How does Romans 3:29 affirm God's sovereignty over all nations and peoples? Romans 3:29—The Verse at the Center “Is God the God of the Jews only? Is He not the God of the Gentiles as well? Yes, of the Gentiles as well.” Paul’s Flow of Thought • Romans 3 sets out that all have sinned (3:23). • Jew and Gentile alike stand guilty and are justified only “through faith in Jesus Christ” (3:22). • Verse 29 clinches the point: if salvation is offered to every nation, God must reign over every nation. How the Verse Proclaims God’s Sovereignty • “Is God the God of the Jews only?”—a rhetorical question that assumes God’s unique authority over Israel. • “Is He not the God of the Gentiles as well?”—extends that same authority to every non-Jewish nation. • “Yes, of the Gentiles as well”—Paul’s emphatic answer leaves no ethnic or geographic exceptions. Universal ownership equals universal rule. Old Testament Echoes • Genesis 12:3: “In you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Promise of global reach. • Psalm 24:1: “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof.” Sovereignty grounded in creation. • Isaiah 45:22-23: “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth… to Me every knee will bow.” An explicit worldwide summons. New Testament Confirmation • Acts 17:26-27: God “made every nation of men… that they should seek Him.” • Matthew 28:18-19: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” • Revelation 5:9: Christ ransomed people “from every tribe and language and people and nation.” What God’s Universal Rule Means for Us • Confidence—world events never escape His control. • Unity—no ethnic hierarchy in the church; all believers stand on equal footing. • Mission—every culture is a rightful target of the gospel; evangelism rests on God’s global claim. • Hope—since He governs all peoples, His redemption plan cannot fail anywhere. Summary in One Sentence Romans 3:29 nails down that the one true God, who justifies both Jew and Gentile through faith, possesses unchallenged authority over every nation and every person on earth. |
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