Reading: Romans 3:9-20

Introduction

Our previous lesson in Romans we had Andrew using cricket as an analogy. but just to correct Andrew who said that the middle order batsman would follow, I think it’s more like the tail ender has been given out. Is all lost? He, in desperation calls for a 3rd umpire review. That’s where the cricket game is at.

Last week Alister snuck in and used up all the cricket jokes and puns so I was forced to change to another sport - to Baseball. In Chapters 1 to chapter 3v8 we have three strikes against humanity’s condition.

  1. Rom 1v19 -32 - Gentile world denies God like pagans despite the overwhelming
    evidence of all of creation revealing God - including themselves as created beings.
  2. Rom 2v1 to 16 – Gentile pagan moralisers are no better than all other pagans
    where their very own self righteous standards come back to judge their own
    actions that fail those very standards.
  3. Rom 2v17- 3v8 – Jews have an advantage of history and evidence and information
    but it amounts to nothing since they still only manage to do evil in the face of that
    advantage.
    READ Rom 3:9-20
    The challenge goes out again -
    V9 - “What shall we conclude? Are we Jews any better than they?“ It is so serious matter
    that Paul now as it were steps back (3rd umpire review) and clarifies the bottom line –
    vs9b “made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are ALL under sin”.
    Notice he uses “we” putting himself in the question also. We can easily slot ourselves
    into the same grouping – consider Rom 3v1-8.
    To the Jewish readers, being under sin was about being subject to God’s judgement. But
    they regarded themselves as God’s people and doing the right thing made them right
    with God. It is probable that they would have thought of Paul’s teaching “just because
    you say it is, does not mean that it is…”
    Paul anticipating that one of the old brethren would be saying “show me chapter and
    verse”, falls back onto his Rabbinical training and lays out a common Rabbinical
    approach of “stringing the passages together like pearls on a necklace”(to quote Morris)
    – a series of Bible passages ie. A catena – that effectively links together to build a
    defence in support of the truth that is being presented.
    A side note on rules of quotation in the Bible versus our what we might be familiar with.
  4. Quotations don’t need to be verbatim, but clearly recognisable of the text in
    question.
  5. Any part of a verse may represent the broader teaching of that text so in this
    instance we need to consider the portions of the Psalm etc that lead not the
    quotation.
    Before we look into the Romans passage lets consider a paradigm which traces its way
    through the scripture namely “The importance of ONE”. Re is thought
    • Gen 6v8 – “So the Lord said, ”I will wipe them from the face o f the earth…” v8
    “but Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord” and he saved Noah (and his
    family).
    • Gen 18 and 19. Abraham reasons with God to spare Sodom since surely there are
    some “righteous” in the city. In v33 it comes down to “if there are 10 righteous”
    He will not destroy it. Despite this, God rescues four/three out of the city before
    destroying it. Actually it was for the sake of One, ie Lot.
    • Rahab rescued from Jerico
    • One lost Sheep was sought to bring back (Luke 15)
    • Joy in the return of the Prodigal son
    The principle that God did not destroyed even ONE righteous person when His
    righteousness and wrath pours out, establishes itself through Scripture.
    Verse 10- Eccl 7v20 – “Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one does
    what is right and never sins.”
    Paul now lays out this set of pearls which speaks pointedly at the “No, Not even ONE”
    treats four aspects of Not ONE who is righteous and how totally unrighteous all each
    ONE are. Its called Total depravity –
    A. THE INTELLECT (MIND) No one understands (Verse 11 -12)
    Ps 14 v1-3 (and Ps 53) where it says “The fool says in his heart “There is no God” –
    the “There is” is a translators insert to make it flow. Literally it reads “The fool
    says in his heart - No God”. This is the very point Paul made in Romans 1v 18-32
    especially Verse 21 and 22.
    This is who you are by nature. We Deny God.
    B. THE VISION (EYES) (Verse 12) –
    Ps 14v1-3 No one who seeks (Looks for) they have turned away. Rom 3v12 (Ps
    14v3) From the start in Gen 3, man Hid from God, he had turned away. It was God
    who looked for Adam.
    Isa 53v2-3 -we all like sheep have gone astray, everyone to his own way”.
    This is who you are by nature.
    C. THE VOCALS (Throats, Mouths and lips are evil)(Verse 13,14)
    Ps 5v9 – Again the picture it paints is one of God dealing with people who are
    wicked and arrogant. “You destroy those that tell lies” v6 “their heart is filled with
    malice” v9
    Ps 140v3 – v2 “they devise evil plans in their hearts. They stir up war every day”.
    Moves on to “the poison of vipers is on their lips.”
    Ps 10v7 – v3 “he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord. … does not seek Him. In
    hi thoughts there is no room for God” Quoted “His mouth is full of lies and
    threats”.
    This is who you are by nature
    D. THE ACTIONS (FEET)(Verse 15,16) –
    Isa 59v7ff - Feet lead to evil – Blessed are the feet of him who brings good news.
    But conversely the feet can lead people to do wrong. Judas’ feet led a throng of
    men to the garden to do evil to Jesus.
    Prov 1v16 -
    This is who you are by nature
    E. THE MOTIVATION (Heart)(Verse 17)
    Isa 59v8 - Oppose peace No fear of God
    This is who you are by nature

