Romans 3.9-20: Sanday and Headlam

Observations from Sanday and Headlam, ICC. The death knell to Arminianism and any variants thereof.

Romans 3:9-20 (English Standard Version)

No One Is Righteous

9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,
10 as it is written: None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.
12 All 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,
17 and the way of peace they have not known."
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes."
19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

9 τι ουν προεχομεθα ου παντως προητιασαμεθα γαρ ιουδαιους τε και ελληνας παντας υφ αμαρτιαν ειναι
10 καθως γεγραπται οτι ουκ εστιν δικαιος ουδε εις
11 ουκ εστιν συνιων ουκ εστιν εκζητων τον θεον
12 παντες εξεκλιναν αμα ηχρεωθησαν ουκ εστιν ποιων χρηστοτητα ουκ εστιν εως ενος
13 ταφος ανεωγμενος ο λαρυγξ αυτων ταις γλωσσαις αυτων εδολιουσαν ιος ασπιδων υπο τα χειλη αυτων
14 ων το στομα αρας και πικριας γεμει
15 οξεις οι ποδες αυτων εκχεαι αιμα
16 συντριμμα και ταλαιπωρια εν ταις οδοις αυτων
17 και οδον ειρηνης ουκ εγνωσαν
18 ουκ εστιν φοβος θεου απεναντι των οφθαλμων αυτων
19 οιδαμεν δε οτι οσα ο νομος λεγει τοις εν τω νομω λαλει ινα παν στομα φραγη και υποδικος γενηται πας ο κοσμος τω θεω
20 διοτι εξ εργων νομου ου δικαιωθησεται πασα σαρξ ενωπιον αυτου δια γαρ νομου επιγνωσις αμαρτιας

Observations:

1. Sanday and Headlam give a verse by verse summary before proceeding to a verse by verse analysis. We summarize that here.

2. Verse 9. “To return to the discussion,” following Romans 3.1-8 and the casuistic questions about God’s faithfulness, truthfulness, and justice. What should be said? Are Jews superior? Or are Gentiles? There’s nothing to choose here since both were equally indicted, the Gentiles (Romans 1.18-32) and the Jews (Romans 2.17-29). Both ethnic and all linguistic groups are under sin.

3. Verse 10. From Psalm 14. The Psalmist can’t find a single righteous man.

4. Verse 11. There is none that shows with “moral or religious intelligence” and none “to show any desire to God.”

5. Verse 12. They have all turned aside. They are like “milk turned sour and bad.” There is not one single right-doer among them.

6. Verse 13. Psalm 5.9 is quoted and affords details: a mouth like a grave spewing for the death-smells. The mouth “vents forth lying and depraved speech.” The tongue goes to the grave and is from the grave. We add that the Psalms repeatedly talks about lying lips, smooth speech and flattery as a cover for deceit, and worse. The venom of snakes lies under the smooth speech.

7. Verse 14. The throat, tongue, and lips are full “of nothing but cursing and venom.”

8. Verse 15. Eager to commit murder and bloodshed.

9. Verse 16. On target for “ruin and misery.”

10. Verse 17. Aliens to peace.

11. Verse 18. Summary standard? The fear of God does not supply any standard.

12. Verse 19. Thus all have sinned. Not even the Jew can claim this. The Law of Moses “stops” the Jewish mouth from “all excuse and that all mankind might be held accountable.”

13. Verse 20. This is the conclusion of the whole argument. By the works of the law, not mortal can “be declared righteous in God’s sight. Paul says: “20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight.” The only effect of the Law was to open men’s eyes to their sinfulness, not to enable them to do better.

Correlations:

1. Arminianism, Wesleyanism, contemporary evangelicalism.

2. Romanism.

3. Para-church groups like Campus Crusade, Intervarsity, etc.

4. Western theology, Synod of Orange, Augustine, Anselm, Bradwardine.

5. Liberal theology. J. Gresham Machen.

Interpretation:

The inescapable consequences and details of the Fall are brought to an excellent summary.

Applications:

1. Disseminate.

2. Support Pauline-based Gospel. Encourage those in Pelagian and semi-Pelagian churches, fellowships, etc., to get as far away as possible from them---said to include, but not limited to many so-called evangelical bodies.

3. Examine harmartiology in the Book of Common Prayer and Reformation Confessions.