Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XVIII)

John Bengel has some enlightening exposition on important words in this verse: “Redemption – from sin and misery. Atonement or propitiation, and redemption result in fundamentally one benefit, namely the restoration of the lost sinner [to God’s favor]. This is the fullest and simplest notion, and it adequately answers to the name, Jesus. Redemption refers to enemies, reconciliation refers to God; here the words propitiation and reconciliation differ. Propitiation takes away the offence against God. Reconciliation may be considered from two points of view; it removes God’s indignation against us, 2 Corinthians 5:19; and our alienation from God, 2 Corinthians 5:20. In Christ Jesus – the name Christ is sometimes put before Jesus for very good reason. In the Old Testament progress is made from the knowledge of Christ to the knowledge of Jesus; in the experience of present faith, from the knowledge of Jesus to the knowledge of Christ.¹”² Bengel’s last point here is that in the OT the Messiah is introduced, and as one goes through prophecies they are led to recognizing Him in Jesus of Nazareth. In the NT one is introduced to Jesus of Nazareth, and as they go through the prophecies, they are led to acknowledging Him as the Messiah.

Adam Clarke put it this way: “So far from being able to attain the glory of God by their obedience [to the Law], they are all guilty. To be saved, they must be freely pardoned by God‘s grace; which is shown to them who believe, through the redemption, the ransom price, which is the sacrifice of Christ Jesus.”³ How clearly Paul shows man’s helplessness in freeing himself from sin’s bondage and how utterly incapable he is in paying the ransom price God requires. That’s why we must see Jesus’ first coming as Messiah on a search and rescue effort. For without it, all mankind would be forever lost.

Charles Hodge adds this: “We do not have the slightest degree of merit to offer [God] as the ground of our acceptance. This is the third characteristic of the method of justification which is by the righteousness of God. Though it is so entirely gratuitous as regards the sinner, yet it is in a way perfectly consistent with the justice of God. It is through ‘the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,’ that is, of which He is the author.”⁴ And Spurgeon exhorts us: “This is a very wonderful verse, every word of it is full of meaning. ‘Justified’— that is, accounted just, made to be righteous in the sight of God. ‘Justified freely’— without any merit or purchase money. ‘Freely by His grace’— not an act of justice, but an act of mercy has made sinners just in the sight of God. ‘Through the redemption’— there is the foundation of it all, we are redeemed by [His] precious blood: ‘Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.’”⁵ This is expressed in the lyrics of a song we often hear: “Jesus is the center of it all.”

Charles Ellicott gives us an excellent definition of “Redemption:” He writes: “Literally, ransoming. The notion of ransom contains in itself the triple idea of bondage, deliverance, and payment of a ransom as the means of that deliverance. The bondage is the state of sin and of guilt, with the expectation of punishment. The deliverance is the removal of this state, and the opening out, in its stead, of a prospect of eternal happiness and glory; the ransom paid by Christ is the shedding of His own blood. This last is the pivot upon which the whole idea of redemption turns It is, therefore, clear that the redemption of the sinner is an act wrought objectively, and, in the first instance, independently of any [required] change of condition in him, though such a change is involved in the appropriation of the efficacy of that act upon himself. It cannot be explained as a purely subjective process wrought in the sinner through the influence of Christ’s death. The idea of dying and reviving with Christ, though a distinct aspect of the atonement, cannot be made to cover the whole of it. There is implied, not only a change in the recipient of the atonement but also a change wrought without his co-operation in the relations between God and man. There is, if it may be so said, in the death of Christ something which determines the will of God, as well as something which acts upon the will of man. And the particular influence which is brought to bear upon the counsels of God is represented under the figure of a ransom or payment of an equivalent [in full].”⁶

Theologian F. F. Bruce has quite a bit to say on what Paul writes that makes it impossible to quote in its entirety, but here are some key points: “Paul’s hope, before he became a Christian, was that, by dint of perseverance in observing the law of God, he might at length be pronounced righteous by God when he stood before his judgment-seat. But in this way of righteousness apart from the law, the procedure is reversed: God pronounces believers righteous at the beginning of their course, not at the end of it. If he pronounces them righteous at the beginning of their course, it cannot be on the basis of works which they have not yet done. Such justification is, on the contrary, ‘an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight.’⁷ The redemption or ransom is the buying of a slave out of bondage in order to set him free. Here too God’s merciful dealings with Israel provide an Old Testament background to Paul’s language, whether we think of Israel’s redemption from Egyptian bondage⁸ or of their later deliverance from the Babylonian exile (Isaiah 41:14; 43:1). The grace of God which ‘justifies’ those who believe has been actively manifested in the redemptive work of Christ.”⁹

Bruce reminds us of a quote from one of Christendom’s most famous writers, John Bunyan, who wrote: “As I was walking up and down in the house, as a man in a most woeful state, that word of God took hold of my heart, Ye are ‘justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus’ (Rom. 3:24). But oh, what a turn it made upon me! Now was I as one awakened out of some troublesome sleep and dream, and listening to this heavenly sentence, I was as if I had heard it thus expounded to me: Sinner, thou thinkest that because of thy sins and infirmities I cannot save thy soul, but behold my Son is by me, and upon him I look, and not on thee, and will deal with thee according as I am pleased with him. At this I was greatly lightened in my mind, and made to understand that God could justify a sinner at any time; it was but ‘his’ looking upon Christ and imputing of his benefits to us, and the work was forthwith done.”¹⁰

Verses 25-26: God displayed Jesus publicly as the required sacrifice so we could have faith in His blood. This was to demonstrate His doing what was right because, by God’s willingness to forgive, He dismissed the sins previously committed. This was to prove, I say, God’s righteous act at the present time so that He would be both just and the justifier of the anyone who has faith in Jesus.

Paul now provides an excellent summary of all he has presented so far to the Messianic Jewish leaders in the congregation in Rome on why the believer’s justification, and admission to the family of God, comes only through faith in Christ, not the law. This did not result from some last minute decision, it was all planned from eternity past. On the Day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter made this same point: “Jesus was handed over to you, and you killed Him. With the help of evil men, you nailed Him to a cross. But God knew all this would happen. It was His plan—a plan He made long ago.”¹¹ Why was this important? Because many before Jesus had tried to play the role of Messiah, but there were no Scriptures to support their assertions and no miracles to sustain their claims.

That’s why the Apostles immediately offered all the evidence that would be required to prove that this Jesus of Nazareth was the One they had all been waiting for. When Peter went into the Temple area after the Day of Pentecost, he had this message: “God said these things would happen. Through the prophets He said that His Messiah would suffer and die. I have told you how God made this happen.”¹² And when Paul visited Jerusalem, the Apostolic Council brought up Peter’s experience of how this message of salvation was extended to the non-Jews, all because the words of the prophets agreed that it was going to happen. They said: “All this has been known from the beginning of time.¹³”¹⁴

Now Paul goes on to explain that Jesus’ sacrifice was not one of many options, but the only option that would be accepted by God as a reason to forgive sins. Paul uses the Greek word hilastērion that is translated as “propitiation” in the KJV. It is only used twice in the NT: Here, and in Hebrews 9:5, where it is rendered “mercyseat.” The whole purpose for this sacrifice was to satisfy God’s requirements so that the evidence of sins could be expunged from a person’s record, thereby removing any need for punishment. Scholars tell us that this was not done out of obligation, reluctance, or unwillingness, but in a spirit of gratitude for what was accomplished by the One who was sacrificed.

Early church writer Origen gives his commentary on this subject: “Although the holy Apostle teaches many wonderful things about our Lord Jesus Christ which are said mysteriously about Him, in this passage he has given special prominence to something which, I think, is not readily found in other parts of Scripture. For having just said that Christ gave Himself as a redemption for the entire human race so that He might ransom those who were held captive by sin … now Paul adds something even more sublime, saying that God put Him forward ‘as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith.’ This means that by the sacrifice of Christ’s body God has made expiation on behalf of men and by this has shown His righteousness, in that He forgave their previous sins, which they had committed in the service of the worst possible tyrants. God endured this and allowed these things to happen.”¹⁵

American theologian R. C. Sproul gives us a clear picture of both expiation and propitiation: “Let’s think about what these words mean, then, beginning with the word expiation. The prefix ex means “out of” or “from,” so expiation has to do with removing something or taking something away. In biblical terms, it has to do with taking away guilt through the payment of a penalty or the offering of an atonement. By contrast, propitiation has to do with the object of such expiation. The prefix pro means “for,” so propitiation brings about a change in God’s attitude, so that He moves from being at enmity with us to being for us. Through the process of propitiation, we are restored into fellowship and favor with Him.”

