Romans 3:1-5 What advantage then has the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou might be justified in thy sayings, and might overcome when thou are judged. But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who takes vengeance? (I speak as a man) 

‘What advantage then has the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?’ Circumcision only profited if the law was kept (3:25).

‘Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God’ This answers the questions of Romans 3:1. Being entrusted with the oracles of God and all the external advantages were not sufficient to save the soul (3:21-31; 4:1-25; 8:3-4; Gal. 3:10-14).

‘For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?’ People’s unbelief cannot undo the effects of God’s faithfulness.

‘God forbid’ this answers the questions of Romans 3:3. “God forbid” is found 15 times in the New Testament (3:4, 6, 31; 6:2, 15; 7:7, 13; 9:14; 11:1, 11; Luke 20:16; 1Cor. 6:15; Gal. 2:17; 3:21; 6:14), and 9 times in the Old Testament (Gen. 44:7, 17; Jos. 22:29; 24:16; 1Sam. 12:23; 14:45; 20:2; 1Chron. 11:19; Job 27:5). Only in 1Chronicles 11:19 is it a literal translation of the original language. In all other places, it is a cultural idiom of the King James translators expressing a strong negative. Literally, may it never be.

‘Let God be true, but every man a liar’ let no man say that God has failed in keeping His word with any man. Let man examine himself and his ways to see if he has not failed to meet conditions so God can fulfil His promise. ‘That thou might be justified in thy sayings, and might overcome when thou art judged’ quoted from Psalm 51:4.

‘Thou are judged’ when God is judged or when He judges man by man, He always comes out justified because He is faithful in all His ways (Ps. 119:86, 138; Deut. 7:9; 1Cor. 1:9; 10:13). ‘But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who takes vengeance? … for then how shall God judge the world? For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? And not rather … Let us do evil, that good may come? … What then? are we better than they?’ Paul states that if their sins magnify the mercy and goodness of God then, the more wicked they are the more God can be glorified. If they thus glorify God, would He not be unjust in casting them off? It is only natural for Paul to reason this way for all his countrymen are involved. Typical how most people believe today: they think because Christ has died for their sin, they can continue therein. Nothing is more further from the truth, because Christ came to set us free from the bondage of sin not to provide a way for us to keep on living in sin (1Jn. 3).