Romans 3:9-20 Summarizing Man's Condition Before God

“What shall we conclude then? Are we (Jews) any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.” Rom 3:9

Someone may be tempted to conclude that when Paul speaks of the sinfulness of mankind, he is speaking in generalities. Paul removes that temptation by saying “There is no one righteous, not even one…there is no one who does good, not even one.” To remove any doubt about who is included in the sinfulness category, Paul states twice, there is “not even one” person who is righteous or good.

Verses 10 through 18 are Paul’s proof texts regarding his conclusions on the universality of sin. He uses Jewish Scripture (i.e. the Old Testament) in summarizing his teaching. A Jewish reader would have been hard pressed to argue against Paul. Paul is continually working to show the Jews that he is not coming up with something new. His teaching is found throughout the Old Testament.

But a Jew who is troubled by Paul’s conclusion would remind Paul that the Jews are “entrusted with the very words of God” also known as the “law”. Surely the possession of the law means Jews have a right standing with God. Paul responds by saying “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather through the law we become conscious of sin.”

We are introduced to a new concept at this point in Romans. The “law” made people become conscious of sin. It didn’t cure the sin, remove the sin, rehabilitate the sinner etc. The “law” made people become conscious of sin by presenting a lofty standard of righteousness to measure their lives against. A Jew does not benefit from the law by having a right relationship with God rather the Jew benefited from the law by being made conscious of sin.

If Romans were an oil painting that begins with a blank pallet in chapter 1 and is a completed work of art in chapter 16, the background for the masterpiece is completed at this point. It is a very dark background that leaves the world facing the righteous judgment of God. The title of Jonathan Edward’s most famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” would be a good title for Romans up to this point.