Romans 3:19-20
All are demonstrated to be unrighteous before God
Where this passage falls within the general outline
I. General introduction to the letter (1:1-17)
II. The revelation of universal sinfulness (1:18-3:20)
A. The moral degeneration of all humanity (1:18-32)
B. The principles of God’s righteous judgment upon sin (2:1-16)
C. The spiritual emptiness of rabbinic Judaism (2:17-29)
1). Failure to properly understand and follow the Law (2:17-24)
2). Failure to properly understand circumcision (2:25-29)
D. Defense of God’s faithfulness and the moral guilt of the Jews (3:1-8)
E. The indictment of all as thoroughly sinful (3:9-20)
1). Old Testament verification of universal sinfulness (3:9-18)
2). God’s purpose in the Law (3:19-20)
NASB Text of the passage:
“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”
Romans 3:19-20
Interpretive Insights:
God’s Purpose in the Law (3:19-20):
Overview of the passage:
In verses 19 and 20, Paul sums up his conclusions regarding the sinful state of man. These verses act as a transition wherein Paul finalizes his argument that all mankind is guilty before God and under His condemnation, and in doing so prepares the readers for his explanation of how those who are demonstrated to be sinners can be declared righteous before God by grace through faith alone.
Specific Interpretive Observations:
Paul transitions from the list of Old Testament quotations that made up the majority of the previous section to his summation in these verses with the words, “Now we know”. “Now” is a translation of a Greek particle. This is the translation choice of the NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, and several others. This particle is frequently used to express a contrast, but this is not in view here, because instead of expressing a distinction in thought it continues the same line of reasoning that Paul began in verse nine (before the quoted material). “Now” is chosen to express that this is a continuation of his train of thought. However, of the various uses it is best to translate this with a simple conjunction “and” that connects the previous discussion (that was interrupted by the long list of quotations) with what he is going to write next.
The word for knowledge that Paul chooses here is oida, which refers to a knowledge that is certain and complete. Therefore this is an appeal to common knowledge or well-known facts.
But what is it that Paul suggests is commonly known about the Law? In order to answer that, one must first be certain what sort of “law” Paul is referring to? Based upon the context it is best to understand this as a reference back to the list of quotations that immediately precedes it. Since the quotations are from the Psalms and Isaiah and not the five books of Moses specifically it is best to take the word “law” here as a reference to the entire OT rather than just to the commandments found specifically in the Mosaic Law. Paul uses the word “law” in the same way in his first letter to the Corinthians (see 14:21) when referring to a quotation from the book of Isaiah. However it is important to note that the passages he quotes are in reference to violating the Law, therefore not too sharp of a distinction should be made. As to the presence of the article it would seem to be designating the particular law of the OT, in distinction to an emphasis upon the characteristic of law in general which would be better expressed without the definite article. Even though in a strict sense only the first five books of the OT are Law, it became a sort of short hand expression for the entire collection of inspired books.
Paul goes on to write that “whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law”. Paul employs the word “whatever” to express in an emphatic way that he is referring to absolutely everything that is contained in the law. In this sentence Paul uses two completely different words that are both translated as “says”. It is logical to ask if there is any intended difference here between these two words. The first word “lego” refers to the content of what is said, while the second “laleo” refers to the fact that it was said.
The key expression however is the phrase “those who are under the Law”. This expression is used several times by Paul:
“For sin shall not have dominion over you,
for you are not under law but under grace.”
Romans 6:14
“and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those
who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those
who are under the law;”
I Corinthians 9:20
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son,
born of a woman, born under the law”
Galatians 4:4
However these quotations in English miss an important distinction that exists between them and the verse in question. The verses above all have a different preposition for the word “under”. This distinction is an important one. In the other passages in which we find this identical English phrase (Romans 6:14 for example), Paul uses the preposition “hupo” to refer to living under the demands of the Law as the requirement for salvation. However, in the 3:19 the preposition indicates those who possess the Law. Literally the preposition means “within” the Law. This sense is quite different from the other verses, and refers to those who are within the scope of the law; meaning those who are subject to it and this refers primarily to the Jews. This is a way of designating the Jews as those whose religion, nationality, and lifestyle bears the distinctive marks of the Law. Paul is saying that the Law speaks to those who possess it and in doing so brings condemnation rather than justification.
