What is the meaning of Romans 3:8? Why not say Paul frames a rhetorical question, pushing the logic of the previous verses to its absurd extreme. In Romans 3:5-7 he has just shown that our sin highlights God’s righteousness; now he confronts the hypothetical objector: “And why not say…?” • This device exposes the flaw in thinking that God’s glory could ever justify human wickedness (cf. Romans 6:1-2, 9:14). • Scripture consistently rejects the notion that ends justify sinful means (Isaiah 5:20; Proverbs 17:15). • God’s character is holy (Leviticus 19:2), so any argument suggesting He would encourage sin contradicts His revealed nature. as some slanderously claim that we say The charge against Paul is not an honest misunderstanding; it is “slander.” Critics twist his message of grace into a license for immorality. • Peter notes that some “distort” Paul’s letters “to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15-16). • The gospel of justification by faith apart from works (Romans 3:28) can be perverted when listeners ignore Paul’s equally clear call to holiness (Romans 6:12-14). • Galatians 2:17 shows the same accusation: if Christ’s followers sin, does that make Christ a promoter of sin? “Certainly not!” Paul responds each time. This reminder warns us to guard both the purity of the message and the reputation of those who preach it (1 Peter 2:12). “Let us do evil that good may result” Here is the essence of antinomianism: treating grace as an excuse to sin. Paul cites the slogan to expose its folly. • The idea mirrors worldly pragmatism—imagining that “good results” can sanctify wrong actions—yet Scripture never condones evil for presumed benefit (Micah 6:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:7). • Romans 6:15 counters the same lie: “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” • Jude 4 warns of “ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality.” • True gospel fruit is produced through obedience, not manipulation (John 15:8-10). So Paul exposes the slogan as spiritual sabotage—undermining both moral order and the witness of the church. Their condemnation is deserved! Paul’s verdict is stark: those who promote such reasoning stand under just judgment. • God is not mocked; “a man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7-8). • Hebrews 10:29 speaks of “worse punishment” for those who trample the Son of God and treat the blood of the covenant as common. • Teachers bear stricter judgment (James 3:1); twisting grace invites divine censure. The certainty of condemnation underscores how deeply this error violates the gospel: it dishonors Christ’s sacrifice and deceives souls. summary Romans 3:8 dismantles the slander that Paul’s gospel encourages sin. He shows that: • God’s righteousness never legitimizes wrongdoing. • Critics who twist the message of grace commit slander. • The slogan “do evil that good may result” is a deadly distortion, flatly contradicted throughout Scripture. • Those who propagate such thinking are rightly condemned. Grace, rightly understood, leads to gratitude-fueled obedience, not calculated rebellion. |
    |