Words in Romans 3:1-20

Again, a friend showed me part of what is going on in Romans. Romans 3:1-20 is saturated in talk about talk.

v. 2: The Jews have the Oracles of God, God's word in the OT.

v.4a: People speak lies, but God is true.

v.4b: God's "words" will be "justified" and shown to be true.

...how?

v.5: Our lies actually serve to show the truthfulness of God, because God has previously declared us liars.

v. 7: So, through my lying "God's truth abounds to his glory".

v.7: But we don't take this easily and still we question why we being condemned. We continue to question God, to put him in the dock and charge him with claiming to be just when actually he is not being. We call God a liar.

v.8: This is slander against God and is mirrored in slander against his apostles. But as has been said, that person is condemned by their own words.

v.11-18: In the OT God speaks judgement, particularly against the use of the mouth ("throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceives. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness")

v. 19: Why does God speak like this? "so that every mouth may be stopped."

No more questions.

Actually, genuine questions are good...

Why should we celebrate the justification of God in his contention against humanity? The answer must be Jesus. It is because God's justification is in the incarnate Christ it is also the justification of sinful humanity too! Our justification is God's justification.

In faith, one takes the side of God in his claim against one's self, giving God justice. At the same time, one takes hold of God's gift in Christ, whom he has 'put forward' as an atonement and in whom he has taken the side of the sinner. In Christ and in faith, the justification of God the Creator meets the justification of the godless.

(Mark A. Seifrid, p. 18, 'The "New Perspective on Paul" and Its Problems', Themelios, Issue 25-2)