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XVII)

John Calvin believes that Paul is depending on the fact that everyone who is conscious of their sin, feels confounded and lost by a sense of their own shame when they stand before the throne of God. Calvin says: “There is then, according to what he [Paul] teaches, no righteousness but what is perfect and absolute. Were there indeed such a thing as half-righteousness, it would yet be necessary to deprive the sinner entirely of all glory: and hereby the figment of partial righteousness, as they call it, is sufficiently disproved; for if it were true that we are justified in part by works, and in part by grace, this argument of Paul would be of no force — that all are deprived of the glory of God because they are sinners. It is then certain, there is no righteousness where there is sin until Christ removes the curse.”¹

John Bengel sees the term “have sinned” in the following light: “That is, [they] have contracted the guilt of sin. This refers to both the principal act of sin in Paradise, and to our sinful disposition, as well as to the acts of transgression flowing from it. The past tenses have frequently a rudimentary sense together with an idea of continued action.” Bengel also says that the phrase “come short” is the result of having sinned. He continues: “By this term the whole superiority of the Jews and all boasting of all flesh, are taken away. The former is a past act; the latter is an established course of conduct; each denotes deficiency, so they do not attain the glory of God… They have missed the chief purpose of man.”² That’s why Paul was so excited to tell them the Good News that God sent His Son Jesus to make it possible to overcome these handicaps and be fully and eternally restored to God’s good pleasure.

H. A. Ironside says: “In order to show grace in righteousness to admitted guilty sinners God must have a just and satisfactory basis. Sin cannot be overlooked. It must be atoned for. This has been effectuated ‘through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.’ Redemption is a buying back. Man’s life is forfeited because of his iniquitous ways. He is sold under judgment. Christ the Holy One-God and Man in one glorious Person upon whom the violated law had no claim – took the guilty rebel’s place, paid the utmost penalty, thus redeeming the believing sinner from the wrath and curse to which he had sold himself.”³

Bible scholar Charles Hodge provides information of the ongoing debate among theologians on what Paul meant by saying all are sinners. Some suggest that it is inherent from Adam. We could say this by way of an illustration. For instance, if your parents were born and raised in a particular culture, then you are by inheritance considered a part of that culture. E.g., my father was born in Germany. Therefore I would by birth also be of German stock. However, my father moved to America where I was born. So by culture, I was born an American. However, that did not remove my heritage as being German. The only way to cancel that would be for me to be born of another woman from a different culture, so as to begin my life over again. This is what Paul was trying to impress on the Roman believers, that simply by the fact that even though they were of Jewish heritage, it would be necessary for them to be born again through Jesus Christ as children of God. There is no other way to get there.

Jewish scholar David Stern sees these same truths wrapped up in these Old Testament scriptures:

“There is no one who does not sin.” (1 Kings 8: 46)

“For there is not a righteous person on the earth, who does good and does not sin.” (Ecclesiastes 7: 20)

“Behold, Adonai’s hand is not shortened, so that it cannot save; nor is his ear heavy, so that it cannot hear. Rather, your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God and your sins have hidden his face from you, from hearing.” (Isaiah 59: 1– 2)

“We are all like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64: 5( 6)).

So, says Stern, “The question of why it is true, and how it comes about, that everyone sins — in other words, the question of so-called ‘original sin’ — is discussed. The truth of this verse, which epitomizes the Bad News of 1:18–3:20, is basic to understanding both the inherent problematic condition of all mankind and the Good News that God offers the only solution to the problem through Yeshua the Messiah.”⁴

Verse 24: They are made right with God by His grace. This is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ.

Paul then begins hammering hard on the nail that kept Christ anchored to the cross, and that is the fact that Jesus did not die as the Lamb of God to empower the Law as the source of forgiveness, but that God’s grace would serve as a well of living water. This was how Paul explained it to the Corinthians: “In the past, some of you were like that. But you were washed clean, you were made holy, and you were made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”⁵ And in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul wrote: “God did this so that His kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of His grace.”⁶

But it was his letter to Bishop Titus that Paul laid out his justification for our salvation in Christ: “He saved us because of His mercy, not because of any good things we did. He saved us through the washing that made us new people. He saved us by making us new through the Holy Spirit. God poured out to us that Holy Spirit fully through Jesus Christ our Savior. We were made right with God by His grace. God saved us so that we could be His children and look forward to receiving life that never ends.”⁷ That’s why Paul could rejoice with the Ephesians: “This brings praise to God because of His wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely. He gave us that grace in Christ, the one He loves.”⁸

Yes, it was God’s grace, but such grace was not free. Someone had to pay the price for redemption before anyone in bondage could be set free. Paul reveals this in his letter to the Colossians: “God freed us from the power of darkness. And He brought us into the kingdom of His dear Son. The Son paid the price to make us free. In Him, we have forgiveness of our sins.”⁹ Paul repeats this message to his young protégé Timothy: “There is only one God, and there is only one way that people can reach God. That way is through Christ Jesus, who as a man gave Himself to pay for everyone to be free.”¹⁰ So in Paul’s mind, since Christ willingly died for us to free us from evil’s grip and provide His blood for cleansing so we can become pure, this means that those who have been set free now belong to God. And in gratefulness and thankfulness, the old tendency to do bad has been transformed into a new tendency to do only good.¹¹

Two early church scholars have this to say about God’s grace so freely given. Writes Origen: “Redemption is the word used for what is given to enemies in order to ransom captives and restore them to their liberty. Therefore, human beings were held in captivity by their enemies until the coming of the Son of God, who became for us not only the wisdom of God, and righteousness and sanctification, but also redemption. He gave Himself as our redemption, that is, He surrendered Himself to our enemies and poured out His blood on those who were thirsting for it. In this way, redemption was obtained for believers.”¹²

Then in the writings of Ambrosiaster, we read: “They are justified freely because they have not done anything nor given anything in return, but by faith alone, they have been made holy by the gift of God. Paul testifies that the grace of God is in Christ because we have been redeemed by Christ according to the will of God so that once set free we may be justified, as he says to the Galatians: ‘Christ redeemed us by offering Himself for us.’¹³ For He achieved this despite the fierce attacks of the devil, who was outwitted. For the devil received Christ (in Hades) thinking that he could hold Him there, but because he could not withstand His power he lost not only Christ but all those whom he had imprisoned at the same time.”¹⁴

John Calvin has a very enlightening comment on this verse: “The participle [For] is put here for a verb according to the usage of the Greek language. The meaning is, — since there remains nothing for men, as to themselves, but to perish, being smitten by the just judgment of God, they are to be justified freely through His mercy; for Christ comes to the aid of this misery, and communicates Himself to believers, so that they find in Him alone all those things in which they are wanting. There is, perhaps, no passage in the whole Scripture which illustrates in a more striking manner the efficacy of His righteousness; for it shows that God’s mercy is the efficient cause, that Christ with His blood is the meritorious cause, that the formal or the instrumental cause is faith in the word, and that moreover, the final cause is the glory of the divine justice and goodness.”¹⁵

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XVI)

Early church theologian Augustine asks: “Could Paul have promised glory, honor, and peace to the good works of Gentiles apart from the grace of the gospel? No, because there is no acceptance of such persons with God. And because it is not the hearers but the doers of the law who are justified, he argues that all, whether Jew or Gentile, alike shall have salvation in the gospel.”¹ And another early church scholar adds his endorsement to this view: “Paul says ‘for all’ meaning first the Jews, in that it was from among them that salvation first arose, and then the Gentiles, in that from the Jews grace had abounded even to them so that now both share in it together. This grace is not given in general but only to those ‘who believe,’ but it is common to everyone without distinction.”² Paul is hoping that those in Rome who converted from Judaism to Christianity will understand, that God, through Christ, sees all people as equally worthy of His grace.

