Ed Urzi

“For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?” (Romans 3:3).

The Apostle Paul continued his brief Q&A session here in Romans 3:3 by asking, “What if some of the Jewish people were faithless? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?” To put it another way, “Will God be unfaithful because some are unfaithful to Him?” Paul responded to that question with a resounding no…

“Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: ‘That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged’” (Romans 3:4).

To illustrate the idea behind these statements, let’s consider a contemporary expression of faithlessness: the belief that “god” does not exist, and the universe is merely a product of random chance. While some may disbelieve in the idea of a Creator, their disbelief has no bearing on the question of His existence. In other words, a lack of faith on our part does not invalidate God’s existence. Nor does it negate His faithfulness to us. As Paul would later write in the Biblical letter we know today as 2 Timothy, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).

In addition, one source draws an interesting correlation between Romans 3:3 and the psychological theory of projection. This describes a condition where someone attributes (or “projects”) an undesired thought, emotion, or impulse to someone (or something) else…

“Paul is calling attention to a point of difference between God and humanity. We are, by our sinful nature, covenant breakers. We do not always tell the truth. We do not always keep our promises. Does this mean that we can project our own sinfulness onto God and suggest that God might from time to time break his promises?

…It is utterly unthinkable that God would ever break a promise. But God never said people would be redeemed by unrighteousness or by disobeying his commandments. He never promised automatic salvation apart from faith. Instead, God has the perfect right to judge sin.” ₍₁₎

In light of this, we must take care to avoid projecting our negative experiences with untrustworthy human beings onto God, for we can always rely on God’s faithfulness towards us. Finally, we would also do well to remember the message of Hebrews 11:6…

“But without faith it is impossible to please God: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

(1) Sproul, R. C. (1992). Before the face of God: Book 1: A daily guide for living from the book of Romans (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House; Ligonier Ministries.

“Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God” (Romans 3:2).

In Romans 3:1, Paul the Apostle asked, “So what’s the advantage of being a Jew?” (CEB). He now proceeds to answer that question here in verse two: the Jewish people were “…entrusted with the oracles of God” (NET).

For some, the word “oracle” conjures up the image of a mystical artifact, or a being who shares cryptic prophecies and visions of the future. But in the context of Romans 3:2, the word “oracle” refers to a divine communication or revelation. ₍₁₎ Paul employs that terminology to describe the Hebrew Scriptures, thus affirming the Jewish people’s honored role in publishing God’s written revelation. In fact, the people of Old Testament Israel embraced that privilege with remarkable dedication…

“The reason we do not possess many older copies of the Hebrew Scriptures is because of the reverence with which the Jews protected the purity of God’s Word. The Jews considered the text so sacred that they ceremoniously disposed of worn copies. The worn copies were first stored in a special room in the synagogue, called a Genizah. After a number of copies accumulated, they were all buried together (usually in the grave of some Jewish scholar). The Jews believed that this would protect readers from misreading God’s Word because of worn spots in older manuscripts.” ₍₂₎

Another scholar discusses the extraordinary consistency that exists between today’s Old Testament and earlier Biblical manuscripts such as the Dead Sea Scrolls….

“The main reason for all this consistency is that the scribes who made the copies had a profound reverence for the text. Jewish traditions laid out every aspect of copying the text as if it were law, from the kinds of materials to be used to how many columns and lines were to be on a page; nothing was to be written from memory. There was even a religious ceremony to perform each time the name of God was written. Any copy with just one mistake in it was destroyed. This guarantees us that there has been no substantial change in the text of the OT in the last 2000 years and evidence that there was probably very little change before that.” ₍₃₎

Finally, we have the testimony of Flavius Josephus, the ancient Jewish historian and contemporary of the Apostle Paul…

“How firmly we have given credit to those books of our own nation is evident by what we do; for during the many ages that have already passed, no has been so bold as either to add anything to them, or take anything away from them, or to make any changes in them; but it becomes natural to all Jews immediately, and from their very birth, to esteem those books to contain divine doctrines, and to persist in them, and if occasion be, to die for them” ₍₄₎

(1) λόγιον. (n.d.). billmounce.com. https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/logion

(2) McDowell, J. (1997). Josh McDowell’s handbook on apologetics (electronic ed.). [pg. 20]

(3) Geisler, N. (2018, June 5). How Reliable is the Modern Bible? Ankerberg Theological Research Institute. Retrieved December 12, 2025, from https://blog.atriresearch.org/articles/how-reliable-is-the-bible

(4) Against Apion by Flavius Josephus. (n.d.). https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2849/2849-h/2849-h.htm

The opening verses of Romans chapter three evoke the image of the Apostle Paul as if he were offering testimony on a judicial witness stand. However, there is a difference between the type of questioning we find here in Romans chapter three and the type of interrogation that might occur in a court of law. The difference is this: Paul is serving as both the prosecuting attorney as well as the defendant in this chapter.

