Romans 3:8

Romans 3:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.
• New International Version (NIV)Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!
• English Standard Version (ESV)And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

Context of Romans 3:8

6That is not true! God always decides what is right and fair. That is why he is able to judge everyone in the world. 7Someone might also say, ‘When I tell lies, that shows how great and good God is. My lies show more clearly that God always says what is true. So God should not say that I am a bad person. He should not punish me.’ But if that is true, you could also say, ‘We should do more and more bad things. Then something good will happen as a result.’ Some people even say that is the message which I teach. But if they say that, they are insulting me. It is right that God should punish those people. 9So then, what do we learn from that? We cannot say that we Jews are better than other people. No, certainly we cannot say that! I have said already that sin has power over everyone. That is true for both Jews and Gentiles. 10This is written in the Bible: ‘There is nobody who is right with God. There is not even one person who is like that.

Romans 3:8 word by word

καὶ μὴ καθὼς βλασφημούμεθα καὶ καθώς φασίν τινες ἡμᾶς λέγειν ὅτι ποιήσωμεν τὰ κακὰ ἵνα ἔλθῃ τὰ ἀγαθά; ὧν τὸ κρίμα ἔνδικόν ἐστιν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• notμήmē · notG3361
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• we be slanderously reportedβλασφημέωblasphēmeō · to blasphemeG987
• someτιςtis · oneG5100
• affirm thatφημίphēmi · to assertG5346
• weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• Let us doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• evilκακόςkakos · evil/harm: evilG2556
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• goodἀγαθόςagathos · goodG18
• may comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• whoseὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• damnationκρίμαkrima · judgmentG2917
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• justἔνδικοςendikos · justG1738

Cross-references for Romans 3:8

• Matthew 5:11Yes, happy are you when people say bad things against you because you believe in me. Or they may hurt you. Or they may say things about you that are not true.
• 1 Peter 3:16But when you tell them, be kind and polite. Do only what you know is right. Then those people will see that you live in a good way because you believe in Christ. When they say bad things against you they will become ashamed.
• Romans 5:20God gave his Law to Moses to show more clearly that people were doing wrong things. But when people did more and more wrong things, God continued to be kind in more and more ways.
• Romans 6:1Someone might say, ‘Perhaps we should continue to do wrong things. Then God can be kind to us in more and more ways.’
• Romans 7:7So someone might say, ‘God's Law must be bad.’ No! Certainly, it is not bad! Without that law, I would not have known what sin really is. One rule says, ‘You must not want to take things for yourself that belong to other people.’ Without that command, I would not have known that it is wrong to want other people's things.
• Jude 1:4I say this because certain bad people have secretly come among you. They have turned away from God. They are trying to change God's true message. They teach that we can do any evil things that we want to do. They say that God will be kind and he will forgive us for all those things. They do not accept the authority of Jesus Christ, who is our only Master and our Lord. God will certainly punish those wicked people. A long time ago God said that he would punish people like them.

Commentaries on Romans 3:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Apostle. And not rather, etc. - And why do you not say, seeing you assume this ground, that in all cases we should do wickedly, because God, by freely pardoning, can so glorify his own grace? This is a most impious sentiment, but it follows from your reasoning; it has, indeed, been most injuriously laid to the charge of us apostles, who preach the doctrine of free pardon, through faith, without the merit of works; but this is so manifest a perversion of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8And not rather - This is the answer of the apostle. He meets the objection by showing its tendency if carried out, and if it were made a principle of conduct. The meaning is, “If the glory of God is to be promoted by sin, and if a man is not therefore to be condemned, or held guilty for it; if this fact absolves man from crime, “why not carry the doctrine out, and make it a principle of conduct, and do all the evil we can, in order to promote his glory.”…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8some slanderously claim that we say: Paul is referring to misrepresentations about his teaching on justification by faith. If a person is made right with God by faith alone, through God’s grace and apart from works, it could seem as if the gospel allows Christians to sin because God forgives their sin when they confess it (see 6:1). One of Paul’s purposes is to help the Roman Christians understand that such misunderstandings are without basis.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-87-8. For if the truth of God, &c.--A further illustration of the same sentiment: that is, "Such reasoning amounts to this--which indeed we who preach salvation by free grace are slanderously accused of teaching--that the more evil we do, the more glory will redound to God; a damnable principle." (Thus the apostle, instead of refuting this principle, thinks it enough to hold it up to execration, as one that shocks the moral sense). On this brief section…Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 3:8

• Accusation, False
• Bigotry
• Boasting
• Slander

In the dictionaries

• Boasting
• Conclude
• Destruction
• Establish
• Faith
• Fall of man
• Justifier
• Overcome
• Sin
• Affirm; Affirmatives

Commentaries on Romans 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings