Bible Study Romans Part 57-Why Am I the Bad Guy?

Welcome to the program Study in the Chapel.

God's Word is supreme at Chapel Ministries.

We consider it absolutely essential to a proper relationship with God.

We study it, we love it, we rely on it every minute of every day.

The following program is an edited recording of the regular Bible studies we hold, and we decided to share these with you in the hope that you too will be able to find inspiration, encouragement, and ultimately salvation through discovering Christ in Scripture.

Our intention is to travel all the way through the Bible.

It will be a challenging journey, but one that will undoubtedly bring you to a decision.

Through this study, you will be faced with either believing or rejecting what God has said to us.

It is our intention to provide you with enough knowledge to make an informed decision about God and his word.

We strongly encourage you to listen intently and diligently, because though at the moment you may not realize it, these things are truly a matter of life and death.

In fact, these are matters of eternal life and eternal death.

Never treat what God has said lightly.

There's truly nothing more important to you.

Now join us as we seek God's will through his inspired word.

We are in the letter to the Romans, Paul's letter to the Romans.

It's important for us to learn to get into this letter as deeply as possible.

It is some of the most important Christian doctrine that you will ever find in the entire New Testament.

We have so much to learn from our friend, the Apostle Paul.

So let's start this lesson by reading the first few verses of this third chapter of the Romans letter.

We're in the third chapter now.

If you're interested in listening to the one, two, three chapters, go ahead and check our YouTube channel.

They're listed under the series Letter to the Romans.

So we have posted every one of our lessons that we've done in Romans.

We also have lessons on Genesis if you're interested in those.

So I'm going to read from the King James chapter three, starting at verse one.

Please follow along in the Bible that's in front of you.

What advantage then hath the Jew, or what prophet is there of circumcision?

Much, every way, chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

For what if some did not believe?

Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

God forbid.

Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar, as it is written, that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

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.

Now let me read to you a statement from one of my pulpit heroes regarding this section of Scripture.

Dr.

Martin Lloyd Jones says of this portion of Romans, the one we just read, quote, this, it is generally agreed, is one of the most difficult passages, not only in the epistle to the Romans, but in the whole of Scripture.

You notice that it is a very fine, very closely woven argument.

And some may be inclined to ask, is all this necessary?

Why all this subtle argument?

Why does the apostle bother with this kind of thing, which is so difficult to follow and understand?

And the answer is that the fault is not the apostle Paul's.

He had no desire to write like this.

Now, Dr.

Lloyd Jones is saying that although it seems like Paul is rambling and unfocused in his discourse, he's being rather intentional.

Now, I don't agree with my hero as to why he's being intentional, but we are in agreement that Paul has a reason for this descent into what feels like tedium.

Let me continue.

I'll back up a sentence or two.

By the way, this is all on your screen if you want to follow along.

Why all this subtle argument?

Why does the apostle bother with this kind of thing, which is so difficult to follow and understand?

And the answer is that the fault is not the Apostle Paul's.

He had no desire to write like this, and probably dearly wished that it were not necessary for him to do so.

But he has to do it because of the questions people ask and because of the arguments which they put up.

And as a wise teacher and one who is anxious that these Christians in Rome should be well grounded and established in the faith, he has to meet all possible arguments and every kind of eventuality.

Now, I don't think anyone was actually asking these questions of Paul.

I think he was only anticipating questions and problems people might have about the gospel, with one exception, which we'll talk about sometime later.

You see, Paul could see there was going to be resistance.

So he proffered his response to that resistance ahead of time.

After all, as we've been saying, all of this must have seemed so radically different to the Jews of Paul's day.

Indeed, it must have seemed radical to all other religious mindsets as well.

Christianity, or the way as it was known then, was simply unlike anything anyone had heard of before.

Paul doesn't want his beloved Roman congregation getting sidetracked on minor issues.

So he's bound and determined to be as thorough as possible.

And when you're preaching about the gospel, you have plenty of material to use.

Paul has thousands of years of holy writings at his disposal in order to provide evidence of God's consistent plan and purpose, and that will come out as we work our way through this third chapter.

Verse 1 again, what advantage then hath the Jew, or what prophet is there of circumcision?

Much.

Every way, chiefly because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

For what if some did not believe?

Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

Here's a possible question.

Did every Jew believe God was in their midst through the centuries?

And if not, what effect did that disbelief have on God's plan?