In his role as prosecutor, Paul will probe for disparities in the testimony of Paul, the defendant. That “testimony” will take the form of Paul’s teaching from the first two chapters of this book. This approach will enable Paul to address questions that might arise from those teachings in the minds of his “jurors.” Those “jurors” comprise the audience for this epistle, both ancient and modern.

For instance, the opening verse of Romans chapter three presents us with some questions that Paul likely encountered on his missionary journeys…

“What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?” (Romans 3:1).

To address these questions, we must return to an earlier portion of Romans chapter two. There, Paul entered into a lengthy discussion regarding regarding the ritual of circumcision and what that practice was supposed to represent. Paul used the act of circumcision as part of that discussion to to make two important points:

• Circumcision is profitable if one keeps the Law. In other words, the practice of Judaism would benefit those who live up to the requirements of the Mosaic Law.
• But if one fails to live up to the Law, then he or she effectively becomes like anyone else. To use Paul’s terminology, one’s “circumcision will become uncircumcision” no matter how “religious” that person seems to be (see Romans 2:25).

While there were many who were trusting in the Mosaic ritual of circumcision for their salvation, their disobedience to the spirit of the Law invalidated that observance. In addition, Paul also reminded his audience that “…there is no preferential treatment with God” (Romans 2:11 Phillips). With these things in mind. one might ask, “What spiritual advantage does a Jewish person have over anyone else?”

Our author will go on to answer that question with a confident affirmation…

“Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God” (Romans 3:2).

Paul will later expand on those advantages as we move further into the book of Romans. However, our next study will focus on the chief advantage mentioned here: “the oracles of God.”

In Romans chapter two, the Apostle Paul dealt with a variety of topics related to hypocritical spirituality. He first confronted those who claimed a position of moral superiority by saying: “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things” (Romans 2:1 NIV).

He then addressed those whose behavior failed to reflect their external profession of spiritual belief: “You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?” (Romans 2:23 CSB). Finally, Paul turned his attention to the consequences of spiritual hypocrisy by saying: “No wonder the Scriptures say that the world speaks evil of God because of you” (Romans 2:24 TLB).

Here now in Romans chapter three, Paul will hold something of a “Question and Answer” session to help address some inquiries that might arise in the minds of his audience. To do so, Paul will structure portions of Romans chapter three as a dialog with a hypothetical opponent. This approach should come as no surprise given what we know of Paul’s time in the ancient city of Athens…

“Therefore [Paul] reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there” (Acts 17:17).

Those who confronted Paul in these venues undoubtedly influenced this approach…

“Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, ‘What does this babbler wish to say?’ Others said, ‘He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities’–because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection'” (Acts 17:18 ESV and following).

Thus, in the words of one source…

“It often becomes easier to follow Paul’s arguments if the reader imagines the apostle face to face with a heckler, who makes interjections and receives replies which sometimes are withering and brusque. It is by no means impossible that some of the arguments in Romans first took shape in this way, in the course of debates in synagogue or market place.” ₍₁₎

Finally, the prolific 17th-century commentator Matthew Henry offers a brief, verse-by-verse outline of this chapter that will help us follow along with the flow of these arguments…

• (1–8) Objections answered.
• (9–18) All mankind are sinners.
• (19, 20) Both Jews and Gentiles cannot be justified by their own deeds.
• (21–31) It is owing to the free grace of God, through faith in the righteousness of Christ, yet the law is not done away. ₍₂₎

Image Attribution: Question and answer icons created by Anggara – Flaticon

(1) Barrett, C. K. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. Harper’s New Testament Commentaries series. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1957 [ p. 43]. Quoted in Notes on Romans 2025 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable https://soniclight.com/tcon/notes/html/romans/romans.htm Accessed 5 December, 2025.

(2) Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Bible – Christian Classics Ethereal Library. (n.d.). https://ccel.org/ccel/henry/mhcc/mhcc.xxxvii.iii.html

“No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people” (Romans 2:29 NLT).

