Yesterday we look at the context of Romans 3 to see that Paul is not teaching Total Depravity or total inability in Romans 3:9-20. Today we want to take a closer look at Romans 3:10-12 to see what Paul is really teaching in these verses. We argued briefly that Romans 3 is part of an “epistolary diatribe” against an imaginary objector.
Of course, even if one does not accept the idea that Romans is an “epistolary diatribe,” the point of Romans 3:9-20 is still the same.
In either case, Paul is saying that Jewish people have traditionally thought that as God’s elect, they existed in a privileged position before God. In a sense, Jewish people believed God needed them to carry out His plan and purposes for the world, and so even if they sinned and fell away from Him, He would eventually rescue and redeem them so that His promises to them could be fulfilled. One of Paul’s points in Romans 1–3 and 9–11 is that this is not necessarily so.
Paul Quotes from the Hebrew Bible to Prove His Point
Paul’s collection of quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures in Romans 3:10-18 is intended to show his readers that despite being the chosen people of God and having the Law and the Prophets, the Jewish people are just as guilty as the Gentiles.
Paul’s point in Romans 3:9-20 is that if the Jewish people did have a privileged position by virtue of having the “oracles of God” (Romans 3:2), then these oracles of God condemn them all as sinners, which puts them right back on equal footing with the Gentiles. Paul defends this point by quoting numerous texts from the Hebrew Scriptures which condemns them all as sinners.
Of course, Paul is not at all denying that Gentiles are sinners. To the contrary, he states in Romans 3:9 that “all” Jews and Greeks are under the power of sin. But Paul is not intending to make a statement about the universal Total Depravity of mankind. Instead, his point is that when it comes to being in right standing before God, Jews are on the same footing as Gentiles. Whatever Jews want to say of Gentiles is also true of Jews. To prove his point, Paul quotes numerous texts from the Hebrew Scriptures (Rom 3:10-18). Laurence Vance is absolutely right when he says this about Paul’s point in Romans 3:
Paul, in establishing the universal guilt of both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 3:1, 9), quotes from the Old Testament to give weight to his arguments, not to charge each individual of the human race in particular with every indictment, nor to teach the inability of the unregenerate man to believe on Jesus Christ. There is a difference between establishing the universal depravity of man and charging individual men with sins (Vance, Other Side of Calvinism, 229).
Paul Quotes from Psalm 14 (cf. Psalm 53)
It is important to note that Romans 3:10-12 are quotations from Psalm 14:1-3 (cf. also 53:1-3). Many modern people like to say that Psalm 14 and 53 are condemning atheists when the Psalmist says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
But in the Psalmist’s day, there was no such thing as atheism. Everybody believed in a God or gods. There were, however, many people who chose to live “godless” lives, that is, to live for themselves and not serve God. They believed that God existed, but they chose to not obey Him or follow His commands. It is this sort of person that the Psalmist has in mind in Psalm 14:1 (cf. 53:1).
Therefore, the rest of the statements in Psalm 14 describe this sort of person. Psalm 14 then, is not a chapter describing the Total Depravity of all people everywhere throughout time, but rather, the specific behavior of the people who choose to live with no regard for God in their lives.
Some argue from Psalm 14:7 that this Psalm was written during Israel’s captivity, and so those who live without regard for God are the foreign captors who worship their own god but do not accept or believe in the God of Israel.
However, if this were the case, Paul would not be able to quote from Psalm 14 as a way to show that the Jews were just as guilty as the Gentiles. It seems better to understand Psalm 14 as a Psalm which calls to account those Jewish people who turned away from worshipping the God of Israel after being taken into captivity. Maybe they started worshipping foreign gods, or maybe they just decided to live without any god whatsoever.
Either way, note what the Psalmist says about these people. He does not say that they were born this way, or that they have always been this way. No, the Psalmist specifically says that they have become this way. He writes that they have “turned aside … become corrupt” (Psalm 14:3). These Jewish people have chosen to abandon the worship of the God of Israel, and have turned aside into corruption and sin.
Poetic Hyperbole in Psalm 14
Furthermore, when the entirety of Psalm 14 is read, it becomes obvious that the Psalmist is using poetic hyperbole to describe the sin into which God’s people have fallen. Just like most poets, those who wrote the Psalms often used exaggerated imagery to make their point. This is true of the author of Psalm 14 as well.
