Book Of Romans

Romans 3:19 - 22
Romans 3:19
"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."
     This verse is directed to the Pharisees, who, in their unrighteous and self-righteous attitudes felt that the whole world (with the exception of the Jew) would come into condemnation and judgment. Paul states that those who are under the Law (within the sphere of the Law) will be judged by that standard. The reason: So that "all the world may become guilty before God". "May become guilty" literally means "To come under Judgment or condemnation". Paul, through the power of the Spirit, informs the Jews in no uncertain terms that they will be judged by their law, being damned or cursed by the same.

Romans 3:20
"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge [epignosis] of sin."
     The Greek word used here for "knowledge" is "EPIGNOSIS". Paul uses this particular word 15 time in his epistles. The meaning is "a clear and exact knowledge".
     In this verse we see the final point Paul makes toward the Jew and the Laws by bringing out the original intent and purpose of the Law. When God gave the Law to the Old Testament Patriarchs He "never" meant for that law to be used as a means to justify or make righteous any man. The sacramental Laws held back the hands of judgment, being a type or foreshadowing of Christ. The Legal Laws, especially the Ten Commandments, established a rule of order within the tribes of Israel. None of these Laws were meant to make any person righteous. "The patriarchs understood that justification comes by Faith alone."
     The final intent of the Law, as reflected in over 600 perceptual codes with over 2000 specific applications was to show foolish man that there was no way that he could justify himself outside of God's Grace. The Law was given to open our foolish eyes to our own inadequacies:

Galatians 3:21-25 "Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."

     God gave the Law to man for about 5000 years, and then disabled it at the Cross of Christ. Yet foolish men still seek justification by the Law today. I call your attention, in particular, "to the "legalists" and "holiness" branches in Christianity today that proclaim there are certain things you must do (or not do) to retain your salvation. How foolish!" That which was began in Christ and by His power will not be completed by our feeble attempts to follow a dead Law. As the Scripture says:

Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"

     We who are Christians should compare what the Jews had to do under the Law and rejoice in the fact that we are now free in Christ. Why would you allow another man to rob you of your freedom to serve God by bewitching standards of conduct that God Himself never placed on His Church?

Galatians 3:1-3 "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"

     "Think about that:" If you were begun (born again) by the Spirit of God, how can you expect to be completed (reach Christian maturity) by the dead Law? What God started spiritually He will finish spiritually, what God made right by Grace He will complete by Grace.

Romans 3:21-22
"^[21] But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested [phaeroo], being witnessed by the law and the prophets; ^[22] Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ (or "faith In Jesus Christ") unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:"
     "is manifested" is the Greek "PHAEROO", which means "make visible, to reveal, to remain open to view". The righteousness of God is revealed to all men without the ineffective means of the Law, revealed through justification by faith in Jesus Christ alone. Both the Law and the Prophets all foretold of this justification by faith through Jesus.
     There are thirty-eight prophecies in Scripture that told of the coming Messiah, Jesus. We will not study all these prophecies in detail, though we will briefly see how they were foretold and later fulfilled in Jesus:

" Prophecy Of Messiah " " Fulfillment In Jesus "

Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
(Messiah will come through woman) Galatians 4:4-5 "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."
( Jesus came through woman )

Genesis 18:18 "Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?"
Genesis 12:3 "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
(Messiah will come through Abraham)
Acts 3:25-26 "Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities."
( Jesus came through Abraham )

Genesis 17:19 "And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him."
(Messiah will come through Isaac)
Numbers 24:17 "I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth."
(Messiah will come through Jacob)
Luke 3:34 "Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,"
( Jesus came through Isaac and Jacob )

Genesis 49:10 "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be."
(Messiah will come from Judah) Luke 3:33 "Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,"
( Jesus came from Judah )

Isaiah 9:7 "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."
Isaiah 11:1-5 "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins."
2 Samuel 7:13 "He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever."
(Messiah would sit on the throne of David)
Matthew 1:1-6 "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;"
( Jesus has the right to sit on the throne of David )

Micah 5:2 "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
(Messiah will be born in Bethlehem)

Luke 2:4-7 "And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."
( Jesus was born in Bethlehem )

Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel."
(Messiah would be born of a virgin)
Matthew 1:18 "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost."
( Jesus was born of a Virgin )

Jeremiah 31:15 "Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not."
(Messiah would not be assassinated, though the attempt would kill many children) Matthew 2:16-18 "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."
( Jesus was not assassinated by Herod, though many children died in the attempt )

