NO ONE IS RIGHTEOUS

Passage: Romans 3:9-20

Key verse: 10,11

NIV

No One Is Righteous

9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?(A) Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.(B) 10 As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11     there is no one who understands;
    there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one.”[a](C)
13 “Their throats are open graves;
    their tongues practice deceit.”[b](D)
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[c](E)
14     “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[d](F)
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16     ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[e](G)
18     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[f](H)

19 Now we know that whatever the law says,(I) it says to those who are under the law,(J) so that every mouth may be silenced(K) and the whole world held accountable to God.(L) 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;(M) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.(N)

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Footnotes
  1. Romans 3:12 Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles. 7:20
  2. Romans 3:13 Psalm 5:9
  3. Romans 3:13 Psalm 140:3
  4. Romans 3:14 Psalm 10:7 (see Septuagint)
  5. Romans 3:17 Isaiah 59:7,8
  6. Romans 3:18 Psalm 36:1
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

No One Is Righteous

9 What then? Are we Jews[a] any better off?[b] No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both (A)Jews and (B)Greeks, are (C)under sin, 10 as it is written:

(D)“None is righteous, no, not one;
11     no one understands;
    no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
    no one does good,
    not even one.”
13 (E)“Their throat is (F)an open grave;
    they use their tongues to deceive.”
(G)“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14     (H)“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 (I)“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16     in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and (J)the way of peace they have not known.”
18     (K)“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever (L)the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, (M)so that every mouth may be stopped, and (N)the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For (O)by works of the law no human being[c] will be justified in his sight, since (P)through the law comes knowledge of sin.

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Footnotes
  1. Romans 3:9 Greek Are we
  2. Romans 3:9 Or at any disadvantage?
  3. Romans 3:20 Greek flesh
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. There is no one who is good (9-18)

The conclusion of Romans 1:18-3:2

is: 'There is no one righteous, not even one.' People who are cut off from God become worthless. Paul brings together many quotations from the Old Testament to support his conclusion. Verses 11-12 emphasize that all people are under the power of sin. Verses 13-14 show that one's words expose what is in one's heart. Verses 15-17 show that those lost in sin are directionless and without peace. Verse 18 says that those under sin have no fear of God. Only fools do not fear God. Paul is telling us that everyone needs Jesus.

2. Everyone is accountable to God (19-20)

Every human being--Jew, Gentile, Christian, non-Christian--must stand before the judgment seat of God. No one can take refuge in any excuse or past privilege. The ground before God's judgment seat is level, and all of us must someday stand there as unrighteous sinners. We need an advocate-Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, I need Jesus--and so does the world. Help me to see the world and myself from your point of view.

One Word: No one is righteous