For example, Psalm 14:4 says that the workers of iniquity “eat up my people as they eat bread.” They are not literally eating God’s people; they are not cannibals. No, this is an exaggerated and poetic way of saying that these people who live without regard for God are misusing, abusing, and destroying God’s people. So also with the rest of the Psalm.
The Psalmist is not saying that these people can never do any good whatsoever at all. No, he is using poetic hyperbole to point out the error of their ways. It is likely that Paul understands this, and has the same point in mind. His quotation from Psalm 14 is not a statement about the total depravity of mankind, but a statement about how Jews too have fallen into sin, just like the Gentiles.
Ultimately, as Paul states, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). While Romans 3 does not teach Total Depravity, it does teach universal sinfulness.
People Can (and do) Seek God
Romans 3:11, often thought to be a statement about the total inability of mankind, is also balanced by the fact that it comes from the exaggerated statements of Psalm 14, and is further balanced by the numerous statements in the Bible which says that humans can and do seek God (1 Chr 16:11; 2 Chr 11:16; Lam 3:25; Isa 55:6-7; Jer 29:13; Amos 5:4).
Furthermore, it is critical to remember that one does not gain eternal life by seeking God, but by believing in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47), which all people can do, for along with humanity’s ability to seek God, Jesus seeks after people (Matthew 18:11; Luke 19:10), and in doing so, calls on all to believe in Him for eternal life. Many do not seek God, not because they cannot, but because they are proud and refuse to seek him (Psalm 10:4).
So by way of summary, Romans 3:9-20 does not teach Total Depravity or total inability.
While the chapter can be used to teach the universal sinfulness of humanity, the real point of this section of Paul’s letter is to show that the Jewish people are on equal footing before God with the Gentiles.
There is no privileged position before God, not special status as God’s chosen people. Jewish people are sinful just like Gentile people. Both are equally in need of God’s righteous deliverance, which He offers freely to all through Jesus Christ.
If you want to read more about Calvinism, check out other posts in this blog series: Words of Calvinism and the Word of God.
Jeremy I still don’t know where you are going with this will you please tell us what you do believe about the condition of men. to be honest you almost sound like a pelagian or semi-pelagian
Paul, I am neither Calvinist nor Arminian, and am trying to show that there is an alternative perspective which holds true to Scripture. As for the condition of men, we are in need of eternal life, which God gives freely to those who believe in Jesus for it (John 3:16; 5;24; 6:47, etc.) Hope that helps a bit!
Jeremy, I agree with you conclusions about the hyperbole God had Paul quote. I have often stated it in following way.
In Romans 3:10-13 God had Paul quote some hyperbole (exaggeration) scriptures from the book of Psalms as added proof that both Jews and Greeks “are all under sin” (Rom 3:9). In other words, the statement “are all under sin” is the meaning of the hyperbole quoted in Romans 3:10-18. Yes, in Romans 3:9 God gave Paul the meaning of the following hyperbole scriptures quoted in Romans 3:10-18, so that the readers would not take those verses in a wooden literal way.
Calvinists, however, interpret Romans 3:11 (THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;) in a wooden literal why in an effort to help prove their concept of total depravity (that fallen mankind does not have the inherent free will capacity to accept or reject God’s call/drawing, commands, instructions, promises and gifts).
David,
That is a good explanation of that passage. Thank you. I like how Paul uses Scripture to explain Scripture.
Apparently the meaning of ‘None’ doesn’t fit with your theology. It sounds like you just don’t like the biblical idea of ‘total depravity’ being the condition of both Jews and Gentiles who are all under sin. If there are ‘none righteous no not one’ what does that say about the universal condition of all men? If there are ‘none’ who seek after God and ‘none’ who understand and ‘none’ who do good, no not one, than how does anyone become righteous, how does anyone come to understand and seek after God and do what is good by believing in Jesus? This portion of scripture in Romans 3:9-20 is critical to understanding vs21 of this chapter through chapter 11, which draws upon the helpless condition of sinful man and concludes that God has committed all to disobedience (unbelief) that He might have mercy on all. (Rom 11:32)
what do you believe about the fall of adam and eve. I have gathered from your forum that you believe all are sinners but do you believe that after the fall there was still some good left in them they could choose to do good? I believe that without the drawing & conviction of the Holy Spirit we would never want to serve God and I think that is the point behind the meaning of total depravity that on our own we would not naturally turn to God but would do what we think is our best to do right which will never be enough or good enough to please God
Paul,
I have written a lot about this already on the blog, especially in the current series on Calvinism. The way Calvinists often phrase the question (“A person cannot do any good to please God, can they?”), makes people assume that people cannot even believe in Jesus for eternal life. But faith is not a work. It is not something “good” that we do to earn grace or favor with God.
