Ok…today’s passage is a challenge…but let’s dive in…
The passage is in a dialogical and diatribal form…which means that Paul is arguing as a teacher might to make a teaching point (the diatribal part) with an imaginary partner/student (the dialogue part). Paul speaks after the first question in order to address the question. He then starts asking the questions, moving the thought along and making the imaginary partner/student answer the questions.
Though Paul has put the Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians on pretty equal footing in their relationship with God, the advantage the Jews do have is the gift of the Scriptures from God. In them, the Jews learned of God’s righteousness, their sin and need for forgiveness and grace. Some thought Paul’s emphasis on God’s grace being given in amounts to cover our sin meant that the more we sinned the more grace was given. Therefore, we could go and sin more so more grace would be given. Paul says that is not what he meant. He meant that our sin results in a just judgment from God. Later in Romans, he writes of Christ’s life, death and resurrection resulting in forgiveness,grace and our inner tranformation.
For those who would like to follow the conversation in today’s passage, S. K. Stowers in his book, A Reading of Romans (p. 165,) divides these verses into this conversation:
Imaginary Partner/Student: 1 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?
Paul: 2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?
Imaginary Partner/Student: 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you/God may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” Psalm 51:4.
Paul: 5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)
Imaginary Partner/Student: 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?
Paul: 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” 8 Why not say—as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!
