What, then, is the advantage of being a Jew?This question arises in the context of Paul's discussion on the universality of sin and the impartiality of God's judgment. Historically, the Jews were God's chosen people, entrusted with the Law and the covenants (
Deuteronomy 7:6-8). This special relationship with God was a significant advantage, as it provided them with direct revelation and guidance. However, Paul is addressing a deeper theological question about the true spiritual advantage, especially in light of the new covenant through Christ. The advantage lies in their historical role as the bearers of God's word, which is further elaborated in
Romans 3:2.
Or what is the value of circumcision?
Circumcision was the physical sign of the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 17:10-14), symbolizing the Jewish people's unique relationship with God. It was a mark of identity and obedience, setting them apart from other nations. In the New Testament context, Paul often discusses circumcision to highlight the difference between outward religious rituals and inward spiritual transformation (Romans 2:28-29). The value of circumcision, therefore, is not in the physical act itself but in what it represents: a heart committed to God. This anticipates the broader New Testament teaching that true circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not merely by the letter of the law.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Paul the ApostleThe author of the Book of Romans, Paul is addressing the Jewish and Gentile believers in Rome, discussing the role of the Jewish people in God's plan.
2.
JewsThe ethnic and religious group to whom Paul refers, highlighting their historical and spiritual significance in God's covenant.
3.
CircumcisionA physical sign of the covenant between God and Abraham's descendants, representing Jewish identity and religious commitment.
4.
RomeThe city where the recipients of the letter reside, a diverse and influential center of the ancient world.
5.
The LawRefers to the Mosaic Law, which was given to the Israelites and is central to Jewish identity and religious practice.
Teaching Points
The Privilege of God's RevelationThe Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God, which is a significant privilege and responsibility. This highlights the importance of valuing and preserving God's Word.
The Role of External SignsWhile circumcision is an important sign of the covenant, it is ultimately the heart's condition that matters. Believers today should focus on internal transformation rather than external rituals.
Unity in ChristIn Christ, distinctions such as Jew and Gentile are transcended. Believers are called to unity and equality in the body of Christ, emphasizing spiritual identity over ethnic or cultural identity.
Faithfulness to God's PromisesGod's faithfulness to His promises to Israel serves as a reminder of His faithfulness to all believers. Trust in God's unchanging nature and His commitment to His Word.
The Responsibility of Being ChosenBeing chosen by God comes with the responsibility to live according to His will and to be a light to others. Believers should reflect on how they can fulfill this role in their own lives.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Romans 3:1?
2.What advantage does Paul suggest Jews have in Romans 3:1?
3.How does Romans 3:1 connect to the theme of God's faithfulness?
4.Why is understanding Romans 3:1 important for interpreting Old Testament promises?
5.How can Romans 3:1 guide our view of religious heritage today?
6.In what ways does Romans 3:1 encourage valuing God's word in our lives?
7.What advantage does the Jew have according to Romans 3:1?
8.How does Romans 3:1 address the value of circumcision?
9.Why does Paul question the benefit of being Jewish in Romans 3:1?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Romans 3?
11.Why do many biblical stories resemble earlier myths from Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures?
12.Mark 12:1–9: Why would an all-knowing God repeatedly send servants and His own Son if He knew they would be rejected and killed?
13.How does Galatians 3:28’s declaration of unity erase cultural, gender, and social distinctions that still seem to persist in both biblical and modern contexts?
14.What distinguishes Jews from Gentiles?What Does Romans 3:1 Mean
What, then, is the advantage of being a Jew?Romans 3:1 opens with a question that sounds almost exasperated after Paul has just declared in chapter 2 that possessing the Law does not shield anyone from God’s judgment. Yet he immediately implies that there is, in fact, real benefit.
• Paul answers in the very next verse: “Much in every way. First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God” (Romans 3:2). Having God’s written revelation is no small privilege.
•Romans 9:4-5 fleshes this out: Israelites possess “the adoption as sons, the divine glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the temple service, and the promises,” and through them came “the Christ.”
•Deuteronomy 4:7-8 celebrates that no other nation had statutes so righteous or a God so near.Psalm 147:19-20 underscores that God “declares His word to Jacob… He has done this for no other nation.”
• Even after national unbelief, God’s gifts and calling remain “irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). This shows a continuing advantage—Israel’s unique role in redemptive history.
