Tags

(With my apologies for taking so long to get back to Romans!)

Paul has been systematically looking at the various categories of people to whom the Gospel comes. He has touched on the one with no real sense of morality, the moralist with his or her own sense of right and wrong, the Jew with the Law of God as guide.

He is drawing his discussion of those with God’s Law as guide to a close, having affirmed that there are blessings that come with the Law. However, the Law, in and of itself, does not and cannot make one holy.

In each case, with each category of people, Paul has illustrated and explained that sin is a problem. And this moves him to his conclusion:

What then? Are we [those with the Law] better than they [others without the Law]? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin.

This is Paul major premise in the first part of his letter–all people stand under the same divine indictment: We are all under sin.

It’s important to note that Paul has already hinted (in 1:16-17) that there is a solution to this universal problem of sin. God has provided a gift of righteousness through His Son for those who believe. Thus, although he is arguing that “all are under sin,” this doesn’t mean that all remain under sin or remain “sinners.”

But before the apostle unpacks more about God’s solution to the universal human problem of sin, he is drawing his conclusion–that there is a universal human problem of sin!

Why is this major premise so critical? If God has provided–by His doing and all of grace–a solution to the problem of sin, it is critical to note:

That this is a universal need.

God’s solution is the only solution.