Reformist John Calvin gives us his exposition on this subject: “When therefore we discuss this subject [righteousness], we ought to proceed in this way: First, the question respecting our justification is to be referred, not to a decision of men, but to a decision of God, before whom nothing is counted as righteousness but perfect and absolute obedience to the law. This appears clear from its promises and threatenings: if no one is found who has attained to such a perfect measure of holiness, it follows that all are in themselves destitute of righteousness. Secondly, it is necessary that Christ should come to our aid; who, being alone upright, can render us just by transferring to us His own righteousness. You now see how the righteousness of faith is the righteousness of Christ. When, therefore, we are justified, the efficient cause is the mercy of God, the worthiness of Christ, the instrument is the Word in connection with faith. Hence faith is said to justify because it is the instrument by which we receive Christ, in whom righteousness is conveyed to us.”³

Adam Clarke sees righteousness as such: “That method of saving sinners which is not of works, but by faith in Christ Jesus; and it is not limited to any particular people, as the law and its privileges were, but is to all mankind in its intention and offer, and becomes effectual to them that believe; for God has now made no difference between the Jews and the Gentiles. So the Jews might ask why did God then call Abraham and give the Law to Moses instead of simply making it available to all mankind? The answer can be found in the fact Abraham was not Jewish, and Moses was raised as a Hebrew in Egypt, and that they and their descendants were chosen to carry the message of salvation until the day when it would be made available to all who believe. God said this very clearly to Abraham: ‘Every nation on the earth will be blessed through your descendants. I will do this because you obeyed me.’⁴”⁵

H. A. Ironside also makes this point: “The Righteousness of God is a term of wide importance. Here it means a righteousness of God’s providing a perfect standing for guilty men for which God makes Himself responsible. If men are saved at all it must be in righteousness. But of this, man is utterly lacking. Therefore, God must find a way whereby every claim of His righteous throne shall be met, and yet guilty sinners shall be justified from all wrongdoings. His very nature demands that this must not be at the expense of righteousness but in full accordance with it.”⁶ Ironside believes that this has been part of God’s plan from the beginning, as witnessed and testified to by the Law and the Prophets.

As such, the same aspect of obedience would be required of all the who were blessed to hear the good news of salvation. Charles Hodge points out: “With justification by works being impossible, God has revealed another, already taught indeed, both in the law and prophets, a method which is not legal, i.e. not on the condition of obedience to the law, but on the condition of faith, which is applicable to all men, and perfectly gratuitous.”⁷ So the Law will be involved, except, the law given through Moses will be exchanged for the grace given through Christ. What an improvement! Complete obedience to the Law was impossible, but it is possible through Christ because He was perfect in His obedience.

And pulpit orator Charles Spurgeon says: “There is no righteousness by works on the face of the earth. The law itself describes men as being sinful from their throat to their feet. Almost every member of the body is mentioned and described as being disgusting with sin. We cannot become righteous by the law. Paul says that there is no one who has ever obtained righteousness in that way. We, on the contrary, have so sinned that we never can become righteous through the Law; but there is a new way of righteousness, the way of the righteousness of God; and God’s righteousness is much better than the best human righteousness can ever be conceived to be. There is a righteousness which comes to us by faith in Jesus Christ, not by doing, but by believing, a righteousness which is freely bestowed upon all them that believe.”⁸ Then Frederic Godet makes the point: To pronounce someone righteous, God does not ask anymore: Have you kept the law? Rather: Do you believe in My Son?⁹

And Bible scholar Ellicott explains: “By faith of Jesus Christ—i.e., by faith which has Christ for its object, ‘faith in Christ.’ ‘Faith’ in St. Paul’s writings implies an intense attachment and devotion. It has an intellectual basis, necessarily involving a belief in the existence, and in certain attributes, of the Person for whom it is entertained; but it is moral in its operation, a recasting of the whole emotional nature in accordance with this belief, together with a consequent change in character and practice.”¹⁰

Verse 23: For all have missed the mark and fallen short of God’s expectations.

Paul now uses another anchor to secure his teaching that all mankind is saved on an equal bases whether or not they came to the knowledge of the truth about Christ through the Law or outside the Law. And that is: They are all sinking in the same quagmire of sin from which they cannot free themselves even with the help of the Law. This was determined long before Paul said it. Solomon was aware of man’s lost condition back in his day. He writes: “For there isn’t a righteous person on earth who [only] does good and never sins.”¹¹ And for the Messianic Jews, Paul puts this in perspective when writing to the Galatians: “The Scriptures put everything in prison under the control of sin, so that the only way for people to get what God promised would be through faith in Jesus the Messiah.”¹² Paul was not the only one who held this position, so did the Apostle John.¹³

In Paul’s mind, he was convinced that God did not create humans to sin but to serve as a model of His genius and generosity. However, the original two humans failed to accomplish this because of the deceit of Satan. So in order to make that point, Paul uses a Greek word “hamartanō” for sin. This word means: “to be no part of; to miss the mark; to err, be mistaken.” In his first letter to the Thessalonians Paul says this: “Live your life for God, who called you into His Kingdom for His glory.”¹⁴ Then in his second letter, Paul states: “God chose you by using the Good News that we told you. You were chosen so that you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”¹⁵

The Apostle Peter was of the same mind when he wrote: “You should be happy that you are sharing in Christ’s sufferings. You will be happy and full of joy when Christ shows His glory.”¹⁶ Peter then goes on to make the same point Paul did: “Yes, you will suffer for a short time. But after that, God will make everything right. He will make you strong. He will support you and keep you from falling. He is the God who gives all grace. He chose you to share in His glory in Christ. That glory will continue forever.”¹⁷

Most of the early church scholars see the need for everyone to understand the implications of what Paul is saying here. Says Irenaeus: “For as these men [of old] did not impute to us Gentiles our transgressions, which we committed before Christ was manifested among us, so also it is not right that we should lay blame upon those who sinned before Christ’s coming. For ‘all men come short of the glory of God,’ and are not justified of themselves, but by the advent of the Lord, they who earnestly direct their eyes towards His light…We ought not to be puffed up or harsh with those of ancient times, but ought ourselves to fear, lest perchance, after we have come to the knowledge of Christ we seek no further forgiveness of sins. If later we do things displeasing to God, we are shut out of His kingdom.”¹⁸

Another scholar writes: “Paul shows that nature has failed the Gentiles and that both nature and the Law have failed the Jews, before going on to mention the grace of the gospel and saying: ‘What do we have by grace which is special and superior? Faith, made effective by the righteousness of Christ.’ … Paul does not say that all have broken the law but that all have sinned in a general sense. Now the one who is lacking something tries to make up his deficiency. The Jews had the Law, but they were lacking the fullness of grace.”¹⁹

Then early church preacher Chrysostom says: “There is no difference at all between the Greek, the Scythian, the Thracian or even the Jew, for all are in the same plight.… Even if you have not done the same sins as others, you have still been deprived of God’s glory just as they have been, because you are among those who have offended.… However, Paul was saying this not to cast them into despair but rather to show the love of the Lord toward man, as he goes on to say [in the following verses].”²⁰ To this Pelagius adds: “All sinners need the glory of God because they do not have their own.”²¹

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XV)

Early church preacher Chrysostom gives us his thoughts on God’s righteousness: “Paul does not say that the righteousness of God has been ‘given’ but that it has been ‘manifested,’ thus destroying the assertion that it is something new. For what is manifested is old but previously concealed. He reinforces this point by going on to mention that the Law and the Prophets had foretold it.”¹ And Augustine writes: “The righteousness of God is not that by which God is righteous but that with which He clothes man when He justifies the ungodly. To this the Law and the Prophets bear witness.… The righteousness of God is not manifested outside the law, since in that case it could not have been witnessed to by the law. [However], it is a righteousness of God apart from the law because God confers it on the believer through the Spirit of grace without the help of the law.”²

John Calvin discusses this prospect of how righteousness is attested to by its own testimony. He writes: “If then the law affords its testimony to righteousness by grace, it is evident that the law was not given for this reason: to teach men how to obtain righteousness by good works. There are some who pervert the idea, some who twist it to make it read that way. And further, if you desire proof of this truth, examine the chief things taught by Moses, and you will find that man, being cast from the kingdom of God, had no other restoration from the beginning than that contained in the evangelical promises through the blessed seed, by whom, as it had been foretold the serpent’s head was to be bruised, and through whom a blessing to the nations had been promised: you will find in the commandments a demonstration of your iniquity, and from the sacrifices and offerings you may learn that satisfaction and cleansing are to be obtained in Christ alone.”³

