His Time - Daily Lectionary: Romans 3

1. Daily Lectionary

Rev. Braun Campbell from St. John’s Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Virginia, studies Romans 3:1-18.

2. Morning Prayer Sermonette

Today’s sermonette is given by Rev. Braun Campbell from St. John’s Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Virginia

Romans 3:1-18

God’s Righteousness Upheld

3 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? ²Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. ³What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? ⁴By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,

“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you are judged.”

⁵But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) ⁶By no means! For then how could God judge the world? ⁷But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? ⁸And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

No One Is Righteous

"The Bible is cradle wherein Christ is laid." - Martin Luther — “The Bible is cradle wherein Christ is laid.” – Martin Luther

⁹What then? Are we Jews^[a] any better off?^[b] No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, ¹⁰as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;
¹¹    no one understands;
    no one seeks for God.
¹²All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
    no one does good,
    not even one.”
¹³“Their throat is an open grave;
    they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
¹⁴    “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
¹⁵“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶    in their paths are ruin and misery,
¹⁷and the way of peace they have not known.”
¹⁸    “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”