Jim McDonald

Paul has shown that the gospel is God’s power to save; in the gospel is revealed the righteousness of God (Romans 1:16-17). Having said that the gospel provides hope to all, he then set about to show there is a need for the gospel. He showed first that the Gentiles needed the gospel (Romans 1:18-32); then he showed that the Jews needed the gospel as well (Romans 2:1-29). Jews had no quarrel with Paul’s conclusion (i.e. the Gentiles need the gospel), but they would strongly deny his second conclusion that Jews also needed the gospel. They had the Law, they knew what was truth, and were not the least hesitant to argue that they did not need the gospel. Paul agreed they knew what was right and wrong. They strongly warned Gentiles they were guilty of wrongdoing and would be condemned for that. However, their reasoning placed them under condemnation as well. They knew what sin was and would be judged for it, but they overlooked the fact that what they condemned Gentiles for, they committed themselves. They did not consider that God is no respecter of persons. If Gentiles were condemned for committing sins, Jews could not expect to escape the righteous judgment of God (Romans 2:6). The apostle wrote, “For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law: and as many as have sinned under the law shall be judged by the law …” (Romans 2:12).

Therefore, Jews might ask, “What advantage then has the Jew; what is the profit of circumcision?” (Romans 3:1). The apostle responded to that question saying, “Much every way; first of all that they were entrusted with the oracles of God” (Romans 3:2). Aside from the truth, the Jews had an advantage over the Gentiles in that they had the Law and knew what was written, the apostle did not choose to cite other reasons, but he assured them that there were many advantages for the Jew to have the Law.

Paul acknowledged that while the unrighteousness of man commended the righteousness of God, that did not mean God was unrighteous to visit them with wrath for their wrong doing. If the Jews’ unrighteousness commended God’s righteousness would that not do the same for the Gentile? How could God judge the world upon such a basis? So he questioned them, “Why not (as we are slanderously reported and some affirm that we say) let us do evil that good may come? Whose condemnation is just” (Romans 3:8).

Paul asked, “What then? Are we (Jews) better than they (Gentiles)? No, in no wise, for we before laid to the charge of both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin” (Romans 3:9). To prove that statement the apostle cited an excerpt from Psalm 14:1-3 which reads, “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God …” To silence any protest from his Jewish audience that this applied to only the Gentiles, Paul reminded them that “… what things the law saith, it speaketh to those that are under the law (that is, the Jew) that all the world may be brought under the judgment of God” (Romans 3:19). Then Paul wrote this devastating truth: “Because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). The gospel is needed by all for, as the apostle wrote, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Wonderful comfort was given to mankind with these words: “But now, apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets” (Romans 3:21). That righteousness is revealed in the gospel of Jesus (Romans 1:16-17).