Next Paul writes, “that every mouth may be stopped”. The demonstrative pronoun “that” is used to indicate that Paul is employing a purpose clause; which means he is saying that it was God’s purpose in giving the Law to shut the mouths of those to whom it was given. Referring to stopping someone’s mouth is an idiom. It reflects the imagery of a courtroom where the defendant has nothing left to say in response to the charges and evidence brought against him. The word translated as stopped is (prasso), and means to fence in, block up, stop up, or close up. This word is used in a parallel fashion to “without excuse” (see 1:20; 2:1) and follows the pattern that Paul uses as he concludes his demonstration that each group (Gentile, moralist, and now Jew) is guilty before God.
Paul next expresses a parallel thought to the last phrase when he writes, “and all the world may become guilty before God”. The word “guilty” is a translation of the Greek word “hupodikos”, which refers to one who is subject to prosecution. It denotes one who is bound to some penalty imposed for the sake of justice because he has neglected to do what is right. In other words, one who is under obligation to make compensation or restitution for his/her crimes. Rather than being already under sentence the idea here is that of a person who cannot reply at the trial because he has exhausted all possibilities of refuting the charges against him. The emphasis in the word Paul used that is translated as “guilty” (vs.19) is upon one’s objective legal standing before God; demonstrating that the issue at the heart of justification is not moral improvement (as necessary as that may be) but rather finding some way to escape God’s just condemnation of one’s soul at the judgment. Since the word for God is in the dative case it expresses that God is the wounded party as well as the judge who weighs the evidence and pronounces the verdict.
But why is the whole world included in this guilt, if in fact Paul has been addressing the Jews? The intent in the most recent context has been to demonstrate that the Jew stands condemned before God. However, having demonstrated this Paul is summing up the point that all are guilty, a point which in regard to the gentiles had already been thoroughly established (1:18-2:16). Having now demonstrated that the Jew is also guilty it brings his point to completion, that everyone without exception is in need of the Gospel.
Finally Paul has arrived at his conclusion in regard to the matter of sin and its consequences before God; he writes “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight”. The word, “therefore” would actually be better translated as because. The way Paul is using this word it means that mankind is liable for punishment “because” there is nothing else left to exonerate them. This is in fact the reason why the Law exists is to demonstrate guilt. Since this is the Law’s purpose it cannot justify anyone because it was not designed to do that.
The expression “the works of the law” is used several times by Paul, but he only used them in his letter to the Romans (3:28; 9:32) and in his letter to the Galatians (2:16; 3:2, 5, 10). These “works” are not simply good things that one does in general sense, but works done in obedience to the Law of God. But why is it that these works are not worthy of some sort of reward or acknowledgement? It is not due to the inadequacy of the law, but rather because works that truly conform to the spirit of the law are beyond man’s ability to perform, as Paul explains elsewhere:
“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’”
Galatians 3:10
The problem with justification by works of the Law is that to be successful one must be perfectly obedient for one’s entire life to everything that the Law requires without exception; and Paul is just completing an involved explanation that clearly demonstrates that no one has or can ever do this. Thus the Law leads only to condemnation.
In referring to the inability of the Law to justify those who attempt to live by it, Paul refers to any who would try as “flesh”. Why does Paul use this word in this context? So far in this letter, Paul has only used the word “flesh” to refer to one’s physical body (1:4; 2;28); whereas words like “all”, “no one”, “every man”, “the world”, and “men” have been used to convey this idea. The reason for this word choice is that Paul is beginning to address the weakness that lies behind why mankind is incapable of earning righteousness? This particular word is used to evoke the idea of human finitude, weakness, and corruptibility in contrast with the nature of God. “Flesh” refers to that aspect of man wherein he is independent from God, choosing to live on his own terms, out for himself, a creature of his appetites, who takes his sense of value from the world. The weakness then is not in the Law. If the Law were given to those who were not fallen it would have brought to light their righteousness. Instead the weakness exists in man and the need is for a changed heart that desires to obey rather than rebel. This is precisely what God said was necessary and is the rationale behind God’s institution of the New Covenant. It is for this reason that Paul chooses to employ the word “flesh”.
