3:15-17
These verse come from Isaiah 59:7,8. Isaiah 59 is directed at Israel and begins with God declaring that the problem is not that He is unable to save, but that their sins have separated them from God. The result is that evil and violence characterise their ways.
3:18
The final quote comes from Psalm 36:1, “There is no fear of God before their eyes”. The Jews, despite having the Law, despite all God’s dealings with them over the years, did not fear God. They were not actually looking to God, no matter how religious they might have seemed.
3:19
We now coming to the end of Paul’s graphic and extensive depiction of man’s fallen condition, salvation is near! But there are a couple of verses to go. Paul is using the “Law” here in its widest sense, ie it refers to the whole of our Old Testament, not just the Pentateuch, the first five books. None of his quotes were from the first five books. The Jew would have to admit that the Law was written to God’s people. Even a most cursory reading of the Old Testament would show someone that Israel frequently and persistently sinned against God and experienced judgement because of that. Yet the Jews had become convinced that because they had the Law they were in some sort of privileged position. The Law declared that Israel was a nation of sinners, they needed to be silent before God and listen to Him.
“and the whole world is accountable to God”. The Law also has universal consequences. The whole world is answerable to God, whether they believe it or not, whether they like it or not. The world likes to say “well that’s OK for you Christians, but don’t tell us what to do”. We are all answerable to God. Why? Because we were all created by Him. You did not create yourself, you did not choose to come into existence.
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