What is the meaning of Romans 3:5? But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God • Paul acknowledges that our sin, paradoxically, can serve to showcase God’s flawless righteousness. When people see the darkness of human failure, the light of God’s purity shines more brightly (Romans 5:20; Psalm 51:4). • This does not excuse sin. Instead, it magnifies the contrast between who we are and who God is (Romans 3:23-24). • The gospel begins with honesty about human unrighteousness so that grace is seen for what it truly is—undeserved favor. what shall we say? • A rhetorical pause pushes the reader to consider possible (and often wrong) conclusions. Paul frequently uses this device (Romans 6:1; Romans 9:14). • He is inviting reflection: Will we twist a profound truth into a dangerous justification, or will we respond with humble repentance like the tax collector who cried, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13)? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? • Some might argue, “If my sin makes God look good, punishing me seems unfair.” Paul exposes the faulty logic. • God’s wrath is always righteous (Romans 1:18; Revelation 19:2). He is the Judge who “does no wrong” (Deuteronomy 32:4). • Divine justice never operates on a sliding scale. Sin remains sin; God’s holiness remains constant. Our wrongdoing is still fully culpable, even if God turns it for His glory. I am speaking in human terms • Paul clarifies that this argument belongs to human reasoning, not divine logic. • God’s ways transcend our limited thinking (Isaiah 55:8-9), and He is not “a man, that He should lie” (Numbers 23:19). • By labeling it “human,” Paul distances God from the flawed notion that He could ever be unjust. summary Human sin does spotlight God’s righteousness, but that never diminishes His right to judge. Our unrighteousness underscores the depth of His holiness, our need for His mercy, and the uncompromising justice of His wrath. The gospel answers both truths: God remains perfectly righteous, and Christ satisfies that righteousness on our behalf. |
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