Romans 3:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“Then what do we have over them? For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin. As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one.

There is none who understands; there is none who seeks God. They have all turned aside; together they have become useless. There is none who does good, no, not one” (Ps 13:2-3).

“Their throat is an open grave. With their tongues they practiced deceit. The poison of asps is under their lips” (Ps 139:3). “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness” (Ps 9:28).

“Their feet are swift to shed blood” (Prov 1:16). “Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace they have not known” (Is 59:7-8). “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Ps 35:2).

In what was interpreted before this, the Apostle compared circumcision and uncircumcision, and added: “What advantage then has the Jew?” (Rom 3:1). Here, intending to show the excellence of evangelical grace, he said: “What then do we have over them?”

For we have proved that both those living outside the Law and those living under the Law sinned. He also joined to this the testimony of David, as very fitting to the present subject.

He does this chiefly out of concern for brevity. Otherwise, he would have summoned all the prophets to accuse the Jews, since they said similar and still more grievous things about them. Therefore the Apostle added: See Rom 3:19.

“That every mouth may be stopped” does not mean that the Jews sinned in order that their mouths might be stopped. Rather, they were rebuked so that they might recognize their sin (Chrysostom).

The Apostle's teaching about the sinfulness of all people does not contradict the Old Testament's references to many persons who were righteous before God and did what was right.

The Apostle himself, in the Epistle to the Hebrews (chapter 11), gives a whole series of righteous persons from the Old Testament. But they were righteous by faith, not by works of the Law.

Portraying those under the Law in dark colors, the Apostle does not touch those justified by faith, or, more precisely, he does not touch their righteousness by faith. He says that all people, even the righteous, could not be justified while they hoped for salvation from the works of the Law.

For every sinner, whether Jew or Gentile, would begin to reason thus: “If the truthfulness of God abounds through my falsehood to His glory, why am I still judged as a sinner?” (Rom 3:7).

Should one not go even further and say: “And why not do evil that good may come, as some slander us and say that we teach? Their condemnation is just!” (Rom 3:8-9).

The Apostle cries out with indignation against all such reasoning.

The Apostle often unfolded these thoughts about the law for those who boasted in the law. He did this to show its true worth and meaning, and thereby restrain the pride of the foolish Hebrews.

The Apostle used the expression “all flesh” shall not be justified to show where the source of weakness lies. It is not in the law, but in us.

“As men bearing flesh, we cannot fulfill the law. Therefore there is no thought that anyone could be justified by the old law,” says Bishop Theophan.

In listing the kinds and forms of sinful men’s depravity, the Apostle points to a general turning away from the desire to know God and serve Him. He points to the wish to walk in one’s own ways, to please only oneself, and not to serve others.

He also points to mutual deceit, hidden ill will, slander, cunning and malicious treachery, and readiness for the most terrible murders. In all this, the fear of God the Rewarder is wholly forgotten.

It is clear that sinners of this kind not only cannot receive justification from God by themselves. Little by little, they also bring corruption into the whole earthly world.

Everywhere they produce discord, disorder, and malice. Men became like beasts and deadly serpents to one another, as many Roman writers of that time clearly testified.

But the Apostle Paul depicts human sinfulness on the basis of more ancient and more reliable God-inspired writings. In this way he removes every foundation for the arrogance and haughtiness of the Hebrews, who vainly boasted in the works of the law.

He also urges all to hasten to God with full repentance and to receive grace through faith.

Supposing that this had clearly formed itself in the minds of the Jews, he turns to his interlocutor and asks on his own behalf: after all that I have said, what do you think? Do we have advantages? Can we hide behind them and shield ourselves from God's judgment?

He places himself among them in order to soften the obvious and unpleasant answer. Yet the Jews themselves could have asked the same thing.

The Apostle did not say plainly that privileges do not hide one from judgment. He conducted the discourse so that the Jews themselves would draw this conclusion. Yet they did not want to do so.

So they ask the question: What then? Tell us plainly, do we have an advantage? Do we possess any privilege? The Apostle satisfies their desire and now speaks plainly: "Not at all."

There were privileges, but our deeds stripped them of all meaning. Because of these deeds, we have remained without any privileges at all.

Blessed Theophylact writes: "Although they, that is, the Jews, did have some advantage as those chosen by God, yet by their deeds they dishonored God, Who had honored and chosen them. Therefore they no longer have any advantage, but are subject to greater condemnation.

"He speaks as if in the person of the Jews: What then? Do we have an advantage? That is, do we possess any privilege? Are we superior to others? Are we Jews, who received the law and circumcision, more pleasing to God than the rest?

"Not at all, that is, not in the least. For the Jews, to say no more, sinned just as the Gentiles did."

Such a sentence from the mouth of the Apostle Paul could have seemed harsh and hindered the beneficial effect of his accusatory discourse. Therefore he hastens to avert this, saying: I am not saying this. The Prophets long before me accused us of this in advance.

"We have before proved," proetiasametha, may also be translated, "we were before reproached," or "we were previously accused," as our Slavonic translation does in its marginal note.

Both according to the flow of the discourse and according to the Apostle's intention, this should be considered the translation closest to the original.

The Apostle places himself among the Jews, although he had long since gone out from them. He does this to show that he in no way excludes himself from these prior condemnations.

He also shows that these very condemnations moved him to flee from God's wrath, on their basis, under the shelter of grace. Having shown this, he seeks to dispose them also to imitate him more quickly in this matter.

He speaks as if saying: this was foreseen long ago. Therefore there is no reason to marvel at it, to shrink from it, or to deny it. Rather, after acknowledging its truth, one should seek the surest way to escape the accusation.

There is no need to oppose the literal rendering: "we have before reproached," that is, we have previously reproached, accused, and proved guilt.

If this is taken so, it will mean that the Apostle is referring here to his preceding discourse. In it, he truly proved that both Gentiles and Jews are equally under sin.

"To be under sin" means that they are sinful and without excuse in their sinfulness. They are subject to judgment and condemnation for it.

For they did not sin by some compulsion, but by their own evil will. They were not brought under sin by a violent yoke, but rushed toward it through self-pleasing and sank into it.

"To be under sin" may mean both that they sin and that they stand under God's wrath because of sin.

"Both Jews and Greeks." The thought is this: Jews no less than Greeks, or like Greeks, or just as Greeks. For the discourse concerns the Jews, and the prophetic reproofs were addressed to them. The Greeks stand here by way of comparison.