Is there really not a single righteous person on earth?  Is that what Paul is trying to communicate to us in Romans 3? This series will bring to light the most misinterpreted and misused scriptures in the bible.

God’s Word is the ultimate authority for all doctrine and Biblical philosophy (2 Timothy 3:16-17). However, there are so many different denominations, sects, and beliefs within the “Christian” religion. How can different people read the exact same passage of scripture and see two completely different answers? There are many reasons for this, but we will focus on one of the biggest problems with the modern church.

That problem is called “Proof Texting”

“Proof Texting” is the practice of using isolated, out-of-context quotations from a document to establish a proposition in eisegesis (introducing one’s own theories, agendas, or biases).
People will take one verse and build an entire belief or doctrine based on that one verse without understanding the context of what is being said. A lot of times without ever reading the entire chapter or letter to understand what is being said and to whom. The other problem with this tactic is that it seemingly creates contradictions in the Bible that aren’t really there. The Word of God is perfect and infallible but without the proper context, it’s easy to misunderstand it.

We are going to bring to light some of the most misused “Proof Texts” in the Bible. We hope to shed some light on the context of each of these scriptures and explain exactly what the writer is trying to say and who they are saying it to. Hopefully, this study will open up your eyes to some of the scriptures you’ve probably hear your entire life but never really understood what God is trying to tell us.

Romans 3:10-12…. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

This passage of scripture is one of the most abused and misunderstood passages in the New Testament. What exactly is Paul trying to convey in this portion of the letter to the Romans? Is he really trying to say that there is not a single righteous person on earth?

In the beginning of Romans 3, (Romans 3:1-2) Paul is explaining the clear advantage that the Jewish people had over the Gentiles because God entrusted them with the oracles of God, which speaks of God’s written revelation before the time of Jesus. He gave the Jewish people His written word and the opportunity to be His chosen people. However, the nation of the Jews failed as a whole due to unbelief (Romans 3:3-4). The fact that the Jewish people as a nation to that point had rejected the gospel did not mean that God’s faithfulness to them was in vain. It did not mean that God’s work was futile or without effect. Paul reminds us that God will be justified in all His actions. In the end, it will be demonstrated that even the Jews unrighteousness somehow proclaims God’s righteousness and glory, even if it’s only in His judgment (Romans 3:5-8).

Then Paul explains that both the Jews and the Gentiles have sold themselves to sin. They have become enslaved to the unrighteousness and condemnation that sin can bring. However, he is speaking about the two groups as a whole and not individual people (Romans 3:9).
Then we get to the passages in question. Paul then quotes a combination of several Old Testament passages to prove this point (Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Psalm 5:9, Psalm 140:3, Psalm 10:7, Proverbs 1:16, Isaiah 59:7-8, Psalm 36:1). Now it is very important to understand this. All throughout the Old Testament, there was a distinct separation between the righteous and the unrighteous. The beginning verses in Psalm 14 & 53 are practically identical and they start like this:

The context of these passages is about “the fool that says there is no God” It is not talking about the righteous, blameless, and holy saints that walk with God. Paul is not talking about every single person on earth when he is quoting these passages. Remember, he is describing the nations of the Jews and the Gentiles that have been sold under sin.

Scripture is Very Clear About the Righteousness of Saints

Just to contrast, there are literally hundreds of passages in the Old Testament that describe individual people as righteous, holy, upright, and blameless even though the nation as a whole was unrighteous (Psalm 112:6, Psalm 34:15, Psalm 1:1, Proverbs 10:2, Proverbs 11:18, Psalm 34:19, Psalm 55:22, Psalm 139:23-24, Amos 5:24, Proverbs 11:9, Proverbs 10:32, Psalm 37:16-17, Proverbs 10:6, Psalm 33:5).

There are many examples of individual Old Testament saints that were declared as righteous as well. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God (Genesis 6:9) and God said He saw that Noah was righteous (Genesis 7:1) Enoch walked with God (Genesis 5:21-24). Abel was killed by his brother Cain because he offered a more acceptable sacrifice to God which was his testimony of being righteous (Hebrews 11:4). Job was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1). God made man upright…(Ecclesiastes 7:29).

Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist, were both righteous before God, walking in all of the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Joseph, the father of Jesus, was a just man (Matthew 1:19). Cornelius, the Centurion of the Italian Regiment, was a devout man and one that feared God (Acts 10:2).

There are many more examples of individuals that were righteous before God, so Paul was clearly not saying that there wasn’t a single person on earth that wasn’t righteous. The deeds of the Law are not what made a person righteous before God. It was their faithfulness and fidelity to God.

However, Paul goes on to explain that the infinite mercy of our God and the righteousness of Him has been shown apart from the Law through Jesus Christ. God is giving the entire world another opportunity to be reconciled to Him through faith in His only begotten Son.
Paul explains that only through God’s grace (Titus 2:11-14) can we be redeemed by the Blood of Jesus Christ for our past sins. God is demonstrating His righteousness through His Son, Jesus Christ, and will freely justify those who have faith.

There is nothing we can do in our own power or our own work of the law that will justify us. We work together with God to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law (2 Corinthians 6:1). It is by faith, that God freely justifies both the Jew and the Gentile apart form the deeds and rituals of the law. However, Paul is very clear that God’s law is certainly not void or abolished because of faith in Jesus Christ but it is established through faith (Romans 3:21-27).

We Become Righteous by Faith

In other words, Jesus Christ is the perfect manifestation of God’s law in the flesh (John 1:1-18) and in order to be justified by His blood, we must remain faithful. We must obey God with a faith that works by love (Galatians 5:6) and love fulfills the Law (Romans 13:10). Paul then goes on to describe in Romans 4 the “steps of faith” of Abraham which by his faithfulness, he was declared righteous by God. Abraham was the example Paul used to describe true obedient faith that was imputed to him as God’s righteousness working through him. But in order for that to work, Abraham had to yield his heart to God by faith. Therefore, Abraham being declared righteous through his faithfulness.

Peter explains in his final letter before he was executed that Paul’s writings were inspired but hard to understand at times. The unlearned or deceitful people would twist Paul’s words to say something that really isn’t what he was trying to say at all. In order to completely understand Paul’s writings, you have to read the entire letter. Then compare that letter to the other letters he wrote. We must compare scripture with scripture. Unfortunately, so many deceivers and unlearned people have not done that. They have twisted Paul’s words to condone sinfulness. Very much like the last warning of Peter explains. Paul himself warns the church of deceivers that will come and twist the scriptures.

Paul’s Final Warning