Did every Jew trust that their scriptures were given to them directly from the mind of God?

And you know what?

From the record we have, this is not such a crazy question.

We have seen through their own historical documents that the Jews hadn't always been faithful to those oracles.

In fact, if you want to be technical, the Messiah about whom the oracles were written, the very subject of God's sayings was rejected by the Jews.

Paul says that disbelief, the rejection of the scriptures is immaterial with respect to God's character.

And this is important.

As I continue to study this lesson that I wrote, it kept striking me how current, how contemporary this problem is.

We're seeing the decline of the belief in God in our own society.

Don't let that discourage you.

And I'm speaking to myself.

Christianity, the Christian belief system, simply the belief in God, is slowly declining among the societies of this world.

And that should not affect how we see God.

God is still there, has nothing to do with whether or not people believe it or not.

Paul is saying the same thing.

The disbelief of the Jews had no effect on God.

Whether or not there were unbelievers among the recipients of the oracles of God, as it's put here, whether or not there was constant rebellion among the people, God's word remained strong and true and unyielding.

The unfaithfulness of the Jews can have no bearing on God's faithfulness.

God is unchanging and steadfast no matter what his people do.

Verse three, for what if some did not believe?

Now, scholars generally agree that Paul is being polite here.

He more than anyone else knows that it wasn't just some who didn't believe.

Clearly, most had not believed, and not just about the Messiah who had come.

Paul, probably like a few others, Paul like few others, knew the history of his own people, but he chose to be gentle here.

He had something important to discuss.

And if he allowed his frustration, this is a lesson for all of us.

If Paul allowed his frustration to impact his message, he risked failing to reach his audience.

Listen, anger, angrily communicating your message has a way of closing ears.

No matter how true a statement being made happens to be.

In fact, when you're upset, when you've upset your audience, the more truth your speech contains, the less likely they're going to pay attention to it.

The apostle did not want to alienate his off audience, especially not now.

What he had to say had to be fully absorbed if he was going to have any success at all.

For what if some did not believe?

Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

He said some, but he meant most.

Now we're lingering here for a reason.

As I said, this is truth we all must hear.

For what if some did not believe?

Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

God forbid.

Yea, let ever let God be true, but every man a liar.

Listen, there's no power in the sayings of mankind.

Only what God has to say has a authority over the lives of men.

It doesn't matter one whit if every man rejects God's truth.

You know why?

Because forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.

Listen, heaven is a permanent place, and anything that's settled there is settled permanently.

There's nothing temporary or temporal or weak or frail or fleeting in heaven.

For what if some did not believe?

Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

God forbid.

Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar, as it's written, that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judge.

Here at the end of that verse, Paul is actually quoting Psalm 51.

By the way, I believe it's this statement that Dr.

Martin Lloyd Jones was referring to when he mentioned difficult passages.

The language is very challenging, but let's give it a shot.

Paul is anticipating a question.

He expects that someone's going to put a human spin on the things of God.

Paul, is there something wrong with God's plans when people fail to believe in them?

And listen, that's not a bad question.

It's a little human-centric.

It's born out of a mind of mankind, a mortal mind, a mind that doesn't yet understand the divine mind.

But you can't really blame the person who asked it.

Listen, ignorance isn't sin.

Staying ignorant might be, but it's not a sin at the outset.

So what about it?

Is the lack of faith among the Jews God's fault?

Is the lack of faith among the people around us?

Is that God's fault?

Can a lack of faith render the power of God ineffective?

Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

Do the shortcomings of the people cause God to be unfaithful to his own word?

The response?

God forbid.

Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar, as it is written, that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

Paul, by the way, didn't say, God forbid.

And you know, I honestly don't know why the King James translators use that phrase.

I've checked every resource I could get my hands on, and there's no explanation.

All I can say is that it's been in the English language Bible as far back as there have been English language Bibles.

The Tyndall Bible as well as the Wycliffe, both more than a century older than the King James, use this phrase, God forbid, as a translation of the original Greek.

And what befuddles me is the fact that neither the word God nor the word forbid is even remotely translatable from the Greek original.

The closest translation would be something like, let it not be.

Now I assume those early English translators brought God into their rendition because only God has the power to make things be or not be.

If you're calling on something to not be, it would be assumed you'd be calling on God.

So I guess those early scholars thought they'd be more specific than Paul was when he wrote this, lest the reader get the wrong idea.

I don't know.

As I said, the whole thing bewilders me.

