Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: ROMANS #5 - 3:9-31)
F. 3:9-20 THE LAW JUSTIFIES NONE - BUT PLACES ALL UNDER SIN
a. 3:9a What then? are we the better? Ti oun? pro-eCHOme-tha [4284]?
b. 3:9b-18 SCRIPTURES PROVE THE HEART OF JEW THE SAME AS HEART OF GENTILE
ou PANtos: pro-e-ti-aSAme-tha [4256] gar IouDAIous te kai HELle-nas, PANtas huph' ha-marTIan EInai;
Not at all: for we before laid to thecharge both of Jews and Greeks, thatall are under sin;
kaTHOS GEgrep-tai [HOti], Ouk EStin DIkai-os, ouDE heis;
10 as itis written [that], None is righteous, no, not one;
ouk EStin su-niON [4920], ouk EStin ek-zeTON [1567]ton TheON;
11 Thereis none that understands, Thereis none that seeks after :God;
PANtes eXEkli-nan [1578], HAma ech-reOthe-san [889];
12 All have turned aside, are together become unprofitable;
ouk EStin poiON chreSTOte-ta [5544], ouk EStin HEos eNOS: TAphos a-ne-ogMEnos [455]ho LArugx auTON;
There is none that does good, thereis not so much as one:13 Their :throat is an open sepulchre;
tais GLOSsais auTON e-do-liOUsan [1387]: iOS asPIdon [785]huPO ta CHEIle[5491]auTON:
With their :tongues they have used deceit: Poison of asps is under their :lips:
hon to STOma aRAS [685]kai piKRIas [4088]GEmei: oXEIS [3691]hoi POdes auTON ekCHEai [1632]HAIma;
14Whose :mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15Their :feet swift to shed blood;
SUNtrim-ma [4938]kai ta-lai-poRIa [5004]en tais hoDOIS auTON;
16Destruction and misery in their :ways;
kai hoDON eiREnes ouk EGno-san: ouk EStin PHObos [5401]TheOU aPEnan-ti ton oph-thalMON auTON.
17 And theway of peace have they not known: 18 No fear of God is before their :eyes.
c. 3:19-20 THE LAW OF NATURE JUSTIFIES NO FLESH BY ITS WORKS
OIda-men de HOti HOsa ho NOmos LEgei, tois en to NOmo laLEI;
Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those under the law;
HIna pan STOma [4750]phraGE[5420], kai huPOdi-kos [5267]GEne-tai pas ho KOSmos toTheO:
that every mouth be stopped, and all the world become under judgment before :God:
di' HOti ex ERgon NOmou ou di-kai-oTHEse-tai [1344]PAsa sarx eNOpi-on auTOU;
20 because by works of law shall no flesh be justified in his sight;
diA gar NOmou ePIGno-sis [1922]ha-marTIas.
for through law isknowledge of sin.
G. 3:21-31 THE RELATIONSHIP OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THE LAW
1. 3:21-26 RIGHTEOUSNESS PROVIDED BY GOD, APART FROM LAW
nuNI de choRIS NOmou di-kai-oSUneTheOU pe-phaNEro-tai [5319],
But now apart from law God's righteousness has been manifested,
mar-tu-rouMEne[3140]huPO tou NOmou kai ton pro-pheTON [4396];
being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
di-kai-oSUnede TheOU diA PIste-os IeSOU ChrisTOU
22even God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ
eis PANtas tous pisTEUon-tas; ou GAR es-tin di-a-stoLE[1293];
unto all that believe; for thereis no distinction;
PANtes gar HEmar-ton, kai hus-teROUNtai [5302]tes DOxes tou TheOU;
23 for all havesinned, and fall short of the glory of :God;
di-kaiOUme-noi do-reAN [1432]teauTOU CHAri-ti diA tes a-po-luTROse-os [629]tes en ChrisTOIeSOU:
24 being justified freely by his :grace through the redemption :in Christ Jesus:
hon proEthe-to [4388]ho TheOS hi-lasTEri-on [2435], diA PISte-os,
25 whom :God set forth aspropitiation, through faith,
en toauTOU HAIma-ti, eis ENdei-xin [1732]tes di-kai-oSUnes auTOU
in his :blood, to show his :righteousness
diA ten PAre-sin [3929]ton pro-ge-goNOton [4266]ha-mar-teMAton,
because of the passing over of the sins done afore,
en tee-noCHE[463]tou TheOU; pros ten ENdei-xin, tes di-kai-oSUnes auTOU
in the forbearance of :God; 26for the showing, I say, of his :righteousness
en tonun kaiRO[2540]: eis to EInai auTON DIkai-on, kai di-kaiOUNta ton ek PISte-os IeSOU.
at the present season: that HE might be just, and justifier of him that has faith in Jesus.
2. 3:27-31 LAW ESTABLISHES RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH
a. 3:27a Where then the glorying? Pou oun heKAUche-sis [4746]?
b. 3:27b It is excluded. e-xeKLEISthe [1576].
c. 3:27c By what manner of law? of the works? in no wise; but by a law of faith.
diA POIou NOmou? ton ERgon? ouCHI; alLA diA NOmou PIste-os.
d. 3:28 For we reckon a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.
lo-giZOme-tha [3049]gar di-kaiOUSthai PIS-tei ANthro-pon choRIS ERgon NOmou.
e. 3:29 Or is he :God of Jews only? not of thenations also? in no wise of nations also?
e'IouDAIon ho TheOS MOnon? ouCHI kai ethNON?
f. 3:30 GOD GIVES RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH TO BOTH JEWS & GENTILES
nai, kai ethNON eiPER heis ho TheOS, hos di-kaiOsei [1344]pe-ri-toMEN [4061]ek PISte-os,
Yes, of nations also if indeed :God is one, who shall justify circumcision out of faith,
kai a-kro-busTIan [203]diA tes PISte-os.
and uncircumcision through the faith.
g. 3:31a Do we then make law void through the faith?
NOmon oun ka-tarGOUmen [2673]diA tes PISte-os?
h. 3:31b Be it not so: no, we establish law.
meGEnoi-to: alLA, NOmon hisTAno-men [2476].
NOTE: Again, the apostle Paul tests the understanding of his readers. He fulfills the insight of Peter, who says that his brother Paul writes some things “hard to be understood” (2 Peter 2s:15-16).
Charles G. Finney challenged his readers in his 31 page introduction to his Systematic Theology. He did not apologize. Rather he challenged them to learn to “think.” It is good to stretch our minds. Researchers tell us that if we stretch our minds beyond their normal limits, such as learning a new language, one will not fall prey to “Alzheimer's”.
If you have difficulty grasping the thoughts of the Holy Spirit through Paul here - I challenge you to prayerfully go over this passage. Tell the Holy Spirit that you need His help. He will surely give it to you, and with joy you will begin to enter into God's fuller thinking on His great salvation He has made available to us.
I fear that our modern Christianity has failed to challenge disciples into a realm quite possible for us, but because of lack of encouragement, we have been robbed of our potential understanding and joy.
Say - “By Your grace, O Lord, I willenter into the treasures of Your Truth!” Amen. J.A.W.
P.S. The transliterated Greek text is designed for “eager beavers.” If it does not interest or challenge you, by all means do not feel condemned for skipping it!