Adam Clarke adds this: “But now the righteousness of God – God‘s method of saving sinners is now shown, by the Gospel, to be through His mercy alone, by Christ Jesus; without the law – without any right or claim which might result from obedience to the law; and is evidently that which was intended by God from the beginning; for it is witnessed to by the law and the prophets – the rites and ceremonies of the one, and the preachings and predictions of the others, all bearing testimony to the great design of God, and to the absolute necessity there was for the sacrifice and salvation which God has provided.”⁴

H. A. Ironside says: “It is with a sense of the greatest relief that we turn from the sad story of man’s sin and shame to contemplate the wondrous grace of God as told out in the gospel, the divine remedy for the ruin that came in by the fall. And this presentation of the good news is in two parts: it presents the gospel first as having to do with the question of our sins: and then when that is settled, as having to do with our sin; the sin-principle, sin in the flesh, the carnal mind which dominates the unsaved, unregenerate man. It marks a decided change of subject. Now that man has been fully exposed, God will be revealed. Now upon the proven unrighteousness of all mankind, ‘the righteousness of God is manifested.’ Of old He had declared, ‘I will bring near My righteousness.’ This is in no sense a wrought-out, legal righteousness, such as man was unable to produce for God. It is a righteousness ‘without the law,’ that is, altogether apart from any principle of human obedience to a divinely-ordained code of morals. It is a righteousness of God for unrighteous men, and is in no wise dependent upon human merit or attainment.”⁵

And Spurgeon preached this: “The death of Christ gloriously set forth divine justice, because it taught manifestly this truth, that sin can never go without punishment. It is a law of God’s moral universe that sin must be punished. He has made that as necessary as the law of gravity. Christ, therefore, must Himself give a satisfaction for sin, that this rule may be declared, and written upon the forefront of the skies— God will not pardon sin by overlooking it; there must be redemption before there can be remission.”⁶

And Frederic Godet has an interesting comment here: “The law by unveiling sin opens up the void in the heart, which is filled with the righteousness of faith; prophecy completes the work of preparation by promising this righteousness. Thus there is no objection to be drawn from the old revelation against the new. As the new fulfills the old, the latter confirms the former.”⁷

And Charles Elliott gives his insight: “Such was the condition of the world up to the coming of Christ. But now, in contrast with the previous state of things, a new system has appeared upon the scene. In this system law is entirely put on one side, though the system itself was anticipated in and is attested by those very writings in which the Law was embodied. Law is now superseded, the great end of the Law, the introduction of righteousness, being accomplished in another way, viz., through faith in Christ, by which a state of righteousness is super induced upon all believers.”⁸

Jewish theologian David Stern shares this: “Throughout the Tanakh [Bible] God’s holiness and moral integrity are proclaimed, as also is the truth that human beings cannot attain God’s standard of righteousness by working for it. As Isaiah 64:5(6) puts it, ‘All our righteousness,’ those we achieve by mere human effort without genuine reliance on and trust in God, ‘are as filthy rags.’ Moreover, not only do the Scriptures attest to God’s way of making people righteous, but non-Messianic Judaism is aware of it too. The eleventh-century Midrash [commentary] on Psalm 44:1 says, ‘When the children of Israel went out from Egypt, they could not offer any works of their hands whereby they might be redeemed. And so, it was not because of the works of their fathers, nor was it because of their own works, that the sea was divided before them; rather, it was only so that God might make a name for Himself in the world’.”⁹ Stern goes on to say, that like Paul the Rabbis have recognized human inability to meet God’s standard for righteousness, even with the guidance of the good Torah [Law] that God gave.

Verse 22: God makes people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. He does this for all who believe in Christ. Everyone is the same.

Remember, Paul is not offering options here or pointing out alternate ways to get right with God. It is either God’s way or no way. Paul made this clear to the Philippians: “It was because of Him that I gave up everything and regard it all as trash, in order to gain the Messiah and be found in union with Him, not having any righteousness of my own based on legalism, but having that righteousness which comes through the Messiah’s faithfulness, the righteousness from God based on trust.”¹⁰ Paul then goes on to say so eloquently: “Yes, I gave it all up in order to know Him, that is, the power that raised Him from death. I want to share in His sufferings and be like Him even in His death so that somehow I myself will one day be raised from death.”¹¹ Were every believer today make this same commitment it would once more turn the world upside down for God’s glory.

But what made Paul so happy is that this trust, faith, and promise is the same to everyone who believes. If it could happen to Abraham before the law, then certainly it can happen to those who’ve come to Him after the law. Here’s how Isaiah expressed it: “The Lord makes me very happy. I am completely happy with my God. He dressed me in the clothes of salvation. He put the victory coat on me. I look like a man dressed for his wedding, like a bride covered with jewels.”¹² And what made Isaiah feel this way? He tells us that it came when he realized this: “The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. The Lord has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad. He sent me to tell the captives and prisoners that they have been set free.”¹³ As we know, this is the same promise Christ claimed for Himself, and then passed it on to His disciples.

The thing that excited Paul was that this blessing was not meant only for the Jews. He told the believers in Galatia: “The Scriptures say the same thing about Abraham. ‘Abraham believed God, and because of this faith he was accepted as one who is right with God.’ So you should know that the true children of Abraham are those who have faith. The Scriptures told what would happen in the future. These writings said that God would make the non-Jewish people right through their faith. God told this Good News to Abraham before it happened. God said to Abraham, ‘I will use you to bless all the people on earth.’ Abraham believed this, and because he believed, he was blessed. All people who believe are blessed the same as Abraham was.”¹⁴

The Messianic Jewish leaders in Rome needed to hear this. They were still contending that Jews had front row seats in the Kingdom of God. This was in Paul’s report to the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem: “God knows everyone, even their thoughts, and He accepted these non-Jewish people. He showed this to us by giving them the Holy Spirit the same as He did to us. To God, those people are not different from us. When they believed, God made their hearts pure.”¹⁵ That’s why Paul could write to the believers throughout Galatia and tell them: “You were all baptized into Christ, and so you were all clothed with Christ. This shows that you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Now, in Christ, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or free, male or female. You are all the same in Christ Jesus.”¹⁶ And to the Colossians Paul wrote: “In this new life it doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, circumcised or not. It doesn’t matter if you speak a different language or even if you are uncivilized. It doesn’t matter if you are a slave or free. Christ is all that matters, and He is in all of you.”¹⁷

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XIV)

Reformer John Calvin points out the real conflict that Paul alludes to here about the law being a source of righteousness. In a scholarly fashion, Calvin writes: “He reasons from what is an opposite point of view, — that righteousness is not obtained by us through the law because it convicts us of sin and condemns us. Life and death do not proceed from the same fountain. And as he reasons from the contrary effect of the law, that it cannot confer righteousness on us, he let us know that the argument does count for much, except we hold this as an inseparable and unvarying circumstance, — that by showing man his sin, it denies any hope of salvation. It is indeed by itself, as it teaches us what righteousness is, the way to salvation. However, our depravity and corruption prevent it from being in this respect any advantage for us. It is also necessary in the second place to add this, — that whosoever is found to be a sinner, is deprived of righteousness. To agree with the philosophers that there is a half kind of righteousness justified through works is frivolous. Nothing in this respect is gained, on account of man’s corruption.”¹

To put this in everyday language, Calvin is saying that the Jews’ use of obedience to the law as a standard to judge righteousness is a futile effort because the law was written to condemn, not save. That’s why Paul was trying to get these Messianic Jews in Rome to understand that referring to their being circumcised as a reason why they should be put in front of the line ahead of Gentiles seeking salvation is senseless because there is no substitute for faith in Christ. And, since all are sinners, then all need redemption. And, since redemption can come only through Christ, then all they need is Christ.

