Romans 3:5-8

Paulos,
Welcome back! Thank you for your thoughts! I am tracking with you, and I will work your suggestions into my comments and translations. Here is the next round. These verses, though compact, are a bit difficult to put together. I have given it a shot, and I expect some good responses. Grace to you!

Romans 3:5-8

⁵ But, if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous when he inflicts wrath?—I speak on the level of human terms. ⁶ Banish the thought! Otherwise, how will God judge the world? ⁷ But if by my lie the truth of God abounds for his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner? ⁸ And why not say (as we are slandered and as some claim we say) ‘Let us do evil that good may come about?’ Their condemnation is just!

After raising one objection and dealing with it (vv.3-4), Paul raises another objection “But, if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous when he inflicts wrath?—I speak in on the level of human terms” (v. 5). The thought here, it seems, is that if God’s righteousness is demonstrated by the unrighteousness of Israel, God, then is unrighteous, when he inflicts wrath on those who provided the context in which his righteousness is demonstrated. This objection is almost unspeakable for Paul, hence the statement regarding speaking on the level of human terms. Paul’s answer to this objection is the same as the one is verse 4, “Banish the thought!” After this, Paul fills out his reason by the use of a shared understanding. That is, it seems that with the question, “Otherwise, how will God judge the world?” Paul is assuming that his objectors believe that God will judge the world. If this is so then the reasoning would go something like the following:

The righteousness of God will be displayed as he inflicts wrath on the world, because the world is unrighteous before God. If God can be righteous by inflicting wrath on the world, because of its unrighteousness, then he can be righteous in inflicting wrath upon unrighteous Israel.

In verse 7, with the use of the first person, Paul may here be hinting at what he will do in chapter 7, regarding Israel with the Law under death without the Spirit, while raising another possible objection, which is akin to the other objections. How is it that God can hold Israel (Paul’s use of first person as representative of Israel) condemned as a sinner, because though they did not obey the oracles, they still brought about the purposes of God? Then Paul states a claim which is a blasphemy of his teaching that the unrighteousness of Israel demonstrates the righteousness of God. One can hear easily how this slander distorts the truth which Paul is articulating. And Paul’s rendering to those who slander him is “There condemnation is just” (v. 8).