Romans 3:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Apostle removes one false inference by another. Since this is not clear, it must be stated more plainly. What, then, does the Apostle say?

God honored the Jews, and they insulted Him. Yet this constitutes His victory and proves His great love for mankind, because He honored even people so ungrateful.

But the Jew says: since God prevailed, and His righteousness shone forth in full splendor because we insulted Him and acted unjustly, why then am I punished, when I became the cause of His victory precisely by insulting Him?

How does the Apostle resolve this? By another false inference, as I said. If you became the cause of God's victory and then are punished, this is unjust.

Here he presents an objection. Some could say: if, from the fact that God benefited us and we proved ungrateful to Him, He appears still more faithful, then why is He angry? That is, why does He punish us, if we became the cause of His justification and victory?

Such is the objection. The Apostle resolves it very wisely and to the rebuke of the Jews. From the fact that God punishes you, it does not follow that you are the cause of God's victory.

For it would be unjust for the victor to punish the one who caused the victory. But God is not unjust. Otherwise, how will God judge the world, if He is unjust?

But come, and let us examine this as men: if this is so, how then does God judge the world? There must be laws, he says, even if they were given for the condemnation of those who received them.

But God did not give the laws for such a purpose. The house of Moses believed, as did others who were justified through these laws.

This is like what he says: “And not as we are slandered,” with people saying, “Let us do evil that good may come.” For they were accustomed to say: “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Rom 3:20).

They began to say the opposite: “Let us multiply sins, and His manifold grace toward us will abound.” Therefore those who say this are justly punished, for they mock grace.

It is true that it would be unjust for God to judge the world if its sins were useful to Him. That would mean His goodness appeared only when sinners received forgiveness. In other words, if they did not sin, God’s righteousness would be invisible. Without having sinned, they would have no grounds for forgiveness of sin, and God would have no goodness. To think this is absurd.

The Apostle necessarily included the objection put forward by others, and by his denial he showed its absurdity. For he says, I am not saying this on my own behalf, but am setting forth the arguments of others. This is what the words mean: “I speak as a man.”

After the testimony from Scripture that God will be shown righteous when we are judged with Him, Paul shows the real meaning. God deservedly imposes punishment on the unrighteous.

The Apostle does not finally consider it necessary even to refute the third objection. Some asked: if human unrighteousness only exalts the righteousness of God, then why does God punish men for unrighteousness?

With respect to the Jews, the question was why God rejected them, if through their unbelief the goodness and righteousness of God were revealed with special clarity.

Having in view the later exposition of Israel's destiny in Rom 11, the Apostle compares this sophism to someone proving that one must sin in order to give God greater opportunity to do good.

But then a new objection arises concerning justification, which the Apostle formulates thus: “But if our unrighteousness reveals the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust when He shows wrath?”

This is the wrath from heaven mentioned above (Rom 1:18), revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Lest this objection, by its sharpness from the Apostle's lips, scandalize the Roman Christians, he finds it necessary to add a qualification.

He says: “I speak according to human, that is, sinful, reasoning.” The Apostle explains the groundlessness of the objection from the contrary. If one allowed it any fairness, one would have to reject altogether the property of God as Judge of the universe.

Adapting himself to educated people accustomed to the clever syllogisms and intricate conclusions of Roman scholars, the Apostle Paul points out another treacherous inference possible from unbelievers.

It concerns his thought about God's faithfulness to His words and to the promise of the Savior, despite the unbelief of the Hebrews. Namely, they infer that in this unbelief the special greatness of God is manifested.

Therefore, they say, those whose unbelief gave occasion for the manifestation of divine faithfulness should not be subject to God's wrath and punishment.

The Apostle appeals to the common faith in the boundless righteousness of God, in order to refute that sophistry. How can any unrighteousness, in any respect, be seen in Him whom all confess as the Judge of the whole universe?

This faith is inseparable from the sense of God's righteousness and the conviction of His justice. Therefore it alone powerfully dispels every shadow cast by sophistry upon the righteousness of God.

If God is confessed as Judge of the universe, then He is boundlessly just. If He is just, then one cannot see any unrighteousness in His having sentenced you to punishment for your unbelief, and in His soon bringing it upon you.