Audio commentary on this verse

Note 9 at Rom. 3:5: Paul had just explained that the Jews' faithlessness did not make God unfaithful to His Word (see note 5 at Rom. 3:3, p. 754). 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 my unrighteousness reveals God's righteousness, or causes it to be seen in an even greater way, then am I actually helping God? Would it be right for God to judge me for something like that?" Of course, Paul's answer to that is another "God forbid."

It is true that man would never have seen the love and goodness of God as clearly if we had not sinned, but that does not mean our sin was a good thing. This is one piece of information that the Lord never wanted us to know by experience. No one will be able to tell God on judgment day that his sin just helped God 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 Rom. 3:5: Paul is saying that this logic he had just spoken was not from God but was carnal. He was not saying this as God's spokesman but was expressing a thought that opponents of the gospel had, so he could expose the error in it. Therefore, he gave a disclaimer in parenthesis that this was not God's wisdom, but man's.