John Bengel says that Paul, in stating that we are not justified by the works of the law without naming any particular law. He is talking about the whole Law, of which the ceremonial and the moral laws were parts rather than kinds. Of these, ceremonial law, since it was then abolished, was not taken much into account; the fact that the moral law was given through Moses, does not make it binding upon Christians the same way it was on the Jews. In the New Testament we have no works of the law at all, apart from grace; for the law gives no strength… The meaning is, the law provides only the knowledge of sin; just as the sin-offerings did not remove sin, but recalled it to men’s minds.² The law makes the sense of sin clear and strong, but it does not strengthen the will to do what is right.³

Wesleyan scholar Adam Clarke, gives his view: “On the score of obedience to this moral law, there shall no flesh, no human being, be justified; none can be accepted in the sight of God. And why? Because by the law is the knowledge of sin: it is that which ascertains what sin is; shows how men have deviated from its righteous demands, and sentences them to death because they have broken it. Thus, the law is properly considered as the rule of right; and, unless God had given some such means of discovering what Sin is, the darkened heart of man could never have formed an adequate conception of it. For, as an acknowledged straight edge is the only way in which the straightness or crookedness of a line can be determined, so the moral abnormality of human actions can only be determined by the law of God; that rule of right which proceeds from His own immaculate holiness.”⁴

Charles Hodge in his commentary section of Doctrine and Remarks makes these important points: Doctrine – “The office of the law is neither to justify nor to sanctify. It convinces and condemns. All efforts to secure the favor of God by legal obedience is therefore in vain.” Remarks – “To be prepared for the reception of the gospel, we must be convinced of sin, humbled under a sense of its depravity, silenced under a conviction of its condemning power, and prostrated at the footstool of mercy, under a feeling that we cannot satisfy the demands of the law, that if ever saved, it must be by some other merit and some power other than our own.”⁵

With his oratory skill, Spurgeon says: “All the law does, is to show us how sinful we are. Paul has been quoting from the sacred Scriptures; and truly, they shed a shocking light upon the condition of human nature. The light can show us our sin, but it cannot take it away. The law of the Lord is like a looking-glass. Now, a looking-glass is a useful thing for finding out where the spots are on your face; but you cannot wash in a looking-glass, you cannot get rid of the spots by looking in the glass. The law is intended to show a man how much he needs cleansing, but the law cannot cleanse him. The law proves that we are condemned, but it does not bring us our pardon.”⁶

F. F. Bruce gives us some more detail on the fact that no human being will be justified in God’s sight by their works according to the law. He writes: “A free quotation and amplification of Psalm 143:2, ‘(Enter not into judgment with your servant [cf. Ps. 51:4, quoted in verse 4 above]; for) no man living is righteous before You.’ Cf. Galatians 2:16 (‘a man is not justified by works of the law’); 3:11 (‘no man is justified before God by the law’). Paul adds the reason why no-one can be justified in God’s sight ‘by works of the law’; it is that through the law comes knowledge of sin. This affirmation is repeated and expanded in 5:20; 7:7–11.”⁷ How true this is today of those who attempt to be justified before God by following the rules, rituals, and sacraments of the church. They are poor substitutes for the cleansing power of the blood of Christ which is required by God for the forgiveness of sins.

Verse 21: But God has a way to make people right, and it has nothing to do with the law. He has now shown us that new way, which the law and the prophets told us about.

With this verse, Paul begins his teaching on Justification by faith, and the provision made for salvation by faith outside the law. Is this doctrine a paradox? Absolutely not! Christ died apart from, not under, the Law. He died to fulfill, not abolish, the Law. Neither did He come to establish a new Law but to provide an escape from the eternal punishment the Law required of those who failed to meet its demands on every point, no matter how small. So the old covenant written in the blood of animals was made obsolete, and the new covenant written in the blood of the Lamb of God has taken its place. Thank God Jesus did not come to merely make amendments to the Law, but through His death and resurrection God was able to rescind the old Law and establish a new and living way into His presence; to do away with worshiping Him through handmade idols and shrines, but to allow us to worship Him in a true and spiritual way.

But just saying that bring right with God outside the law would not be enough, Paul must be able to point to some action on God’s part to validate this concept. We can see this in the original intent when God dealt with Abraham who did not have the law to follow: “Abram believed the Lord, and because of this faith the Lord accepted him as one who has done what is right.”¹ That’s why God’s message to the children of Israel through Isaiah is important: “I am the only God, the one who does what is right. I am the one who saves, and there is no other!.. They will say, ‘Goodness and strength come only from the Lord’.”² So when the Apostle Paul showed up in Jerusalem to meet the Apostolic Council, after hearing what he said concerning his message to the Gentiles they came to this conclusion: “We believe that we and these people will be saved the same way—by the grace of the Lord Jesus.”³

As we know, Paul received his revelation directly from Jesus on the road to Damascus. So in the gospel that Paul preached, we should find continuity between what the Lord said and what Paul said. We see this in what Jesus told His disciples after the resurrection: “Remember when I was with you before? I said that everything written about me must happen—everything written in the Law of Moses, the books of the prophets, and the Psalms.”¹ In so doing, Jesus was saying that the Messiah would come to put an end to a person’s dependence on the law to save them and put their trust in Him as the Messiah. But, for that to take effect, the Apostle John stated: “Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. It is the same with the Son of Man. He must be lifted up too. Then everyone who believes in Him can have eternal life.”² That’s why Jesus then said: “If you really believed Moses, you would believe me because he wrote about me.”³ The writer of the Message to the Hebrews points this out quite clearly in Chapter 10.

Early church scholars have various things to say about the establishment of righteousness by grace in relationship to the law. Bishop Apollinaris stated: “[The righteousness of God] has not been manifested in opposition to the law but as an increase of good and as the free gift of God, so that we may no longer be judged according to human righteousness, which is always under judgment, but that we may be made perfect by the righteousness which comes from God. For this is the righteousness which comes by faith in Christ to all who believe and which dwells in them all.”¹⁴

Along with this, Ambrosiaster writes: “It is clear that the righteousness of God has now appeared apart from the law, but this means apart from the law of the Sabbath, the circumcision, the new moon and revenge, not apart from the sacrament of God’s divinity, because the righteousness of God is all about God’s divinity. For when the law held them guilty, the righteousness of God forgave them and did so apart from the law so that until the law was brought to bear God forgave them their sin. And lest someone think that this was done against the law, Paul added that the righteousness of God had a witness in the Law and the Prophets, which means that the law itself had said that in the future someone would come who would save mankind. But it was not allowed for the law to forgive sin. Therefore, what is called the righteousness of God appears to be mercy because it has its origin in the promise, and when God’s promise is fulfilled, it is called ‘the righteousness of God.’ For it is righteousness when what is promised has been delivered. And when God accepts those who flee to Him for refuge, this is called righteousness, because wickedness would not accept such people.”¹⁵

“If we deny love given to us, if we refuse to give love because we fear pain or loss, then our lives will not only be empty, our loss even greater.” – Unknown

A LETTER FROM GOD

From: God
To: All His Children

Effective Immediately:

Please be aware that there are changes you need to make in your life. These changes need to be completed so that I may fulfill my promises to grant you peace, joy, and a real purpose in life. I don’t apologize for any inconvenience. After all I’ve done for you, this seems very little to ask of you. Here are some instructions to make you even better than you are now:

1. QUIT WORRYING

If life has dealt you a blow, don’t just sit around and worry. Remember, I’m here to help you carry your burdens, so you’re not overwhelmed. That is unless you enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST

Some things are essential, so make sure you have them on your to-do-list. And make sure you give me a copy so I can help you get them done. I can’t help you unless you want me too. And, although your list may be long, don’t worry, after all, I am God. In fact, if the truth be known, sometimes I already have things worked out so that all you need to do is follow my instructions.

3. TRUST ME

Once you give those things to me that you just can’t handle, don’t keep trying to take them back. Trust me! Have faith that I will act on them at just the right time. You don’t know what I know, and you don’t see what I see. So just leave everything on the altar where you laid it and believe with all your heart that I care enough to do something for you. Remember what my Son said to me: Father, Your will not my will be done.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE

When you wake up one morning, don’t say, “Thank you Lord, but I think I can handle things from now on.” Don’t you realize that I rescued you from the pit of despair where sin had you bound as a prisoner, and you are still in rehab? Why do you think you’re feeling stronger now? It’s simple. You shared your burdens with me, and I’m working on them with you. Also, I keep renewing your strength and have you covered with my precious blood. Look at it this way: If stop helping you with these problems, you’ll be right back where you started?

