The Faithlessness of Man 

Scripture Reading: Romans 3:1-8.

Memory Verse: "God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies." (Nahum 1:2).

Introduction: The true meaning of Romans 3:3 is somewhat obscured by the English translation. It reads, "For what if some did not believe?" Is this speaking of a lack of faith, or unbelief toward the gospel? Dr. Barnhouse asserts:
  "Here in the third chapter there is something quite different [than unbelief]. The Greek word does not indicate an attitude that we would call unbelief, but rather an attitude that we would have to characterize as faithlessness. They believed in their heads the truths of the oracles of God, but built themselves high citadels of human pride because of what they found therein. But they refused to be transformed by the obligations of their noble calling.
  "They had been entrusted with truth and were proud of their title as trustee but gave no thought to the responsibilities of their trust. They found their names in the will and testament of God and joyfully spoke of the legacy which they would one day inherit, even while living in profligacy [gross self-indulgence and vice] on the advance interest of the inheritance.
  "The question is then put by God: Shall the neglect of truth . . . render my plan inoperative? Shall the fact that, like swine, they have trampled pearls beneath their feet, change the pearls to pebbles? Shall the oracles cease to be divine because the keeper of the oracles becomes drunken? Shall fickleness in man destroy constancy in God? Shall faithlessness in man cancel faithfulness in God? Will the Lord of heaven cease to care for man because man has become careless? Shall the introduction of a lie change the nature of truth?
  "Dean Alford writes in his commentary: 'Because they have broken faith on their part shall God break faith also on His? Rather let us believe all men on earth to have broken their word and truth, than God His. Whatever becomes of men and their [supposed] truth, His truth [will] stand fast . . .'
  "Why did not God cast them off? Because of the nature of His own being. He was the faithful one. Paul wrote to Timothy, 'If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself' (2 Timothy 2:13).--R. Kent Hughes, Romans, Righteousness From Heaven, p. 67.

Lesson Questions:

1. After destroying their false security of being Jewish, does Paul still admit that the Jews have spiritual advantages? Romans 3:1,2a; Exodus 19:5,6; Deuteronomy 10:14,15; 14:2; Psalm 135:4; Isaiah 43:21.

2. What is the greatest advantage the Jews have? Romans 3:2b; Deuteronomy 4:1-5; 6:1,2; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Proverbs 6:23.
"The Jew and Christian are highly privileged, especially in that God has committed His Word to them. They have the privilege of possessing God's Word, or reading, hearing, seeing, obeying, and living in God's Word, and of living within a society that has been affected by God's Word. These are enormous privileges . . . [in fact] so great that he is left without excuse if he fails to live for God."--Donald Grey Barnhouse, God's Wrath, (Romans 2-3:1-20), pp. 157,158.

3. Was Paul teaching that faithlessness among the Jews had annulled God's faithfulness to Israel? Romans 3:3,4; Deuteronomy 32:4; 7:9;
2 Samuel 7:28; Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2; 1 Kings 8:56.

4. Discuss the manner in which God's purity stands out more sharply in contrast to man's impurity. Romans 3:5a.
"It is unquestionable that the glories of God's love and mercy and righteousness and goodness, and tenderness--in short, that all of the attributes of His grace--are known by the fact that God took the black velvet of man's sin and threw the web of His grace against it. Anything that ever could be known about God had to be revealed by God."--The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible, Romans, Volume 7, p. 50.

5. What was the reply to those who thought Paul was teaching free license to sin? Romans 3:5b,6; 5:20-6:2; Psalm 9:7,8; 67:3,4.
". . . There have been some who have taught that salvation by grace means that God works in the heart to make us disposed to do His will, and in consequence of that good disposition He saves us. If such had been the teaching of the New Testament, no one would ever have slanderously reported that Paul was preaching that men should do evil that good might come. Still others have taught that salvation by grace means that God saves us on the basis of good works which He come to help us do. But again, no charge of immoral tendency would ever have been brought against any such teaching."--Donald Grey Barnhouse, God's Wrath, (Romans 2-3:1-20), pp. 166,167.

6. What proved that God does not condone sin for the purpose of showing off His own righteousness? Romans 3:7; Ephesians 1:4; 5:27;
2 Peter 3:9-14; 1 Peter 1:15,16.

7. What warning is given to Paul's false accusers? Romans 3:8; Luke 12:2-5.