Misuse of Romans Chapter Three - Part One

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Many have used this verse as proof that everyone who has ever lived has sinned at some time during their lives. Most people assume the meaning of “all” as being “all people without exception,” yet Paul does not provide such clarification in this verse. If we were to examine the context, we could find what he means by “all,” which we will see in a moment.

One glaring problem with the foregoing assumption (“all” means “all people without exception”) is that carrying this meaning through the rest of the thought creates doctrine that violates other Scripture.

Take note of verse 24—“being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”

Who is the subject of verse 24? In other words, who is justified as a gift by His grace and who is redeemed? We have to look back in the context to find the subject. It is the very same “all” as in verse 23. Paul does not pause to alter the subject. The “all” in verse 23 is the same group that is considered justified and redeemed in verse 24. If all people without exception have sinned, then all people without exception are justified by His grace.

We know, however, that some people are not justified. "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8) And the Bible includes many other verses that prove the same.

Yet, in reality, there is no contradiction between Paul’s declaration in these two verses and the rest of Scripture. The simple fact is that Paul did not mean “all people without exception” in verse 23. The preceding verses tell us exactly what he meant by “all.”

“But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction.” (Romans 3:21-22)

Paul was talking about “all who believe” throughout this context. He was saying the following: all who believe (verse 22) have sinned (verse 23) and have been justified (verse 24). This meaning of “all” is in mind through all three verses.

To summarize the point, if someone insists that “all” in verse 23 means “all people without exception,” then he must accept this “all” as the subject of verse 24 and accept universalism, that all people without exception are justified in Christ.

Understanding “all” as “all who believe,” removes the problem. Since all who believe are justified, there is no need to believe in universal salvation, as would be the case if “all” really meant “all people without exception.”

Why does this distinction matter?

First, the popular notion that “all” refers to “all people without exception” has led to problems in some theological circles. Some people have used Romans 3:23 to say that since all people sin, and since babies are people, then even babies sin, thereby using the verse as proof of original sin.

Whether or not you believe in original sin, this verse cannot be used in this way. Since “all” actually means “all who believe,” we exclude babies from Paul’s charge, because they are not of age to believe.

In other words, we should conclude from the passage that if someone is of age to believe the gospel, then he is of age to have sinned. Since babies do not yet have the capacity to believe, they are not included in the “all” in verse 23.

Second, Romans 3:23 is used by nearly all evangelical churches and groups as the foundation of the gospel, the famous “Romans Road to Salvation” being a prime example of such use. Evangelicals quote the verse to prove that their target for evangelism has sinned and is in need of salvation.

Yet, Paul is not talking about unbelievers here, so it is inaccurate to use this verse as proof that all unbelievers have sinned. Any sinner could point to verse 24 and claim forgiveness, which would be counterproductive in the evangelistic effort. There are other passages evangelists can use to prove sin in unbelievers, but not this one.

Another common misuse of Romans 3:23 occurs when applying the verse as proof that Christians still sin. Some say that “all have sinned” somehow means “all are still sinning.” This is not the case. The tense of the verb indicates that all believers have sinned sometime in the past, and Paul’s focus on past sins is reiterated in the latter part of verse 25: “because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed.” In no way does verse 23 indicate that sin continues beyond the point of salvation.

Some might claim that “fall short of the glory of God” indicates present sin, but this is also not the case. Past sin is one reason for presently being short of God’s glory, because God never sinned, either in the past or in the present. There is no way to use this verse to prove present sin.

My hope is that this short essay will help people see the following:

(1)  Romans 3:23 is nearly universally misunderstood and misused in the church today.

(2)  This verse cannot be used to prove original sin.

(3)  This verse cannot be used to prove present sin in anyone.

(4)  It is risky to build doctrine on an out-of-context verse. Always be careful to examine the context.

(5)  Some interpretations that are ingrained and nearly universal in the church are not true.

As Christians we are called to believe and communicate truth, even when most people around us disagree. Let us shine the light so that we can be effective for God and His kingdom.