5. TALK TO ME

I’m always here, day and night. Remember, I bought you with a price, and you are all mine. So I want you to stop being distressed over things you really don’t need. If you don’t, it could drive you crazy. Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I’m in control. But there’s one thing I want you to never forget. Please talk to me – OFTEN! I love you. I want to hear your voice. I want you to include me in the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with me. I want to be your closest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH

I see a lot of things from up here that you can’t see from down there. Have faith in me that I know what I’m doing. Trust me, you wouldn’t want to see what I see. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust me. Although I have a much bigger task than you, what’s big to you is small to me. After all, how hard can trust be?

7. SHARE

You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your laughter with those who haven’t heard any in such a long time. Share your tears with those who are mourning. Share your faith with those who have none.

8. BE PATIENT

I managed to fix it so that in just one lifetime you could have so many wonderful experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it takes me a little longer than you expect to handle something on my to-do-list? Trust in my timing, for my timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND

Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for my sake. I created each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical. Please know I love each of your differences.

10. LOVE YOURSELF

As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me to be loved, and to love in return. I am Love. Love me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself. It makes my heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me. Don’t ever forget that!

With all my heart, I love you,

GOD

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XIII)

Verses 19-20: What the law says is for those who live under the law. It eliminates anyone from making excuses. And it brings the whole world under God’s judgment because no one can be made right in God’s eyes just by following the law.¹ The law only shows how sinful they are.

With Paul finishing his quote from the Psalms, and since he is writing to Messianic Jews living in Rome, it is important that we look at what their perception was concerning the word “law.” British theologian John Gill explains this way: “By ‘the law’ is meant, not the law of nature, nor the civil law of nations, nor the ceremonial law of the Jews, nor barely the five books of Moses, nor the book of Psalms, of the Prophets, or the Writings of the whole Old Testament; but moral law as it appears in the entire Word of God, which every man is bound to observe, of which all are transgressors, by which is the knowledge of sin, which no man can be justified by, and which Christ was made under, and came to fulfill.”² These moral laws are best described by Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount.³

We find instances where the law is referred to as a “saying.” Rabbi Jose says: “It is not the position that honors the man but it is the man who honors the position. For example: In connection with Mt. Sinai, as long as the Shekinah dwelt thereon the Torah declared, Neither let the flocks nor herds graze near that mount;⁴ but once the Shekinah had departed then the Torah said, When the ram’s horn sounds long, they will come up onto the mount.⁵ The same too we find in connection with the Tabernacle in the wilderness; so long as it remained in operation the Torah commanded, That they put out of the camp every leper;⁶ but once the curtains were rolled up both those with a running issue and the lepers were permitted to stand under it.”⁷

Furthermore, the Jews taught that the Torah is said to speak only when the speaker is identified. For instance: “It has been taught: Rabbi Judah said in the name of Rabbi Akiba: Why did the Torah order us to offer an ‘Omer⁸ on Passover? Because Passover is the season of produce. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, Bring before Me an ‘Omer’ on Passover so that your produce in the fields may be blessed. Why did the Torah order us to bring two loaves on Pentecost? Because Pentecost is the season for fruit of the tree. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Bring before Me two loaves on Pentecost so that the fruit of your trees may be blessed. Why did the Torah order us to pour out water on [the Feast of] Tabernacles? The Holy One, blessed be He, said, Pour out water before Me on [the Feast of] Tabernacles, so that your rains this year may be blessed.”⁹ This seems to be the same formula Jesus used when He spoke to the Jewish leaders who accosted Him: “Isn’t it written in your Torah, ‘I have said, “You people are Elohim [deities]”’?”¹⁰

Paul now explains his personal experience with what the Law had to say. He tells the Corinthians: “With people in subjection to a legalistic perversion of the Torah, I put myself in the position of someone under such legalism, in order to win those under this legalism, even though I myself am not in subjection to a legalistic perversion of the Torah.”¹¹ And he says something similar to the Galatians: “Before this faith came, the law held us as prisoners. We had no freedom until God was finished showing us the way of faith that was coming.”¹² Paul goes on to say: “God did this so that He could buy the freedom of those who were under the law. God’s purpose was to make us His children.”¹³

That’s why Paul says that all those trying to make excuses need to be shown that their arguments do not hold water, they are flawed. The wise man Job informed his friend Bildad: “How can a human being win an argument with God? Anyone who chose to argue with Him could not answer one question in a thousand!”¹⁴ In other words, when Scripture says you are wrong, then you are wrong. If ignorance of the law is no excuse, then how much less defense or alibi do you have if you already know the law? The law was not given to placate our conscience, but to probe our conscience for God to bring all of us to the realization that there are none with an excuse that they do not need salvation.

This is not a despairing thought at all! We are also made aware of redemption by this same process. Through the Law we are made aware of sin; in sin, we come to realize the need for salvation; when we accept that salvation, it exempts us then from the Law since the Law was enacted for the unrighteous. Therefore, without the Law, a person would be ignorant of sin and unaware of their need for salvation. So thank God for the Law that revealed our sinful nature; thank God for Jesus Christ who came not only to forgive us of our sins but to free us from living under the Law as the only way to secure salvation through good deeds. Now we live in Him, and our salvation is secure because He has met all the demands of the Law! So all we need to do is be obedient to Him.

Then Paul reiterates the necessity of Christ’s death in light of the fact there was no other way to achieve a reconciled status with God the Father. Paul made this same case to his listeners in Antioch of Pisidia: “Brothers, understand what we are telling you. You can have forgiveness of your sins through this man Jesus. That is, God clears everyone who puts his trust in this man, even in regard to all the things concerning which you could not be cleared by the Law of Moses.”¹⁵ Paul repeated this same message in his letter to the Galatians.¹⁶ He also touches on this subject when writing the Ephesians: “You have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. God has made us what we are in Christ Jesus.”¹⁷ So what Paul is saying here is not a new revelation for the Romans it has been part of his preaching since the beginning.

Such thinking was also part and parcel of Jewish teaching since the days of Job. Back then we hear Bildad say to Job: “How can anyone claim to be right before God? No one born of a woman can really be pure.”¹⁸ And the reason why Christ’s sacrifice was so critical, is stated by the Psalmist: “Lord, if you punished people for all their sins, no one would be left alive.”¹⁹ No wonder Paul was making such a strong argument for the Messianic Jewish leaders in the community of believers in Rome to forsake their habitual reliance on the Law. Instead, put their complete trust and faith in the Word of God through Jesus the Christ.

Early church scholar Origen has some interesting things to say about what Paul states here concerning accountability. He writes: “Here we must consider carefully what this law is that speaks to those who are under the law. By what it says to them, it deprives them of every excuse so that they can find no hiding place for their sins. It is this which stops every mouth and makes the whole world accountable to God. Now if we want to take this as referring to the law of Moses, which without doubt spoke only to those who had been circumcised from their mother’s womb and had learned what the law was, how is it possible that by that law, which applies to only one nation, every mouth should be stopped and the whole world should be held accountable to God? What have the other nations to do with that Law, and why does it affect the entire world? And how is it that a knowledge of sin is said to have originated with the Law of Moses when there were many before his time who were well aware of their sins? From this it appears that the Apostle Paul is not speaking here about the Law of Moses but about the moral law which is written on the hearts of men.… This moral law speaks to all men who are under that law with the sole exception, it seems to me, of those children who are not yet able to distinguish good from evil.”²⁰

And the great teacher Augustine also offers his commentary: “Some think that statements like this are an attack on the Law. But they must be read very carefully so that neither is the law condemned by the Apostle nor is free will taken away from man. Therefore, let us distinguish the following four states of human existence: before the law, under the law, under grace, and at rest. Before the law, we follow the lust of the flesh. Under the law, we are dragged along by it. Under grace, we neither follow it nor are dragged along by it. At rest, there is no lust of the flesh. Prior to being addressed by the law, we do not struggle, because not only do we lust and sin, we even approve of sinning.”²¹

Augustine then goes on to say: “Under the law, we struggle but are defeated. We admit that what we do is evil and that we do not want to do it, but because there is as yet no grace, we are defeated. In this state, we discover how far down we lie, and when we want to rise up and yet we fall, we are all the more gravely afflicted. The law is good because it forbids what ought to be forbidden and requires what ought to be required. But when anyone thinks he can fulfill the law in his own strength and not through the grace of his Deliverer, this presumption does him no good but rather harms him so much that he is seized by an even stronger desire to sin and by his sins ends up as a transgressor. So when the man who has fallen realizes that he cannot raise himself, let him cry to his Deliverer for help.”²²

Augustine continues with this: “Then comes grace, which can pardon previous sins, give aid to the struggling, supplement justice with love, and take away fear. When this takes place, although fleshly desires continue to fight against our spirit in this life and try to lead us into sin, yet our spirit does not give in to these desires because it is rooted in the grace and love of God and ceases to sin. For we do not sin by having these perverse desires but by giving in to them.”²³

Finally, Augustine notes: “These desires arise from the mortality of the flesh, which we inherit from the first sin of the first man, which is why we are born carnal. Nor will they cease until, by the resurrection of the body, we shall obtain the transformation which has been promised to us. Then we shall be in the fourth state, where there is perfect peace. Perfect peace is the state in which nothing will resist us because we do not resist God. Free will existed perfectly in the first man, but in us, prior to grace, there is no free will which would enable us not to sin but only enough that we do not want to sin. But grace makes it possible not only for us to want to do what is right but actually to do it not in our own strength but by the help of our Deliverer, who at the resurrection will give us that perfect peace which is the consequence of good will.”²⁴

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XII)

Verse 18: “They have no reverence for God.”

