Romans 3, Summary
Jun 19th, 2009 by Micah Tillman | Start the Discussion |
[ Romans 1 | 2 | 3: Intro, 1-18, 19-31, Summary | 4 | 5 ]
So, while looking for verses relevant to the Doctrine of Total Depravity, I have come to the following conclusions regarding Romans 3:
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(1) The main question of the chapter is whether God gets anything out of our sin.
Is God just because our sins justify Him in judging us? Does God get to be seen as just and righteous by judging us for our injustice and unrighteousness?
Paul’s answer is twofold:
(a) God is just/righteous before He judges anyone. God simply is just/righteous, and therefore does just/righteous (i.e., justifiable) things as a consequence. His justice/righteousness do not depend on our injustice/unrighteousness.
(b) The primary way in which God makes Himself look good — i.e., the primary way in which God shows Himself to be righteous — is by making us unrighteous humans righteous. God couldn’t give us righteousness if He didn’t have righteousness Himself. Therefore, in redeeming us through Christ (in making us righteous), God proves that He is righteous Himself.
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(2) Paul, as seems to be typical of him so far, is working from an Old Testament text in this chapter. This time it’s Psalm 143.
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(3) The verses that people often take as supporting the Doctrine of Total Depravity (or the Doctrine of Original Sin) do not do so. Paul is using them to remind his listeners that their ethnic heritage (with respect to whether their “people” had been given the Law or not), does not protect them from falling into sin. People on both sides (Jew and Gentile) have, throughout history, become evil, and therefore the possession of the Law (whether as an inheritance or as written on the heart) is to no avail.
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(4) Grace and Law work together just fine, because the point of the Law is to tell you what actions are righteous, not to tell you how to erase your guilt for past lawbreaking actions. It’s grace, offered to everyone, that — when accepted — covers over/eliminates your blunders in trying to do what’s righteous.
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(5) The main purpose of the chapter is to get the Jewish and Gentile Christians in the church at Rome to see each other as equals, and therefore to live/work in harmony with each other.
Everything else Paul says and does has to be understood in light of this fact.
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So, three chapters down, and still no Total Depravity.
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