within your soul and spirit God means what He says. Believe God is Holy and Righteous.

Are you going to believe God, or people around you denouncing God? Paul uses quotes from Psa. 116:11 (... all men are liars.), and Psa. 51:4 - (when You judge, You will be found righteous and justified. ) to answer the question.
We will only be able to meekly say, “You are correct, Almighty God!”, when we stand before His throne and He lays out our sins for all to see. At that point we can fall to our knees and worship because Jesus has paid the penalty. He died that we may live. He rose to life that we may live with Him. "And all the people said, 'Amen!'"

V. 5 - “if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God” - It does! The comparison is a 4th of July sparkler to a thermonuclear blast; a candle on a hill, to the noonday sun. Those comparisons are too weak.

We have the ‘purity of the driven slush’ (* see note 1, below.). There is no impurity in Him.

“God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He?” - What is mental image of ‘wrath’? Rage, vengeance, wanton destruction, anger run wild? God’s judgement is often called ‘wrath’ in scripture. (See: John 3:36) We want to see ‘justice’ in our American jurisprudence system. Most want the bad guys to be found guilty and punished; the innocent to be found not guilty and have no blot on their record. We want the justice system to be fair and correct. We want the justice system to be honest; the judgments trustworthy. If we think the judges are dishonest, we can’t trust the sentences announced. This brings us to the next verse.

V. 6 - “how will God judge the world?” - If God is not righteous, is He any different than a human? If no different than a human, how are His judgements valid?
l God is not a human. He is a Holy and Righteous God! (See: Lev. 11:44-45)... He will judge everything! (See: Eccl. 12:13-14; Heb. 4:13)
God is bigger than the world. We cannot pass judgement on Him.

V. 7 - “But if through my lie the truth of God abounded” - Look back to verse 3:4 where every one is identified as a liar. What is the lie? Here are a few: “We aren’t depraved.” “We don’t deserve judgement.“ “We are Jews, and therefore are good.” 
The truth is, we are all lost to sin, with no escape on our own.

“why am I also still being judged as a sinner?” - So, if God is holy and righteous and I am held captive by sin of which I cannot escape, why is God holding it against me? The cry is, “It’s not my fault!” I think Paul is guiding us to the understanding that starting or being in sin is not the only problem. Staying in sin is the problem. God has provided the means to escape the sin. If you reject His offer, the problem is you, not God.

V. 8 - "Let us do evil that good may come" - Basically, it goes like this: “If we need God’s grace and forgiveness for the little bit (!) of sin we have done, then think of how much more grace will come if we really go over the top. If forgiveness is needed because I am angry at the idiot driver on the freeway, think of how much more forgiveness is given if I kill someone. Why stop at one, why not kill hundreds, thousands? Then I will know I have ‘earned’ the grace!”

This is a perverse line of reasoning. 

The human mind reasons: “This sin is worse than that sin.” We see gradations. God does not. God does not demand we be good, but that we be perfect, blameless. We know murder is bad and deserves judgement. God's standard is beyond our reach: don’t even be angry with another person. (Matt. 5:21-22) We know adultery is bad and deserves judgement. Again, the standard is far beyond our ability to attain it: don’t even have lustful thoughts. (Matt. 5:27, 28)

We fall woefully short of perfection.

“Their condemnation is just.” - A strong, angry statement. Paul is responding to an attack on his character and authority as an apostle. Someone in Rome is accusing Paul of condoning hedonism in order to get more grace from Jesus. He has been slandered. This is similar to his letter to the Galatians. (See: Gal. 1:8-9; 5:12), and sounds exactly like a judgment. Compare this statement to Rom. 2:1,2. These false teachers may go to hell for what they are saying. They deserve it; it is not an unfair line of reasoning. Paul is not passing judgement. He cannot; he is not God. But he can speak out to warn the people of their wicked ways so they can repent and be saved. (See: Eze. 3:18-19)

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* Note 1: paraphrased from Dorothy Parker.
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Romans 3:1-2 - The Advantage of the Jews

Paul starts to wrap up the premise: We are all broken people, sinners in need of salvation. We cannot do anything to save ourselves, our sin stands in the way. Sin cannot be overcome by our actions.

The chapter can be divided into four paragraphs, with some sub-divisions:

3:1-8 - Our unbelief does not change God’s purposes.
   3:1-2 - Advantages of being a Jew
   3:3-8 - Unrighteousness Demonstrates Our Need
3:9-20 - No Fear of God
   3:9-18 - No one is innocent
   3:19-20 - Bound by the Law
3:21-25 - Righteousness is:
3:26-31 - Justified by Faith.

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1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?
2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

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Advantages

V. 1 - “Then what advantage has the Jew?” - We just finished a section in which Gentiles were found to be depraved because of their disobedience. The Jews claimed to acceptable because they were Jews, and circumcision proved it. Paul says, “So what? You may have the Law and circumcision, but if you don’t obey, it is as if the Law and circumcision does not exist.”

The question immediately arises, “Why bother?” If the Jews are as guilty as Gentiles, are there any positive aspects of being a Jew?

V. 2 - “Great in every respect.” - He was proud to be a Jew, a Hebrew among Hebrews. (See: Phil. 3:4-6) Yet he knows they have failed in honoring God. So, what is the advantage of being a Jew? This is not a rhetorical question.

“They were entrusted with the oracles of God.” - Gentiles had to deduce about God from what they see around them, in the universe, in nature, in the miracle of life. The Jews did not have to guess about God. They did not have to ponder, “Is this the right way, or is that?” They did not have to come to a philosophical understanding of what was expected. We think of ‘oracles’ in terms of ‘fortune telling’, a medium who gives enigmatic answers to questions, sometimes using crystal balls, or reading palms. ‘Oracle’ can also include authoritative or wise statements or predictions. An ‘oracle’ can also be a command from God, or a revelation from God. Jews did not have to wonder. It was made fairly clear. “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Deut. 5:7)

Moses implores the nation in his last speech: "Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other. ‘So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time.’" (Deut. 4:39-40)

God gives them a choice: life or death - "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. "But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. ‘I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.’" (Deut. 30:15-20)

Later, God speaks to the Northern Kingdom through His prophets. What does God expect? See: “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic. 6:8)

And the Lord offers this lament through the prophet Zechariah, “But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.” (Zech 7:11-12)
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