The key word in these verses is the term “justified.” It is a forensic term that means to declare a person righteous as a judicial act. In saying that this declaration is made in God’s sight is most likely an allusion to Psalm 143:2, where the psalmist states that no one is righteous in His sight.
The heart of the problem in regard to the Law making a person righteous is the issue of our sins. No matter how sorry we are for having done what is wrong, once we sin we cannot undo it. We can try to compensate for it, make restitution for it, apologize for it, but we cannot undo it; we can never again make the imperfect, perfect. Thus there can be no salvation through keeping the Law of God because mankind has neither the inclination nor the ability to obey God perfectly.
Here lies part of the reason why the Gospel is so offensive to the natural man. It is not the idea that there is something wrong in this world or even in man, what is offensive is the suggestion that man is responsible for his predicament and must repent of his rebellion. And as long as we delude ourselves by attempts at self-justification, make light of it, or deny it, or shift the blame for the sin in our lives we can never comprehend the Gospel.
At this point it is helpful to observe the universal emphasis here; “every mouth”, “all the world”, “all flesh” (the last of these is not clear in English). The universal sense of these words completes the thought of verse nine that the condemnation is universal (which is the overall point of the passages quoted). Therefore this verse is addressing not just Jews alone, but all gentiles as well.
Paul concludes his discussion of sin with the words, “for by the law is the knowledge of sin”. Paul’s point is that everyone will be found guilty because the law will not exonerate anyone, rather it will find everyone guilty. The reason this is so is because the nature of the Law is to reveal sin, not to enable righteousness. Therefore those who seek to be righteous before God by obeying the Law are trying to use it for something it was never intended to accomplish. Therefore those who do this will always fail. The irony for the Jews (and many in our day) is that their source of their security (their fleshly righteousness as defined by the Law) will in the judgment prove to be the source of their condemnation.
In regard to the specifics of this phrase, it begins with the particle gar in this verse which introduces a reason for what was just said. The reason that no one will be justified in God’s sight by the deeds of the Law is because the Law was given to give mankind the knowledge of sin.
The Greek word that is translated as knowledge in this verse refers to a clear and precise knowledge of something that results in changes in one’s attitudes and life. The idea here is that the Law reveals the specific requirements for pleasing God and therefore draws attention to specific failures. The Law was given to help humanity to properly discern the nature of the sin which rules over him. Therefore the knowledge that is referred to in this verse is that which informs one’s character of life and influences conduct.
In another of his epistles Paul elaborates further on God’s purpose for giving us His Law:
“Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
Galatians 3:21-25
In spelling out the purpose of the Law Paul writes that God’s people were being “kept for the faith that would afterward be revealed”. The word “kept” refers to being guarded for one’s protection, or to prevent escape. The word for “tutor” meant a guide and guardian of boys. Among the Greeks and Romans the name was applied to trustworthy slaves who were charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class. The boys were not allowed so much as to step out of the house without them before arriving at the age of manhood. They are distinguished from teachers and the name carries with it an idea of severity(as of a stern censor and enforcer of morals as in I Cor.4:15). Sometimes it is translated as a school master, but this is misleading as the tutor would take the child to the one doing the instructing. But how is this knowledge gained “through” the Law? The preposition with the Genitive here indicates that the Law is the means through which God imparts the knowledge of sin. The idea here is to set forth what the law can accomplish in distinction to what it cannot. The Law presents people with the moral demands of God. In our failure to attain to the goal of that demand, we recognize ourselves to be sinners and therefore justly condemned. The Law gives us an objective standard for a knowledge of good and evil, but it does nothing to enable us to meet that standard.
God did not give the Law with the expectation that anyone would be able to keep it. Instead His purpose was to use the Law as a mirror to reveal to us our true nature so as to convince us that we are truly sinners. It is only by coming to the realization that we can never be righteous enough to earn God’s favor that we are made ready to receive Christ as our Savior. Therefore the purpose of the Law is to expose our inability to be righteous and demonstrate how desperately we need someone to provide it for us.
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