The “circumcision of the heart” referenced here in Romans 2:29 is a figure of speech that conveys the idea of internal virtue. The following commentary underscores the importance of this concept for Jewish and non-Jewish audiences alike…

“To be a Jew meant you were in God’s family, an heir to all his promises. Yet Paul made it clear that membership in God’s family is based on internal, not external, qualities. All whose hearts are right with God are true Jews-that is, part of God’s family (see also Gal 3:7). Attending church or being baptized, confirmed, or accepted for membership is not enough, just as submitting to circumcision was not enough for the Jews. God desires our heartfelt devotion and obedience (see also Deu 10:16; Jer 4:4).” ₍₁₎

Paul the Apostle thus employed circumcision as a metaphor to characterize the transformative change that results from the work of God’s Spirit in one’s life. One source finds an important point of application for contemporary readers within this passage…

“Many Jews in Paul’s day had a deficient understanding of covenant that reduced their relationship with God to mere externals. This is the tendency of fallen sinners, namely, to think that they are right with the Lord as long as they perform the right rituals or render perfunctory outward obedience. We should never think that we are immune from this temptation. The heart is what is most important to God, so let us put our hearts into our service to Him.” ₍₂₎

So, having now established the sinful state of all humanity in Romans chapter one and the fearsome reality of God’s wrath in Romans chapter two, our author will next proceed to answer some objections in Romans chapter three. But like any good author, Paul will vary his literary style to help maintain his reader’s interest. That will lead to a noticeable shift in his rhetorical approach as we enter chapter three.

The following chapter of Romans will function very much like a modern-day FAQ, or “frequently asked questions” section of a document. In it, Paul will address several challenges to his teachings in a “Q & A” format. But before we enter that portion of Scripture, our study in Romans chapter two will close with a helpful reminder from Romans 2:29: “…you should want praise from God and not from humans” (CEV).

(1) Life Application Study Bible NKJV [Romans 2:28-29] Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2004 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc., all rights reserved.

(2) The Place of Circumcision (2014, February 11). Ligonier Ministries. https://learn.ligonier.org/devotionals/place-circumcision

“For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God” (Romans 2:28-29 ESV).

Our text from Romans 2:28-29 helps explain the following directive from Paul the Apostle to the members of the church that met in the ancient city of Corinth…

“Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called” (1 Corinthians 7:18-20).

Paul’s counsel enables us to refocus our attention on the things that really count. For instance, the act of mandating an external requirement for salvation (like circumcision, for instance), is much like the proverbial “slippery slope” when it comes to spiritual matters. Despite our best efforts to merit God’s favor through those efforts, there is always the possibility that we may leave something undone. Such is the nature of salvation by works. In addition to being ineffective, that approach also serves to glorify the person who performs those works as well.

From this perspective, things have remained relatively consistent since Paul first wrote the Epistle to the Romans. For example, many modern-day spiritual traditions teach (or imply) that we can find salvation by following various rules, such as…

• Praying at specified intervals.
• Refraining from eating certain types of food.
• Pursuing various forms of meditation.
• Participating in different types of rituals or ceremonies.

In Paul the Apostle’s era, this approach took several other forms. For instance, some rejected Christ in favor of the Mosaic Law. Others taught that faith in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice was insufficient for salvation, and that circumcision was a mandate as well. Then there were those who promoted various forms of mysticism, stoicism, hedonism, or Gnosticism as the path to salvation. In fact, Paul wrote an entire epistle to address some of those errors. We know that epistle today as the Biblical book of Galatians.

Those who subscribe to these views may feel that Jesus’ atoning death on the cross was ineffective or lacking in some way. But if this were true, then it means that Jesus made a grave error when He said from the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

“For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God” (Romans 2:28-29).

Although God conferred the ritual of circumcision upon Abraham, the great Old Testament patriarch, that ceremonial observance did not make him righteous in God’s sight. Instead, it was faith that made Abraham right with God. As mentioned earlier, Genesis 15:6 affirms that truth with the following declaration: “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” So, it was Abraham’s faith that led to “right standing” (or righteousness) with God. That faith was evident long before God instructed him to be circumcised.

Unfortunately, a significant transformation had taken place by the dawn of the first century. By that time, the prevailing view among Israel’s spiritual leadership saw the act of circumcision as a practice that guaranteed divine favor. That belief held that a man was considered righteous before God if he could show an ancestral connection to Abraham along with the external mark of circumcision. However, John the Baptist took issue with that mindset in a rebuke that bears repeating…

“Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones’” (Matthew 3:9 NLT).

From a 21st-century perspective, this tells us that the act of being born into a particular family (even a “religious” one), or taking part in a ceremony, ritual, or observance does not make one right with God. One Biblical paraphrase of Romans 2:29 explains God’s true objective in a straightforward manner: “…For God is not looking for those who cut their bodies in actual body circumcision, but he is looking for those with changed hearts and minds” (Romans 2:29 TLB).

True circumcision -the kind that God approves- has no relation to an external set of rules. Instead, true circumcision represents a new attitude toward God through a relationship with Him in Christ. In the words of one commentary…

“Paul points out that being circumcised changes the entire orientation of salvation away from God’s grace to one’s own actions. One who is circumcised in an attempt to gain God’s acceptance is obligated to keep the whole law, which history has abundantly demonstrated no one can do (Rom. 3:10–18).” ₍₁₎

(1) Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (p. 1526). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.