Hosea 11:1 "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt."
(Messiah would be carried to Egypt)

Matthew 2:14-15 "When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son."
( Jesus was carried to Egypt )

Isaiah 9:1-2 "Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."
(Messiah's ministry would center in Galilee) Matthew 4:12-16 "Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up."
( Jesus' ministry centered in Galilee )

Deuteronomy 18:15 "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;"
(Messiah would also be a Prophet) John 6:14 "Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world."
( Jesus was a Prophet )

Psalm 110:4 "The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."
(Messiah would be after the order of Melchizedek) Hebrews 6:20 "Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."
( Jesus was after the order of Melchizedek )

Isaiah 53:3 "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."
(Messiah would be rejected by the Jews) John 5:43 "I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive."
( Jesus was rejected by the Jews )

Isaiah 11:2 "And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;"
Psalm 45:7 "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."
(Characteristics of the Messiah)
Luke 2:52 "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."
Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,"
( Characteristics of Jesus )

Zechariah 9:9 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass."
(Triumphal entry of Messiah)

John 12:12-15 "On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt."
( Triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem )

Psalm 41:9 "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me."
(Messiah betrayed by a friend) Mark 14:10 "And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them."
( Jesus betrayed by a friend )

Zechariah 11:12-13 "And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord."
(Messiah sold for 30 pieces of silver, but the money was returned to the buyers) Matthew 27:3-10 "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me."
( Jesus sold for 30 pieces of silver, but the money was returned to the Jews )

Psalm 109:6-8 "Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand. When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few; and let another take his office. "
(Messiah's betrayer would lose his office to another) Acts 1:18-20 "Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishopric let another take."
( Judas had his office taken by another )

Psalm 27:12 "Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty."
(False witnesses would testify against Messiah) Matthew 26:60 "But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days."
( False witnesses testified against Jesus )

Isaiah 53:7 "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."
(Messiah would give no defense) Matthew 26:62-63 "And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God."
( Jesus gave no defense )

Isaiah 50:6 "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting."
(Messiah was beaten) Mark 14:65 "And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands."
( Jesus was beaten )

Psalm 109:3-5 "They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love."
(Messiah was hated without cause) John 15:23-25 "He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause."
( Jesus was hated without cause )

Isaiah 53:4-5 "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
(Messiah's suffering paid our penalty) I Corinthians15:3-4 "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"
( Jesus' suffering paid our penalty )

Isaiah 53:12 "Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
(Messiah would be crucified with evil men) Matthew 27:38 "Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left."
( Jesus was crucified with evil men )

Psalm 34:20 "He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken."
(Though crucified, Messiah would have no bones broken) John 19:33 "But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:"
( Though crucified, Jesus had no bones broken )

Isaiah 53:9 "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth."
(Messiah would be buried in a rich man's tomb) Matthew 27:57-60 "When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, and departed."
( Jesus was buried in a rich man's tomb )

Psalm 16:10 "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption."
(Messiah would resurrect from the dead) Luke 24:36-48 "And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them. And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things."
( Jesus resurrected from the dead )

     Of the thirty-eight prophecies concerning the Messiah, "all" came true in Jesus Christ. The chances of "just eight" of these prophecies coming true in one person, as these prophecies could not be deliberately fulfilled, is:
1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000
     "The places and manner of birth, betrayal and manner of death, and people's reactions were outside of the realm of human control. Jesus was the Messiah, and the proof of His Messianic Office is confirmed through the human impossibility of fulfilling these prophecies. The righteousness of God without the Law was indeed manifested through Jesus Christ. Through God's fulfillment of prophecy in Christ we know that we are eternally secure, if we believe in Him as Savior."
     Continuing in Romans 3:22, we next read: "the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe". The word "righteousness" here means that state which is in perpetual justification, that state of being "right or innocent". Through faith in Christ the believer cloaks himself in the very righteousness of God as a spiritual absolute.

Philippians 3:8-9 "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:"

     All who want eternal life in Heaven must put on the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ. When we put on this righteousness we are freed from the curse of the Law, for we are then under the standard of Christ. Once under the blood of Christ we cannot be condemned:

John 3:18 "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."
Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

     The believer in Christ comes out of the realm of condemnation into the realm of God's righteousness. "Are you saved? If not, and if you're trying to work your way into Heaven by following the Law or some code of morality, then you're deceiving yourself."
" Think about it! "
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