Romans 3:3

Romans 3:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
• New International Version (NIV)What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?
• New King James Version (NKJV)For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?
• New Living Translation (NLT)True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful?

Context of Romans 3:3

1Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged." 5But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)

Romans 3:3 word by word

τί γὰρ εἰ ἠπίστησάν τινες; μὴ ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τὴν πίστιν τοῦ θεοῦ καταργήσει;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• someτιςtis · oneG5100
• did not believeἀπιστέωapisteō · to disbelieveG569
• shallμήmē · notG3361
• theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• unbeliefὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• unbeliefἀπιστίαapistia · unbeliefG570
• makeκαταργέωkatargeō · to abateG2673
• the faithπίστιςpistis · faith: faithfulnessG4102
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for Romans 3:3

• Romans 9:6But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,
• Romans 10:16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?"
• Romans 11:1I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
• Hebrews 4:2For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.
• Romans 11:29For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
• Numbers 23:19God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
• 1 Samuel 15:29And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret."
• Isaiah 54:9"This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you.
• Isaiah 55:11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
• Isaiah 65:15You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse, and the Lord God will put you to death, but his servants he will call by another name,
• Jeremiah 33:24"Have you not observed that these people are saying, 'The Lord has rejected the two clans that he chose'? Thus they have despised my people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight.
• Matthew 24:35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
• 2 Timothy 2:13if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
• Hebrews 6:13For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,
• Psalms 84:7They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.
• John 1:16For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

Commentaries on Romans 3:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Jew. For what - , What then, if some did not believe, etc. If some of the Jewish nation have abused their privileges, and acted contrary to their obligations, shall their wickedness annul the Promise which God made to Abraham, that he would, by an everlasting covenant, be a God to him and to his seed after him? Genesis 17:7. Shall God, therefore, by stripping the Jews of their peculiar honor, as you intimate he will, falsify his promise to the nation…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3For what if some did not believe? - This is to be regarded as another objection of a Jew. “What then? or what follows? if it be admitted that some of the nation did not believe, does it not follow that the faithfulness of God in his promises will fail?” The points of the objection are these: (1)The apostle had maintained that the nation was sinful Matthew 13:23; 2 Timothy 3:10; Hosea 2:20. Of none effect - Destroy it; or prevent him from fulfilling his…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-20Paul waits to explain righteousness through faith (see 3:21) until he first teaches about the sinfulness of all people. Both non-Jews and Jews are equally under the power of sin (1:18–32; 2:1–3:8). Because of this, both groups are in the same situation before God. No one can gain God’s favor by their own actions or obedience (3:9–20). All people need God’s saving action, not their own efforts.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-43-4. For what if some did not believe?--It is the unbelief of the great body of the nation which the apostle points at; but as it sufficed for his argument to put the supposition thus gently, he uses this word "some" to soften prejudice. shall their unbelief make the faith of God--or, "faithfulness of God." of none effect?--"nullify," "invalidate" it.Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 3:3

• Bigotry
• Boasting
• God
• Jesus Continued
• Unbelief

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Boasting
• Conclude
• Destruction
• Establish
• Faith
• Fall of man
• Justifier
• Overcome

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