Summary

This passage paints a grim picture of who we are in our fallen state. An X-Ray of the human as it were.

  1. Ungodliness of Sin – in v11 we see that we are those who “there is ….no -one
    who see3ks God and rounds off at the end in v18 “there is no fear of God
    before their eyes”.
    We are thoroughly in denial of God in our actions that we do not seek him and
    hence we plunges into reckless sin and do not shun evil. We allow no room in
    our thoughts for God which is the essence of ungodliness. It is the revolt
    against God as we effectually de-throne him and we enthrone ourselves as
    Number 1 rather than seeking to glorify Him.
  2. Pervasiveness of Sin – creation declares the glory of the Lord. Our bodies are
    part of that created order and yet sin has our bodies denying God and doing
    evil.
    • We are not as depraved as we could be (we are not drunkards and
    murderers and rapists and felons, etc.) but also, we are subjects of total
    depravity in that no action of ours is as good as it should be. So by
    EXTENT every part of our humanness is tainted by sin, but not by
    DEGREE in that not every part of our humanness is as depraved as it
    could be.
    • This passage shows how sin have seeped into every part of our bodies
    rather than those same bodies being offered up as a living sacrifice
    (Rom12 v1,2) Verse 13 -17 methodically and deliberately highlights how
    the various functions of our bodies is overtaken by sinful evil behaviour.
  3. Universality of Sin – 2x “no even one”, 4x “no one is righteous”, 2x “not even
    one”. There is no room to slip in a Noah or a Lot into this barrage of NO
    ONE/NOT ONE. There in not one lost sheep but 100. For ALL have sinned.
  4. Finally in v 19-20 Paul closes out on the Jews who might be regarding the
    catena of texts as referring to the gentiles and the wicked out there
    somewhere. Paul ties this back to those who under the law which includes
    Gentiles (Rom 2v13-15) and Jews (Rom 2v17) ie. everyone.
    Vs 20 - And he Concludes with a statement of dogma “Therefore NO ONE will
    be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law, rather through the law
    we become conscious (having full irrefutable knowledge) of our sin.”

Conclusion

What shall we conclude? Are we better than they? We come to this point and
we need to answer the question – So, how do you conclude? –
Let me leave you with this illustration –

Humpty Dumpty.

So a little folklore of background to this nursery Rhyme –

  • 1780 – Puncinello who came to be known as Punch in Punch and Judy shows
  • Hump back and a paunch – hence Hump -ty , Dump-ty
  • It is a riddle that points to the answer – Egg (Eggs were commonly stored on a shelf/wall)

It has since then been linked to various historical events but you will need to read up and be the judge – if you care.

But what is of interest to me is the picture it paints -

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the Kings horses and all the kings men
Couldn’t put Humpty Together again

Oh! What a great fall he had – laying on the ground all broken and shattered and
splattered about.

This is a picture of the state humanity that Paul leaves with me at the end of Romans 3 v20.
v11 – “There is no one righteous , NOT EVEN ONE; There is no one who understands, no one seeks God. ALL have turned away, They have together become worthless”

So how will we put Humpty Dumpty together again?

Come back next week to find out.

Pray

But the kings Son with great sacrifice
Gave all of himself to turn back the tide
So that on the wall Humpty could sit once again
All put together if in the Son he remain.