I’ve found this view confusing. When Adam and Eve “fell,” the serpent was cursed, the woman was cursed with painful labor and the ground was cursed but mankind was not. Where did this sudden “inability” come from? Did God say, “Adam, you will no longer have choice as you have expressed here in the garden?” So man had the choice to rebel but can’t choose to follow through repentance? How is it that the door only swings one way? There IS good left in them (and us) because we are created in His image. The scriptures are replete with the choice to follow God being heeded or denied. To say that God took away mankind’s choice to obey and repent is to make God the author of evil because now no-one could ever make a decision to seek God. The exhortation of James to “come near to God and he will come near to you” would be but a cruel proclamation.
Hey Jeremy,
Interesting series on Calvinism, I am doing a study on 5-point Calvinism and this has been really helpful so far in seeing some different aspects as compared to my own. I agree with much of what you say, but then, I also disagree with much of what you say. Hah. Well, I think we can at least both agree that Jesus is Lord and that is something (perhaps everything!)
Interested in your opinion on Romans 3:23, 24. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”
So then “all have sinned” but who is the “being justified freely by His Grace” talking about? I would posit that it is talking about the ‘all’ who ‘have sinned’. Thats not to say that the ‘all’ are justified. They are justified ‘by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus’.
So then the ‘all that have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ can be justified by Gods grace through faith in Jesus.
In retrospect, this may be more of a verse against Limited Atonement rather than Total Depravity. Regardless I would like to hear your thoughts on this.
Thanks
Micah,
That is an excellent insight on Romans 3:23-24. I agree with you completely.
I am thrilled that you are reading and studying various approaches to Calvinism. So many people only read and study what they already believe, and thus, are never challenged in their beliefs. Keep it up!
Do you believe that when psalms 14 states that God looked down from heaven to see if there were any that understood, sought after God-that he really did not do this?
I have to say, you need to show specifically what words or phrases in Psalms 14 were exactly a Hyperbolic phrase or a Hyperbole. You only show one phrase that is yes-a hyperbole but not quoted in Romans 3. One verse that might take a Hyperbolic form does not make the whole Psalm a Hyperbole.
Excellent development Jeremy!
I surprised how how this one verse is used to trump all other verses that actually exhort us to seek God, to seek his Face, to draw near, etc.
The context is key and the OT reference is critical!
The whole “what is a work” think is really a moot point. There is a “do” for those who are saved. Look at Peters sermon at Pentecost – what was the response? “What are we to DO to be saved?”
From the Scriptures, there are 2 things that are evident:
1. Man was designed with the capacity to rebel and do evil acts.
2. Man was designed with the capacity to respond to the initiative of God.
Both of these are true pre and post fall.
Traditional “Calvinism” goes too far when the construct changes the plain meaning of Scripture and elevates one verse over the myriads of versus that speak to personal responsibility.
I’m with you Jeremy – neither Calvinist nor Armenian – false dichotomy!
I appreciate your discussion here. Simply put, I don’t believe that when Adam and Eve fell that they (figuratively) became as worms. They did not completely lose their God-given “image-bearing” ability. Yes, they completely lost their way… in fact did an about-face. But it does not mean we became as worthless as worms that lost all ability to do good things towards one another. The simple and profound fact that Jesus gave His life for us shows that we have retained our high value in God’s eyes… as Jesus would not give His precious life for worms. Yes, we have a very strong tendency towards sin and evil… where we can be swayed pretty easily like Adam and Eve were… which is where our need for good parenting and good influences come into play, because we’ve become so weak. But we are not ugly depraved creatures. It comes down to that it is not how bad we are, but how good God is. He and living eternally with Him is of such high HIGH value that we’d never be able to afford it. We’d never be able to be good enough to earn eternal life… ever! SO again… it was never about our badness. It’s all about God’s goodness. His incredible gift… because it can only be gifted… is what it is all about. In Job 35 Elihu tells it like it is… that Jobs boasting about how sinless he’s been… therefore how unfair his suffering has been… is corrected when Elihu makes it clear to Job that his not-sinning is NOT what’s important. He tells Job to take his eyes off himself and to look up at how GREAT God is! Adam and Eve were given a choice to keep their eyes on God (which is where our right standing with God resides) or themselves. They chose themselves. However, now we can get that back because of Jesus.