3:9
“Do we have any advantage?” Not at all!. Now back in verse 2 Paul has answered a similar question with “Much in every way!” So what is going on? Well when we get to chapter 9 (several months ahead!) there will be several more advantages in addition to the one given in verse 2, but now Paul’s mind is engaged again with the sinfulness of all men, including Jews. This is the fundamental point that they need to grasp, it is the fundamental point we all need to grasp. We have sinned against God, we are sinful by nature, and we need to be saved (rescued) from this sin. In this respect Jews are in exactly the same boat as every other human being, all are under the power of sin. There is indeed no advantage in this respect.
3:10
We now embark on a series of quotes from the Old Testament, mostly from the Psalms. It is quite amazing really. When Jesus was on earth He was rejected by the Jewish leaders, they were confident in their own righteousness, confident in the Law to provide them with righteousness before God. Yet the Old Testament makes it clear that people are sinful. The bulk of the Old Testament is a record of Israel’s sinfulness, her history was a history of God’s judgement upon her. It is interesting that the Bible is much more concerned with the sins of God’s people than the sins of the world (this is most definitely not to say that the sins of the world do not matter, they most certainly do). It should have been obvious to Israel that her sin was the problem, yet she focused more on the sins of the Gentiles, considering herself superior. This is a very human trait and we need to beware of it in ourselves.
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