Big Idea: Israel fares no better than the Gentiles in being enslaved to sin, because sin stirs up disobedience through the law. In other words, both Jew and Gentile are under the curses of the covenant.

Understanding the Text

Romans 3:9–20 is the climax of Paul’s argument in 1:18–3:8, concluding that both Jew and Gentile are under sin (implied) because they try to keep the old-covenant stipulation of the law (Jews by way of the Torah, Gentiles by way of the overlapping of natural law / Noahic law with the Torah). Both Jew and Gentile, however, are guilty before God because they are enslaved to sin.

In Romans 3:9–20 Paul portrays the world as on trial before God in the heavenly courtroom. The following outline unfolds the dramatic scene:

1. The Charge: All are under sin (3:9).

2. The E…