Romans 3
10 Mar 2026 - Theology
Romans 3
Obeying God’s Law (1-8)
Romans 3:3-4 - “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou [asbp] mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.”
[asbp] mightest be justified = aorist subjunctive passive; a one time, passive action in the future
“mightest be justified” - Strong’s Concordence [1344,302]
- to the end that
- God is righteous
“art judged” - Strong’s Concordence [2919]
- condemn, cast judgement (verb)
Psalm 51:4 - “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.”
Paul is arguing that human faithlessness or sin does not nullify God’s faithfulness or righteousness. Regardless of human failures, God’s character and promises remain perfect and true.
All Have Sinned (9-20)
Jews and Gentiles are all under sin (9).
“sin” - Strong’s Concordence [266]
- sin as a state (noun)
All mankind is under this state of sin, until we become dead to the state of sin when we are resurrected to new life unto God through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:1-14). This does not mean that the act (or verb) of sin, or its presence in our lives, just disappears.
Romans 3:11-12 - “There is none that [ppt] understandeth, there is none that [ppt] seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that [ppt] doeth good, no, not one.”
[ppt] = The present participle expresses continuous or repeated action
Romans 3:19 - “Now we know that what things soever 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. [or subject to the eternal judgement (noun) of God].”
The law says that we are guilty before God and subject to His eternal judgement.
Romans 3:20 - “Therefore by the deeds of the law there [fp] shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
[fp] = future passive tense; at a particular time in the future
The Only Way of Salvation (21-31)
Romans 3:24 - “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”
“Being justified” - Strong’s Concordence [1344]
- Justification is a legal term, meaning “to remove the guilt (liability to punishment) of the sinner.” It does not involve making one inwardly holy, but merely declares that the demands of justice have been satisfied
- Hence, there is no grounds for condemnation (Romans 8:1).
Romans 3:25-26 - “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 which believeth in Jesus.”
God has set Christ Jesus forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, for the remission of sins. God will thus be the justifier of him who believes in Jesus.
Romans 3:28 - “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
References
- The Hebrew - Greek Key Study Bible (KJV Version)
- Romans 3 - Greek Interlinear