January 28 Click on verses for Full Scripture

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Today's Pathway: Romans 3:5-8 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just

Today we will finish off Paul's "diatribe". The final "argument" that Paul deals with is one that is very bizarre, yet, according to verse 8, is one that he was accused of believing himself. We know that God punishes sin because He is a holy God (Romans 1:18). His judgment of iniquity helps to reveal His righteousness. The argument is this: if God shows His glory by punishing my unrighteousness, then it isn't fair for Him to punish me for doing something that reveals His glory. He would be an unrighteous God if He took vengeance on me for my unrighteousness.

Paul realizes the foolishness of this argument by his statement, "I speak as a man". He is saying, in effect, “Don’t think for a minute that I believe such perverted nonsense. I am only paraphrasing the charges that are often made against me.” He then shows how illogical that argument is. How could God judge the world if that were the case? Obviously, He could not. Yet Psalm 9:8 says,

"And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness."

This falls under the heading of "foolish and unlearned questions" which Paul told Timothy to avoid in II Timothy 2:23. He also wrote this to Timothy about those who would make such ignorant statements:

"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth" (I Timothy 6:3-5).

"Let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings."

This accusation apparently came from the Jews because Paul was teaching that salvation did not come from obeying the Law, but from receiving Christ, and was also teaching that the Gentiles, which did not even have the Law, could be saved apart from the Law. The Jews twisted his words and accused him of teaching that men could live lawless lives and do whatever they pleased. Of course, this was not Paul's message, as will become clear later in this epistle. Similar accusations have been leveled against those who believe in salvation by grace today. On numerous occasions I have heard something like this: "You mean that a person can get saved and then go out and murder a bunch of people and still go to Heaven!" This blanket statement, with no context and no explanation, makes the person feel better about their rejection of salvation by grace through faith apart from works. They accuse us of being libertines because we reject the idea that good works grant you eternal life. As Paul writes in verse 8, this is slanderous, and those who say such things are worthy of the judgment and condemnation of God.

Don't let illogical questions from skeptics affect your belief in God's Word. They may see themselves as being clever, but "professing themselves to be wise, they became fools," (Romans 1:22).