Apparently, that was this situation in Rome. When you combine corrupt attitudes and destructive action, the result is a Godless morality among the people. What a perfect diagnosis of Paul’s world and today’s world; foul talk, lies, personal attacks, cursing, bitterness, destroying people’s reputations by innuendo, causing havoc, and discord; people who don’t know how to live in harmony because they have no fear of God’s judgment. This type of behavior was once confined to the wicked and criminal elements of the lower class, but today it is common in so-called polite society. Being vulgar has become the new norm because people think it’s funny. We see it expressed in motion pictures, television, and the news. Pretty soon it will move in next door and then creep into our own homes if we don’t declare ourselves off limits through the power of the Holy Spirit. Others should know, that when they come into our sanctuaries or our homes, they are treading on holy ground.

Paul uses the words of David that come from one of his psalms: “Deep in the hearts of the wicked, a voice tells them to do wrong. They see no need of reverence for God.”¹ David goes on to say that this total lack of reverence for God is compounded by the fact that they see life a certain way. Cheating makes their life easy – that is, until their crimes are uncovered. Then they claim it was not intentional. Solomon also had a few words to say about people who lived their lives in a fog of lies and deception. They believe they can love God and still enjoy the wrongs they do. He writes: “To respect the Lord means to hate evil.”² The way the Hebrew reads allows for it to be rendered this way: “Reverence for Adonai is hatred for evil.” Solomon goes on to say: “Respect for the Lord will cause you to avoid evil.”³ When you do this, says Solomon, then you will have no envy for the way sinners live. In fact, those who always respect God will become your example to follow. This will guarantee your future.⁴

This may have been what persuaded one thief on a cross next to Jesus to tell the other thief: “You should respect God. All of us will die soon. You and I are guilty. We deserve to die because we did wrong. But this man has done nothing wrong.”⁵ And to guarantee his future, this thief then turned to Jesus and said: “Remember me when you begin ruling as king! Then Jesus said to him, ‘I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise.’”⁶

In Paul’s effort to identify those who should never be eulogized nor emulated by believers he quotes the Psalmist in calling them people who have no fear of God. In the Hebrew text of Psalm 36:1 the Hebrew word used is translated mostly into English as “fear” or “dread.” But not in a negative sense such as terror, but in a positive sense of reverence for power and authority. But in his Greek text, Paul uses a word from which we get our English word, “phobia.” It carries with it the connotation of alarm due to the potential of coming under its control.

Early church scholar Origen shares his thought on this subject: “If someone is always thinking of what will please or displease God, then it can be said that the fear of God is always before their eyes. But such a person must be experienced and diligently instructed in the law of God so as not to be afraid when there is no reason to fear. For the fear of God must always be placed before our eyes: not the eyes of the flesh—for it is not something visible or corporeal that we are talking about here—but the eyes of the mind, to which an understanding and awareness of the fear of God are evident and by which we can discover what ought and ought not to be feared. The one who fears God does not fear the powers of this world.”⁷

Then, in the writings of Ambrosiaster we read: “Since people of this kind have no sense, they have no fear of God. For ‘the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom,’ says Solomon.⁸ But Scripture here did not say that they did not have the fear of God. It said: ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ For seeing how evil their works were and not being horrified by them, they are said not to have the fear of God before their eyes.”⁹ To this, we add the words of Pelagius: “Paul concludes with the fear of God because if the people had always kept that before their eyes, they would not have transgressed, for a servant will not dare sin when his master is present.”¹⁰ To better understand what these scholars are saying we should read “respect” instead of “fear” for God.

Reformist John Calvin gives an extensive exposition on the verse: “David says in Psalm 14:1, that there was such perverseness in men, that God, when looking on them all in their different conditions, could not find a righteous man, no, not one. It then follows that this evil pervaded mankind universally; for nothing is hidden from the sight of God. In the other Psalms he speaks of the treachery of his enemies, while he was exhibiting in himself and in his descendants a type of the kingdom of Christ: hence we have in his adversaries the representatives of all those, who being alienated from Christ, are not led by His Spirit. Isaiah expressly mentions Israel; therefore his charge applies with still greater force against the Gentiles. What, then? There is no doubt but that the character of men is described in those words, in order that we may see what man is when left to himself; for Scripture testifies that all men are in this state, who are not regenerated by the grace of God. The condition of the saints would be nothing better, were not this depravity corrected in them: and that they may still remember that they differ nothing from others by nature, they do find in the relics of their flesh (by which they are always encompassed) the seeds of those evils, which would constantly produce fruits, were they not prevented by being mortified; and for this mortification they are indebted to God’s mercy and not to their own nature. We may add, that though all the vices here enumerated are not found conspicuously in every individual, yet they may be justly and truly ascribed to human nature.”¹¹

John Bengel agrees with the translation we have given for this text and says: “Psalm 36:1, — (there is no fear), let alone any love, of which man in his natural state knows much less… Paul has written out a part of the words and intimates that all the rest are to be sought for in the same place — (before their eyes). The seat of reverential awe is in the eyes.”¹²

Methodist scholar Adam Clarke also shares his perspective of how these verses apply to his time: “There is no fear of God before their eyes – This completes their bad character; they are downright atheists, at least practically such. They do not fear God‘s judgment, although His eye is upon them in their evil ways. There is not one article of what is charged against the Jews and Gentiles here that may not be found justified by the histories of both, in the most ample manner. And what was true of them in those primitive times is true of them still. With very little variation, these are the evils in which the vast mass of mankind delight and live… O Sin, what have you done! How many myriads of souls have you hurried, unprepared, into the eternal world! And where did this spring from? From that, whence come all wars and battles; the evil desires of men; the lust of dominion; the insatiable thirst for money; and the desire to be sole and independent. This is the sin that ruined our first parents, expelled them from paradise, and which has descended to all their posterity; and proves fully that we are their legitimate offspring; the fallen progeny of fallen parents; children in whose ways are destruction and misery; in whose heart there is no faith; and before whose eyes there is nothing of the fear of God.”¹³

Albert Barnes also sees it this way: “There is no fear of God – Psalm 36:1. The word ‘fear’ here denotes ‘reverence, awe, veneration.’ There is no such regard or reverence for the character, authority, and honor of God as to restrain them from crime. Their conduct shows that they are not withheld from the commission of iniquity by any regard to the fear or favor of God. The only thing that will be effectual in restraining people from sin will be a regard to the honor and Law of God.”

