Does Romans 3:5 suggest God is unjust for inflicting wrath on sinners? Romans 3:5—Text “But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust to inflict His wrath? I am speaking in human terms.” Immediate Context: Paul’s Rhetorical Method Romans 3:1–8 is a diatribe in which Paul raises objections that a hypothetical interlocutor might level against his gospel. He repeats the challenger’s question, then answers it. Verse 5 is the objection, not Paul’s settled doctrine. Verse 6 supplies his answer: “Absolutely not! For then how could God judge the world?” . The form echoes the rabbinic me genoito (“may it never be”), the strongest possible denial in Greek. The Greek Grammar and Vocabulary • adikos ho Theos: “Is God unjust?” The question is conditional, not declarative. • epipherōn tēn orgēn: “inflict His wrath,” a present participle emphasizing God’s settled opposition to sin, not caprice. • kata anthrōpon legō: “I am speaking in human terms”—Paul disavows the premise as merely human reasoning. Old Testament Foundations of Divine Justice Genesis 18:25 “Far be it from You… Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Deuteronomy 32:4 “All His ways are justice.” Job 34:10 “Far be it from God to do wickedness.” Paul’s answer stands on this unbroken witness: God’s character is intrinsically just; therefore any appearance of injustice must be a misreading. Purpose of Divine Wrath 1. Retributive: Upholds moral order (Nahum 1:2–3). 2. Revelatory: Displays righteousness (Romans 1:18). 3. Redemptive: Drives sinners to grace (Romans 5:9). Human Culpability and Moral Agency Scripture asserts universal guilt (Romans 3:10–12). Wrath is deserved because evil is freely chosen (James 1:13–15). Behavioral science corroborates that humans possess moral awareness across cultures, aligning with Romans 2:15: “the work of the law is written on their hearts.” Logical Coherence: God as World-Judge If God were unjust, He would forfeit the right to judge. Yet universal judgment is a premise shared by both Jew (Psalm 98:9) and Gentile moralists (cf. Stoic concept of logos). Paul leverages that shared premise to refute the charge. Parallel Passage—Romans 9:14 “What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Absolutely not!” The repetition shows that questioning divine fairness is a recurring human objection addressed consistently with the same categorical denial. Christological Resolution Wrath culminated at the cross (Isaiah 53:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Justice and mercy meet: God “might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). The resurrection vindicates that satisfaction (Acts 17:31), a fact attested by multiple early, eyewitness-based creeds (1 Corinthians 15:3–7) and corroborated by the empty-tomb tradition admitted even by hostile sources (Matthew 28:11–15). Archaeological and Historical Corroboration • Stone weight marked “to the king” from the Hezekiah era echoes biblical standards of just weights (Proverbs 11:1). • Ketef Hinnom silver scrolls (7th c. BC) quote Numbers 6:24–26, showing theological continuity of a holy, blessing God. These artifacts reinforce Scripture’s antiquity and integrity. Philosophical Apologetic Objective morality requires a transcendent moral lawgiver. If no just God exists, moral outrage against wrath is incoherent. The very argument that divine wrath is unjust borrows the capital of the biblical worldview it tries to refute. Pastoral and Practical Implications 1. Evangelism: God’s justice exposes sin; His grace offers escape (John 3:36). 2. Worship: Believers praise both holiness and love (Revelation 15:3–4). 3. Ethics: Imitate divine justice—oppose evil, practice mercy (Micah 6:8). Answer to the Question Romans 3:5 does not suggest that God is unjust. It voices a human objection which Paul instantly rejects. On exegetical, canonical, logical, historical, and experiential grounds, Scripture stands unanimous: God’s wrath against sin is the flawless exercise of His righteous character, indispensable to the gospel and to the hope of salvation through Christ alone. |
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