Audio commentary on this verse

Note 9 at Ro 3:5: Paul had just explained that the Jews' faithlessness did not make God unfaithful to His Word (see note 5 at Ro 3:3). Therefore, when you consider how unfaithful we have been to God, it makes God's mercy and faithfulness appear even greater. So this brings up new questions: If our unrighteousness reveals God's righteousness or causes it to be seen in an even greater way, then are we actually helping God? Would it be right for God to judge us for something like that? Of course, Paul's answer to that is another "God forbid."

It is true that we would never have seen the love and goodness of God as clearly if we had not sinned, but that does not mean our sins were a good thing. This is one piece of information that the Lord never wanted us to know by experience. None of us will be able to tell God on the Day of Judgment that our sins just helped Him reveal how great His mercy was. The Lord will be totally just in bringing His judgment on all those who refuse His offer of mercy given through Jesus, His Son.

Note 10 at Ro 3:5: Paul was saying that the logic he had just been using was not from God but was carnal logic. He was not saying this as God's spokesman; he was expressing a thought held by opponents of the Gospel so that he could expose the error in it. Therefore, he gave a disclaimer in parentheses that this was not God's wisdom but man's.