John, what's the point of this?

Simple.

It's the same as it always is.

I'm trying to get you in the habit of looking at scripture closely.

Lots of interesting things will show up when you do.

If you ask the Bible questions, answers you weren't looking for will show up.

And sometimes even the answer you were looking for shows up.

It is an important exercise to get into the habit of.

However, the difficulties in this fourth verse are not limited to poor or confusing or misleading or inaccurate translations.

For what if some did not believe?

Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

God forbid.

Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar, as it is written, that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged?

That's a very awkward statement that I think needs some explanation.

The question Paul is asking himself for the sake of argument is basically this.

What if some of those original Jews who received the oracles of God subsequently denied that they were actually the utterance as utterances of God Himself?

If that happens, if some of God's people are unfaithful or lack faith, does that mean God's faithfulness is impacted?

If God's truth falls flat on some, does that mean there's something wrong with God's truth?

Of course not.

If every human being does nothing but lie, is nothing but unfaithful to a just and loving God, he will not change.

God never goes back on what he says.

God never lies.

God is always speaking truth, even if every other living creature never does.

And that, by the way, is the expected nature of things.

Humans fail, and humans are unfaithful.

God is always victorious, and everything he says comes true, and he even makes that happen himself.

You see, one time God told Jeremiah, I will hasten my word to perform it, which literally means that God watches over the things he says to make sure they come true.

He doesn't just say things, he makes sure they happen.

The Cambridge commentary says that God is rousing himself in order to ensure that his word is going to be effective.

God gets personally involved in the things he says.

Elsewhere, God is recorded as saying something similar.

Isaiah 55, 11.

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth.

It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Nothing is going to get in the way of what God says.

Least of all, failing human beings.

Once he says it, that's it.

It's going to happen.

He makes sure that.

Listen, when you and I say something, it comes out of our mouth like a sneeze.

It scatters all over the place, and who knows where it's going to land.

But when God says something, it comes out like a guided missile, and God's the one doing the guiding.

What he says will hit its target.

For what if some did not believe?

Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

God forbid.

Let God be true, but every man a liar, as it is written, that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

The as it is written part is a quotation from Psalm 51.

Paul is quoting Psalm 51.

I know I said that a few minutes ago.

I just never expanded on it.

Now, this is very tough language.

And as you can imagine, there's not a whole lot of agreement, a lot of agreement as to what Paul's point is in quoting this verse.

But here's what Albert Barnes has to say.

And I think he's absolutely correct given the context.

Quote The meaning of the expression in the connection in which Paul uses it is that it is to be held as a fixed, unwavering.

Principle that God is right and true, whatever the consequences it may involve, whatever doctrine it may overcome, or whatever man it may prove to be a liar.

In other words, such is the commitment of someone whose entire purpose rests in God's will that they welcome personal judgment, judgment on themselves, if it's going to vindicate the justice, righteousness, and word of God.

A true child of God doesn't ask him to look away when he sins.

He asks for God's will and God's glory to be served, no matter what God decides to do about their sins.

Paul used this quotation because he saw in David's statement that very attitude.

If you truly love God, you will seek his glory no matter the cost to you personally.

Listen, David knew he sinned and he didn't want anyone to think that he could get away with it.

He didn't want anyone to think God had any favorites.

He didn't want anyone to think he or anyone else should be allowed to get away with sin.

So he wholeheartedly invited the judgment of God for his heinous crimes so that God could be shown to be just.

In case you don't know, David wrote Psalm 51 out of contrition for his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Bathsheba's husband Uriah the Hittite, a murder he orchestrated so he could be with Bathsheba.

And then in verse 5, back here in the Romans letter, Paul continues answering unasked questions.

The guy's brilliant.

But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say?

Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance, who brings wrath on the unrighteous?

I speak as a man.

God forbid.

For then how shall God judge the world?

Now, did anyone really ask that question?

I don't know.

As I said, I don't think so.

There's no biblical evidence that anyone did, so it's not important.

I think Paul is just addressing these issues before anyone can bring them up.

But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say?

Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance, who inflicts his wrath?

I speak as a man.

Again, this is not an easy statement to unpack.

Basically, the question is if through our sinning God shows himself to be patient and faithful and long-suffering, all divine characteristics, all glorifying to himself.

If our sinning is in effect showing the whole universe that God is worthy of worship, why does he still punish us?

I mean, God comes out looking pretty good.

