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Romans 3:3 meaning

Even though God has chosen Israel, He still allows the freedom for Israel, and all men, to believe. So if some did not choose to believe God’s word, it is because they decided not to. God, however, is always faithful.

Paul is working up to the specific slander the competing Jewish “authorities” have applied to Paul’s gospel message in Romans 3:8. They claim Paul teaches that it is good for believers to sin because it shows how merciful God is. But first Paul asks another rhetorical question that applies to these Jewish “authorities” (the “O Man”) who judge others for things they themselves practice. If these Jewish “authorities” read the Bible, claim to be experts in it, but don’t actually believe what it says, does that nullify the Bible and God’s faithfulness?

Certainly not! God’s faithfulness is completely independent of what men do. The Bible is true whether people believe it or not. Someone might believe the sun is not real, but that does not affect whether the sun shines. The fact that these competing Jewish “authorities” are hypocrites should not, in any way, negatively affect the faith the Roman believers have. It is common for people to say they don’t believe in God, citing the hypocrisy of those who believe God. Obviously this is nothing new. Paul points out, with irrefutable logic, that God is not altered by the hypocrisy of men.

Biblical Text

³ What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?

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Additional Resources

Book Theme

The Apostle Paul writes to the world-renowned believers in Rome, the center of the world at that time, in order to answer a slanderous charge made to them against Paul and his message. Paul’s detractors claim his emphasis on faith overturns the law. Paul says that ” just living by the law” does not achieve personal justice before God, while “just living by faith” does. Paul then demonstrates what a just life looks like: harmonious living with Jesus as the leader. Paul also makes clear the choice a believer has: to walk in faith and the power of the resurrection and experience resurrection life, or walk in sin and unnecessarily experience the negative consequences.

Chapter Context

Paul specifies the slander charge raised against him by competing Jewish “authorities” who claim Paul is teaching that believers ought to sin. These “authorities” claim that Paul teaches we ought to do evil because then we are doing good: “Do evil that good may come.”

These authorities claim Paul teaches that we do God a favor by showing how full of grace God is.

Paul dismisses their charge as a statement that is worthy of condemnation, but goes on to emphasize that he is no better than they are because no person other than Jesus can be good enough to satisfy the requirements of God’s law.

The reality is that we are all sinners, and each of us needs the grace of God. In this chapter, Paul sets up a defense of his position that righteous living comes through living by faith.

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