For if the truth of God, in my lie, has more abounded to his glory, why yet am *I* also judged as a sinner?
Paul has been arguing that human unfaithfulness cannot cancel God's faithfulness. Now he voices the objection this invites: if my lie makes God's truth shine brighter, why am I condemned for it?
The "I" in this verse is not Paul. He is quoting an opponent.
Paul is quoting the words of a rebellious, reasoning sinner. This man tries to prove that God is unrighteous in bringing him into judgment. Such people seem to say, "Granted that every man is a liar (v. 4). My lie only confirms the truth of what God said, and so glorifies God. Since my sinful condition glorifies God by proving His word true, why should He bring me into judgment?"
Paul does not leave his own view in doubt.
In speaking this way the Apostle is careful to say that he is only voicing the thoughts of man. For himself he knows the argument is false. He replies at once, "Far be the thought." If such an argument were true, God could not judge the world.
The objection starts from something true. The error lies in what it concludes.
The fallacy in verse 7 is just this: man's lie does not hide God's truth; it illustrates it. God is therefore glorified by means of my lie. But is God in debt to my wickedness for His glory? Far from it. So the objection no longer blocks God's judgment on the evildoer. God will judge him according to his deeds.
Push the logic and it collapses.
If that were so, God could execute no judgment on the world at all. For He makes all sins glorify Him, restraining those that will not. And if this were so, one principle would be right. Because Christians magnified grace, people falsely charged them with holding it: that they might do evil so that good might come. But God's just judgment would in fact fall on those who could adopt so terrible a lie as truth.
Jewish readers took God's judgment of the world for granted. This objection removes it.
It will be better to make every man a liar than to challenge God's right to judge sin. Someone may take shelter in this plea: the unrighteousness of the Jew will commend the righteousness of God. The answer is that this destroys God's right to judge at all. Every Jew expects God's judgment on the world; but on this principle it could never happen.
The charge was not theoretical. The world said this was what Christians taught.
The apostle does not stoop to reply to the wicked insinuation of some — "Let us do evil that good may come" — but simply says, "Their condemnation is just." Christians were in fact accused by the world of speaking this way. As long as the soul is not convinced of sin, grace always draws accusation. But as soon as the conscience knows sin, grace draws heartfelt gratitude.
God does bring good out of evil. That does not make the evil excusable.
God does triumph over sin. He shows His power and brings out greater blessing for man than ever before. But that is no credit to sin. Sin does not secure God's glory or man's blessing. The absolute condemnation of sin does. If we dare to defend sin, we take our place beside it under the condemnation of God. He is greater than sin, and greater than we are.
Paul's reply to the whole argument is short.
Paul has a short answer for those who argue this way. He simply says their judgment is just. Man's sin may turn to God's glory. Even so, it does not relieve man of his responsibility or save him from God's judgment.
- Voice — The "I" is not Paul's confession. He is quoting a rebellious objector in order to answer him.
- Fallacy — Man's lie does display God's truth. But God owes no debt to wickedness for His glory.
- Collapse — If God cannot judge sin that ends in His glory, He can judge no one at all.
- Slander — The world twisted grace into "Let us do evil that good may come." Once the conscience knows sin, grace produces gratitude instead.
- Verdict — Sin that serves God's glory still leaves the sinner responsible. Blessing comes through sin's condemnation, not its excuse, and the objector's condemnation is just.
and not, according as we are injuriously charged, and according as some affirm that we say, Let us practise evil things, that good ones may come? whose judgment is just.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.