Romans 3:9 - Are the Jews any better off?

3:9

This verse highlights the error in the way the Jews thought about their religion. Back in 3:1 Paul has said that there is much value in being a Jew and in circumcision. Now, to the question “Are the Jews any better off” Paul gives an emphatic no! Why is that? It is because all, Jews and Greeks, are under sin. So the Law revealed the will and purposes of God, but it also revealed the sinfulness man, both Jews and Greeks. If one reads the Old Testament then it is clear that the pagan nations were sinners, but the Jews were no better off! Israel does not come out well in the Old Testament. In fact the Old Testament can fairly be described as a record of the sins of Israel. It is much more besides, but it is definitely this. So the Jew should have realised this. “Under sin”. When we read Paul’s writings on sin he is talking about much more than individual acts of sin (which are obviously important). Sin has power over man. He will go into more detail on this in chapter 7, with the solution coming in chapter 8!