I think he ought to, you know, give us a little slack.

Actually, when you think about it, when God's punishing us for our sin, isn't he being a little unrighteous since the world is a better place when he's glorified?

When I'm sinning, is God not being glorified?

So why do I get punished?

But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say?

Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance, who inflicts his wrath on the unrighteous?

I speak as a man.

By the way, that little part at the end, I think, is Paul just breaking the fourth wall and making sure the audience knows he's speaking hypothetical, that he's taking the position of the ignorant sinner to make a point.

I speak as a man.

Don't get the impression that I think this way myself is Paul's point.

I'm just getting at somewhere, something here.

Don't make the mistake of thinking this is a valid point.

This statement is nothing but satire.

You know, every once in a while I get the sense that one of my little jokes with my wife goes a little too far, so I have to throw in that I'm just kidding thing.

You know, that disclaimer.

Maybe that's the sort of thing Paul is doing here.

He's not kidding, but he's made another really shocking statement.

Paul asks this outrageous question in an almost mocking tone.

And then he sort of feels the need to let his audience in on his sarcasm.

But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say?

Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance?

I speak as a man.

Guys, listen, don't think I'm serious about this.

This is what you're trying to get away with.

You try and take good solid doctrine about God's reaction to our unrighteousness and then twist it into something contemptible.

This isn't what I came up with.

That's what Paul is saying here.

This is your nonsense.

I'm just trying to make a point.

But never forget I speak as a man, he says.

By the way, this is still the same tactic he's been using all along.

He's anticipating the reaction some might have to the things he's trying to teach people.

Paul's argument in the previous verse is that when God judges our unrighteousness, it's a reflection of his righteousness.

When he declares us unrighteous, he's showing that he's righteous.

And before anyone can say anything in response, Paul says the following But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say?

Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance, who delivers wrath on our unrighteousness?

Paul just knew they were going to ask that.

He knew that thought was going to cross their minds as they peruse this letter.

So he goes at the problem head on.

He goes on the offensive.

He doesn't wait for the counterattack, he prepares for it.

But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say?

Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance?

God forbid.

There he goes again.

Let it not be.

For then how shall God judge the world?

One thing you can always count on from us humans is a diligent search for an excuse to sin.

That is Paul's constant battle, especially when he's talking about judgment.

Everyone is looking for loopholes.

When Paul is talking about sin, it's just so uncomfortable.

It hits so close for so many of us.

Our consciences are tapping us on the shoulder.

Hey, that sure sounds like you and me.

Maybe we should listen a little closer.

What?

No way, conscience.

You keep quiet.

He couldn't be talking about us.

Well, if you're so smart, Paul, wouldn't you say that our sins, our bad behavior, our righteousness is actually so bad that it makes God look good in comparison, right?

Well, then why is God trying to stop us from sinning?

Why is he punishing us for our sin?

I mean, when you think about it, he should be thankful that we're showing the universe how unlike sinning man he actually is.

You know, now that I think about it, God should be ashamed of himself for trying to prevent us from glorifying him through our indiscretions, shall we call them?

If my unrighteousness has the effect of magnifying God's unshakable faithfulness as shown through his grace in the face of my sinning, then isn't God being a bit of a hypocrite by punishing us for those sins?

Paul's response, let it not be.

God forbid.

For then, how shall God judge the world?

What a ridiculous thing to think.

If God doesn't pour out his wrath on sin, there'd be no justice.

No judgment, no justice.

All right.

That's probably enough for today.

We're really hammering this point home today, I think.

There's so much more for us to get used to.

There's so much we have to talk about, but I think I should be careful about overdoing it.

Though we can we could be here for another hour just on these few verses.

Let's stop for now and we'll pick it up right there next time.

See you then.

We hope this study has blessed you.

God's word is a great treasure, and it's our belief that a thorough, purposeful study of it will bring all of God's children to an understanding of his eternal plan of redemption.

It is our prayer that this will be so for all of our listeners.

Please join us again soon.

New content is being added all the time, so make sure you check back often.

For more information on Chapel Ministries, including our YouTube channel and podcasts, please visit www.chapelontheweb.com.

And if God has laid it upon your heart to share materially with us, we encourage you to follow the links to our secure giving page.

Please note, Chapel Ministries is not an IRS registered nonprofit organization, and your donations to this program are not tax deductible.

It's our hope that you do not rely on taxing authorities to decide for you who is worthy of your generosity.