“For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;” (Romans 2:28).

One commentator has developed a helpful analogy to explain the relationship between external religious observances (like circumcision or baptism), and what those observances are designed to represent…

“Circumcision and baptism do about the same thing that a label on a can does. If the outer label doesn’t match with what is on the inside, something is wrong! If there are carrots inside the can, you can put a label that says ‘Peas’ but it doesn’t change what is inside the can. Being born again changes what is inside the can, and then you can put the appropriate label on the outside.” ₍₁₎

Another source offers the following application…

“Christians might be tempted to think that they are in good standing with God because they’ve been baptized or go to church and participate in the Lord’s Supper. But genuine faith ought to be the reality underneath all these things. We must have a personal trust in Christ and in Christ alone, never looking to these things as though merely participating in external rites were enough. It is Christ who is everything.” ₍₂₎

With this in mind, we should note that Jesus directed some of His harshest criticisms toward those whose “spirituality” was merely “outward in the flesh“…

“Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:27-28 NET).

Nevertheless, we should pause to make an important distinction in our consideration of these passages. That distinction lies in our definition of hypocrisy. For instance, a “hypocrite” is not someone who commits an isolated sin while he or she is caught in a moment of weakness. Nor is a hypocrite someone who faces various struggles in his or her commitment to live a faithful, sincere, and God-honoring life. Instead, a hypocrite is someone who is knowingly different from what he or she claims to be.

Thus, we can employ the analogy offered by our first commentator to close our study of this verse: we should prayerfully seek God’s empowerment to “change the internal contents” of our lives to ensure that our external labels accurately reflect what we say is inside the can.

(1) Guzik, D. (2025, February 11). Enduring Word Bible Commentary Romans Chapter 2. Enduring Word. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/romans-2/

(2) Sproul, R. C. (2024). The Power Of The Gospel: A Year in Romans. [p.56]

“And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law?” (Romans 2:27).

Our text from Romans 2:27 echoes the underlying message beneath one of Jesus’ parables…

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.

Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, ‘The first.’

Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him'” (Matthew 21:28-32).

It’s unlikely that Jesus could have chosen a more offensive comparison for the religious elitists of His day in referencing these tax collectors and harlots. The tax collectors charged exorbitant fees and often lived luxurious lifestyles that were financed by the rates they imposed upon the local populations. People viewed them, along with prostitutes (or harlots), as some of the very lowest members of society.

So why would Jesus make such a comparison? The answer lies in the fact that these tax collectors and prostitutes acted on God’s Word through John the Baptist (see Matthew 3:1-6). Much like the first son in Jesus’ parable, their internal change of mind led to an external change of behavior. However, these religious leaders were much like the second son in Jesus’ parable. They said one thing through their external appearance, but failed to act on what they seemed to represent.

Luke 7:29-30 explains their attitude like this…

“And all who heard John preach– even the most wicked of them– agreed that God’s requirements were right, and they were baptized by him. All, that is, except the Pharisees and teachers of Moses’ Law. They rejected God’s plan for them and refused John’s baptism” (TLB).

In this respect, these tax collectors and harlots were something like the physically uncircumcised individuals referenced in Romans 2:27. They fulfilled the law, so to speak, while those who had the written code and circumcision transgressed the law through their hypocrisy.

“Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?” (Romans 2:26).

Here in Romans 2:26, Paul the Apostle builds upon the previous verse with an important declaration: the absence of a ceremonial religious observance does not prohibit us from approaching God in faith. In the Old Testament period, that meant fulfilling the “righteous requirements of the law.”

As we’ve already seen, no fallible human being (of any background) can fully satisfy the obligations of the Old Testament law. However, this passage reinforces the fact that we cannot rely on a religious ritual, a ceremonial observance, or national identity to find acceptance with God. For instance, Jesus once addressed this idea in response to a question…

“Then they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent'” (John 6:28-29).

Notice how Jesus’ questioners framed their inquiry in terms of an external work (“What shall we do…”). However, Jesus shifted their focus from an external requirement to an internal requirement, namely, belief in the One whom God has sent. Lest we think this concept is exclusive to the New Testament, the following Old Testament passages underscore the need for an internal mindset that is characterized by genuine love and reverence for God…

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? … Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13, 16).

“’Behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will punish all who are circumcised with the uncircumcised— Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, and all who are in the farthest corners, who dwell in the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart’” (Jeremiah 9:25–26).

The external act of circumcision was designed to reflect an inner spiritual reality, or a “circumcision of the heart,” to amend a phrase from the Old Testament passages quoted above. Thus, God rejects those who adopt an external appearance of spirituality without the underlying qualities of faith and belief.