Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Romans 3:8

Romans 3:8. And why not. This is parallel to ‘why am I,' etc. (Romans 3:7). The second absurd consequence, as respects man, is the evil principle, so strongly condemned, as carrying its refutation with it. The construction would regularly be: and why not let us do evil, etc., but the mention of the false accusation leads to an irregularity. Some propose to avoid this by supplying: ‘let us say,'

Slanderously reported; lit, ‘blasphemed.' Such slander was in the last instance blasphemy, since thus God's character was outraged. Here the reference is to what they were reported as doing.

Affirm that we say, Let us, etc. The early Christians were charged with even asserting this false principle, which would have been worse than the previous charge. Men might do this without being so hardened as to adopt it as a doctrinal principle. The foundation of this slander was doubtless the doctrine of free grace, and the Christian non-observance of the Mosaic law. Similar slanderous and blasphemous inferences have frequently been made from Scriptural truth.

Whose condemnation is just ‘ Whose,' i.e., of those who practice and announce this evil principle, not the slanderers. ‘Damnation' is too specific a rendering of the original word, which means ‘condemnation' of any kind. The absurdity of the principle, that the end justifies the means, is not proven; the Apostle makes short work of an objection which has this logical issue. A doctrine directly leading to immoral results cannot belong to the gospel Paul is setting forth.

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Romans 3:8

Old Testament

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