Romans 3:5

But if our unrighteousness commendeth the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who visiteth with wrath? (I speak after the manner of men). God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?

Paul was still dealing with the quibbler. He had just proved that sin, even though in the best of people, as was the case with David, resulted in a demonstration of God's justice and righteousness. The quibble was to the effect that since sin served to display God's glory in such manifestations of his justice, it would be unrighteous of God to punish the sins which had been the occasion of advertising his justice. Paul wasted little time on that quibble, disposing of it in ten words. Here is Brunner's paraphrase of this place:

But if our wickedness serves to show the justice of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world?[10]

This quibble fitted into the Jewish objection against Paul thus:

If unbelief (as you say) does not make void God's faithfulness, but renders it more conspicuous, or serves to exhibit more clearly the righteousness of God, then God would be unrighteous in inflicting his wrath upon the ungodly.[11]

Of course, there is more to this quibble than meets the eye, for it touches upon one of the truly great mysteries, that of how God can overrule sin, which is contrary to his will, and do so in such manner as to bring about the accomplishment of his purpose. In a more familiar setting, for example, "How could it be just for God to punish Judas, who only did what the prophets had foretold he would do?" As Brunner said of this mystery,

It is part of God's incomprehensibly wise government of the world that he can also use man's evil doings for the purpose of his kingdom, which is the essence of everything that is good.[12]

Commendeth the righteousness of God ... has reference to the mystery just mentioned. People of small minds and evil hearts can abuse such a doctrine as God's overruling of sin for good; but, if they do, it shall be to their ruin. Paul dealer with the abuse of the doctrine a little later; and, in view of his emphasis upon it, it might be profitable to explore it a little further. Holy does God overrule sin that good may come from it?

SIN THAT RESULTS IN GOOD

Under the great Mormon organ in the tabernacle in Salt Lake City, a great pit has been opened up to give the mighty organ its deeper tones; and, similarly, people who have been scarred and burned in the pits of sin are generally more conscious and appreciative of God's grace and mercy than those persons who have lived conventionally respectable lives. That might be one of the underlying reasons why the publicans and harlots of Jesus' day entered the kingdom of God before the Pharisees (Matthew 21:31).

What are some of the ways God overrules sin for the good of his children? Sin increases man's appreciation for the goodness and holiness of God. People's lives are disciplined through the sorrows suffered because of sin. Through pitiful experience, man learns what he should have known all the time, that God's word is altogether true and faithful, that "the wages of sin is death"! God's teaching regarding sin is verified and confirmed by every sin ever committed, whether by saint or sinner; and this overwhelming verification of the word of God is a strong inducement to trusting and serving God. Sin also induces sympathy for other sinners on the part of them that sin. All of this may be only another way of saying that God uses two kinds of vessels in the achievement of his wise designs, those unto honor, and those unto dishonor; and the freedom of the human will enables man to choose the kind of vessel he will become; but it is not within the sphere of human prerogative to avoid the divine use of his life altogether. If one becomes a gross sinner, God will make an example out of him. God overruled the sin of Judas to make it serve his holy purpose of Jesus' being offered up during the Passover, thus fulfilling the scriptures. Sin is overruled in the lives of Christians, provided always that sin is fully repented of and forgiven.

Romans 3:6 is Paul's blunt, almost horrified denial of any unworthiness that might be attributed to God for his judgment of wicked men; thus, here, as so frequently in the New Testament, judgment is held to be axiomatic with reference to God.

Some commentators, as Lenski, apply these words to Christians primarily; but it seems to this expositor that Paul is plainly dealing with Jewish objections; and, although there may be an application of the principles mentioned here to Christians, the passage is plainly addressed to the Jewish objector. Whiteside wrote,

That this is another objection that a Jew might make is shown by the fact that Paul immediately adds, "(I speak after the manner of men)."[13]

[10] Emil Brunner, The Letter to the Romans (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1959), p. 25.

[11] John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1968), vol. 1p. 96.

[12] Emil Brunner, op. cit., p. 25.

[13] R. L. Whiteside, A New Commentary on Paul's Letter to the Saints at Rome (Fort Worth, Texas, The Manney Company, 1945), p. 69.