NGH BIBLE STUDY – ROMANS – OUTLINE #6

Outline #6: The Proof of God’s faithfulness & Pronouncement of universal guilt – Romans 3:1-20

In our passage, Paul addresses Jewish privilege while exposing universal guilt. He begins by affirming the real advantage of the Jew, chiefly in being entrusted with God’s revealed Word, yet insists that human unfaithfulness does not undermine God’s perfect faithfulness. Anticipating objections, Paul rejects the flawed reasoning that human sin somehow enhances God’s righteousness or excuses wrongdoing. Such arguments are shown to be both illogical and morally corrupt. Paul then delivers a sweeping indictment, drawing from Scripture to demonstrate that all people—Jew and Gentile alike—are under sin. No one is righteous and sin affects every aspect of human nature. The role of the Law is not to justify sinners but to expose sin and silence all self-defense, leaving the whole world accountable before God.

Outline of Romans 3:1-20

Rm 3:1-2,3-4
The advantage of the Jew

Rm 3:5-6,7-8
The absurdity of sinful reasoning

Rm 3:9-10,11-12,13-14,15-18,19,20
The authority of the verdict

Themes to think about

● God’s faithfulness in spite of human failure

● The distorting effects of sin

● The universality of human guilt

● The purpose of the law

Questions for discussion

1. If the law condemns us, what advantage does it bring?

2. Paul affirms that the Jews do have an advantage in Rm 3:2. So then how do we understand what Paul writes in Rm 3:9?

“Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all.” (ESV)

3. In what subtle ways do people use faulty reasoning today to excuse sin?

4. We have a series of OT quotations in Rm 3:10-12,13-16,17-18 that outline the sinfulness of humanity. How do these verses describe both inward condition and outward conduct?

5. How should believers respond to the sweeping description of human sinfulness in Rm 3:10-18?