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