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Jumpstarter 9 of 10

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Romans Explained  /  What Advantage Has the Jew? — Romans 3:1-19 (Part 8)  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 9
The speaker calls it “perverted” that some Calvinist works claim God gets glory from punishing the wicked, and he contrasts that with the early Christian dismissal of “let us do evil that good may come”; how does your tradition implicitly portray God’s relationship to human sin—does God merely permit it, use it, delight in displaying judgment, or something else—and how does Romans 3:5–8 pressure-test those assumptions?
Another way to ask: In your tradition, how is God’s connection to human sin usually described—does he only allow it, use it, enjoy judging it, or something else? How do Romans 3:5–8 and the early Christians’ rejection of “do evil so good can come” test that view?

Direct Answer According to the speaker, Romans 3:5–8 rules out the idea that sin (or even punishment of sin) is something God “gets glory” from in a way that would excuse wrongdoing. The passage pressure-tests any tradition that turns evil into a tool for justifying evil—Paul treats that logic as blasphemy with “just” condemnation.

Support from Transcript:

  • The opponent’s logic is that sin “serves the purpose of displaying the righteousness of God,” so punishment would be unjust.
  • Paul and early Christians reject it as absurd: “God forbid,” and commentators call it “one of the most absurd things to speak in such a manner.”
  • The speaker says, “God does not get any glory from our wickedness, nor from punishing our wickedness,” and labels the contrary claim “really perverted.”
  • Paul exposes the slander: “some assert that we say… let us do evil that good may come,” and answers: “Their condemnation is just.”
  • Clement of Alexandria agrees: “Such an argument is justly condemned,” and warns about twisting Scripture to fit desires.
Discussion Follow-ups What unspoken assumptions have you absorbed about why evil exists or what God “gets” from judgment? If Romans 3 condemns the logic of “evil for good outcomes,” how should that reshape how you talk about God’s holiness, justice, and mercy together?

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