Barnes then goes on to make the following remarks: “In regard to these quotations from the Old Testament, we may make the following remarks. (1) It may be observed that the apostle has given a view of human depravity which is very striking. He does not confine it to one faculty of the mind, or to one set of actions; he specifies each member and each faculty as being perverse and inclined to evil. (2) If such was the character of the Jewish nation under all its advantages, what must have been the character of the pagan? (3) What a melancholy view we have thus of human nature. From whatever quarter we contemplate it, we come to the same conclusion. Whatever record we examine; whatever history we read; whatever time or period we contemplate; we find the same facts, and are forced to the same conclusion. All are involved in sin, and are polluted, and ruined, and helpless. Over these ruins we should sit down and weep, and lift our eyes with gratitude to the God of mercy, that he has pitied us in our low estate, and has devised a plan by which ‘these ruins may be built again,’ and lost, fallen man be raised up to forfeited ‘glory, honor, and immortality.’”¹⁴

Charles Hodge has this to say: “This is taken from Psalm 36:1: ‘The dictum of depravity concerning the wicked man is, There is no fear of God before his eyes.’ That is, his depravity proves or reveals that he does not fear God… The course of wicked men, as previously described, is proof that they are destitute of the fear of God. And by ‘the fear of God’ we may understand, according to Scripture usage, reverence for God, piety towards Him; or fear, in the more restricted sense, dread of His wrath. In either way, the reckless wickedness of men proves that they are destitute of all proper regard of God. They act as if there were no God, no Being to whom they are responsible for their conduct, and who has the purpose and power to punish them for their iniquity.”¹⁵

While it is certainly a case of someone having no respect or reverence for God, by the way, they speak, live, and act, there is something even more sinister in those who have a total lack of veneration for God and absolutely no fear of His judgment when they set out to destroy and remove all evidence of God in society and people’s lives. There certainly is a big difference between the spirit of atheism or agnosticism and the spirit of antichrist.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

Dr. Robert R. Seyda

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XI)

John Calvin has an interesting comment in which he sees the vice mentioned in verse 14 being opposite in character from the one mentioned in verse 13. He writes: “The meaning is, that they are in every way full of wickedness; for if they speak fair, they deceive and blend poison with their flattering; but if they spew forth what they have in their hearts, bitterness and cursing stream out.”¹ How true that is even in our day. Sometimes the greatest deceivers speak in calm and gentle terms, pretending that they care. But if you could hear what they really are thinking, you would be devastated.

Frédéric Godet has an interesting exposition on these verses: “These four propositions refer to the different organs of speech, and show them all exercising their power to hurt, under the dominion of sin. The throat is compared to a sepulcher; this refers to the language of the gross and brutal man, of whom it is said in common parlance: it seems as if he would like to eat you up. The characteristic which follows contrasts with the former; it is the sugared tongue, which charms you like a melodious instrument.”² This may conjure up the sight of a snake-charmer making the cobra come up out of the basket as he plays his flute. In man’s case, it is a deceiver invoking the spirit of the devil that lies dormant in our hearts to rise up with the magical sound of his voice.

Verses 15-17: “They run around looking for someone to destroy. Everywhere they go they cause misery and ruin. They just don’t know how to live in peace.”

But it was not just their attitude that was corrupt, it was also the actions they took to express that attitude. Here Paul paraphrases what the prophet Isaiah had to say: “Their feet run to evil, they rush to shed innocent blood, their thoughts are thoughts of wickedness, their paths lead to havoc and ruin. The way of shalom³ they do not know.”⁴ This thought that Paul borrows from Isaiah rings true for a breed of humans today we call “terrorists.” They have no peace within them so they are determined to destroy peace wherever it can be found. Later on, Isaiah would write: “There is no shalom, says my God, for the wicked.”⁵

Paul knew that the Jews had their teachings on living one’s life in shalom which involved their good nature, friendliness, and congeniality. For instance, we find this in their Mishnah related to holding quiet and orderly services in the synagogue: “The following rules were declared in the interest of peace: A priest is called up first to read [in the Torah] and after him, a Levite and then, an Israelite, in the interest of peace.”⁶ In other words, by learning how to worship in peace by having everyone read God’s Word, the same could apply to the home and workplace. Can you imagine the change that would come over America if every morning, in every workplace, they would start each day with devotions by having different people, starting with the boss on down, reading from God’s Word followed by prayer?

Such living in harmony and peace did not extend only to the synagogue, but to every aspect of community life among the Jews. We read this in their Talmud: “A city in which Israelites and Gentiles live — the collectors of funds for the support of the poor collect equally from Israelites and from Gentiles, for the sake of peace. They provide support for the poor of the Gentiles along with the poor of Israel, for the sake of peace. They make a lament for, and bury, gentile dead, for the sake of peace. They express condolences to Gentile mourners, for the sake of peace.”⁷

But in writing his commentary on this subject of peace in the Mishnah and Talmud, one highly respected Jewish Rabbi includes this caution: “We should provide for poor Gentiles together with poor Jews for the sake of peace. One should not rebuke Gentiles [from taking] leket,⁸ shich’chah,⁹ and pe’ah,¹⁰ for the sake of peace. One may inquire about their well-being – even on their festivals – for the sake of peace.” But then Rabbi Maimonides adds this restriction: “One may never repeat good wishes to them. Also, one should not enter the house of a Gentile on one of his festivals to wish him well. If one encounters him in the marketplace, one may greet him meekly with a serious countenance.”¹¹ In other words, even though God made the law, man was allowed to make exceptions to the law as he sees fit.

With regard to the despicable act of looking for someone to murder, early Church writer Ambrosiaster has this to say: “Scripture says this about the murder of the prophets, whom they killed without hesitation—’slow to do good but swift to murder.’¹²”¹³ And a contemporary of Ambrosiaster had this to say: “Either Paul is referring to murderers or he means those who kill souls by flattery, which is why Paul said in the Acts of the Apostles: ‘I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.’¹⁴”¹⁵ Ambrosiaster is suggesting that we take the word “murder” as a metaphor for those whose intent is to destroy the reputation of someone through character assassination.

Then commenting on living in peace, Origen comments: “Christ is our peace. Therefore the way of peace is the way of Christ, which sinners do not know.”¹⁶ To which Pelagius adds: “Everything which resembles the teaching of God is at peace with Paul, but everything which is contrary to it is at odds with him.”¹⁷ Then Ambrosiaster makes this comment: “Having chosen the way of hostility, along which they were heading toward the second death, they did not want to know about the way which leads to eternal life. This is called the way of peace, because with God as its guardian it will have no disturbance. Those who will the good have this rest with God.¹⁸”¹⁹

H. A. Ironside gives us his insights: “The law was given to a special people as we have seen. They alone were ‘under the law.’ That Gentiles were not, we have already been told in chapter Romans 2:12-14. How, then, does the failure of those under the law bring in all the world as guilty before God? An illustration may help. A man has a desert ranch of large extent. He is told it is worthless as pasturage or farming land. He fences off twelve acres; breaks it, harrows it, fertilizes it, sows it, cultivates it, and reaps only sagebrush and cactus! It is no use trying out the rest, for all is of the same character. He says it is all good-for-nothing, so far as agriculture is concerned. Israel was God’s twelve acres. He gave them His law, instructed them, disciplined them, warned them, restrained them, protected them, and sent His Son to them; and they rejected and crucified Him. In this act the Gentiles joined. All are under judgment to God. There is no use of further test. There is nothing in the flesh for God. Man is hopelessly corrupt. He is not only guilty, but is utterly unable to retrieve his condition. The law but accentuates his guilt. It cannot justify. It can only condemn. How hopeless is the picture! But it is the dark background on which God will display the riches of His grace in Christ Jesus!”²⁰

The great British preacher Charles Spurgeon looked out over his congregation in the late 1800’s and made this comment: “How true that last verse is of many today! Their sins are destroying them, the lusts of the flesh destroy the body, drunkenness and such like are destructive habits, and they make those who practice them to be miserable. What miserable persons, what miserable families, what miserable countries, are made by indulgence in sin! There is no true happiness without holiness.”²¹ I’m sure that if Spurgeon were alive today, and could see what is now accepted as normal moral conduct, even by so-called believers, he would be so appalled that he might apologize for criticizing those he condemned in his day.

And Frederic Godet makes this comment: “The apostle in drawing this picture, which is only a grouping together of strokes of the pencil, made by the hands of psalmists and prophets, does not certainly mean that each of those characteristics is found equally developed in every man, Some, even the most of them, may remain latent in many men; but they all exist in germ in the selfishness and natural pride of the ego, and the least circumstance may cause them to pass into the active state, when the fear of God does not govern the heart. Such is the cause of the divine condemnation which is suspended over the human race.”²²

All of what has been said so far is a clear indication that the Apostle Paul and all of the great early church scholars and subsequent Bible commentators on these Scriptures are in agreement that no matter how many laws are passed and no matter how many social programs are developed to help people develop better character, none of it will ever lead mankind to be what God can make of them through His Son Jesus the Christ. Holiness and eternal life cannot be manufactured by man, it is a gift from God through His love, grace, and mercy.