•John 4:22 records Jesus’ words: “salvation is from the Jews,” reminding every believer where the gospel story began.
So the advantage lies chiefly in stewardship: Israel received, preserved, and handed on the Scriptures and the Messiah Himself.
Or what is the value of circumcision?Circumcision, instituted inGenesis 17, marked God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Paul does not dismiss that sign; he clarifies its purpose.
•Genesis 17:13 calls it “an everlasting covenant.” The sign pointed to belonging to God’s people.
•Romans 2:25 acknowledges value: “Circumcision has value if you observe the Law.” The outward mark is meant to reflect an obedient heart.
•Deuteronomy 10:16 and 30:6 call for the “circumcision of the heart,” showing that inner faith was always the goal.
•Philippians 3:3 says, “For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God,” indicating fulfillment in believers whose hearts are renewed.
•Galatians 5:6 keeps perspective: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith working through love.” Ritual alone never saved, but as a covenant sign it still testified to God’s promises and Israel’s identity.
Thus, circumcision’s value is covenantal—it pointed to God’s faithfulness and foreshadowed the deeper work of the Spirit.
summaryRomans 3:1 asks whether Israel’s heritage and circumcision matter. Paul’s reply is a resounding yes: Israel’s greatest advantage is stewardship of God’s Word, and circumcision’s worth lies in its role as a covenant sign pointing to an obedient, trusting heart. These privileges highlight God’s unbroken faithfulness, prepare the way for the gospel, and remind all believers to treasure Scripture and embrace the inward transformation it proclaims.
III.
(1-8) Continuing the subject, but with a long digression inRomans 3:3et seq. The Apostle asks, What is the real value of these apparent advantages? He is about to answer the question fully, as he does later inRomans 9:4-5; but after stating the first point, he goes off upon a difficulty raised by this, and does not return to complete what he had begun. This, again, is characteristic of his ardent and keenly speculative mind. Problems such as those which he discusses evidently have a fascination for him, and lead him, here as elsewhere, at once to leave the immediate subject before him, and to enter eagerly into the discussion of them. A more lethargic or timid brain would be under no such temptation.
One real and solid advantage on the part of the Jew was that he was made the direct recipient of the divine revelation. This privilege of his is not annulled by the defection of a part of the people. It rests not upon the precarious fidelity of men, but upon the infallible promise of God. Yet is not the ultimate triumph of that promise any excuse for those who have set it at nought. They will be punished just the same, and rightly. Otherwise there could be no judgment at all. The casuistical objection that sin loses its guilt if it redounds to God's glory, or, in other words, that the end justifies the means, carries with it its own condemnation.
Verses 1-8. - (2)
Certain objections with regard to the Jews suggested and met. In this passage, before proceeding with his argument, the apostle meets certain objections that might be made to what has been so far said. Some difficulty in determining his exact meaning arises from the concise and pregnant form in which the objections are put and answered, and from fresh ones arising out of the answers, which have also to be met. The objections are from the Jewish standpoint, though not put into the mouth of an objecting Jew, but rather suggested as likely ones by St. Paul himself. To the original readers of the Epistle, who were familiar with the tone of Jewish thought, the sequence of the ideas would probably be more obvious than to us. Reserving special consideration of successive clauses for our exposition of each verse, we may, in the first place, exhibit thus the general drift.
Objection 1 (ver. 1). If being a Jew, if circumcision itself, gives one no advantage over the Gentile, what was the use of the old covenant at all? It is thus shown to have been illusory; and God's own truth and faithfulness are impugned, if he is supposed to have given, as conveying advantages, what really conveyed none. (This last thought, though not expressed, must be supposed to be implied in the objection, since it is replied to in the answer.)
Answer (vers. 2-4).
(1) It was not illusory; it did convey great advantages in the way ofprivilege and opportunity; this advantage first, not to mention other. that "the oracles of God" were entrusted to the Jew. And
(2) if some (more or fewer, it matters not) have failed to realize these advantages, it has been their fault, not God's. It is man's unfaithfulness, not his, that has been the cause of the failure. Nay, though, according to the hasty saying of the psalmist,all men were false, God's truth remains; nay, further, as is expressed in another psalm (Psalm 51.), man's very unfaithfulness is found to commend his faithfulness the more, and redound to his greater glory.Objection 2 (ver. 5). Based on the last assertion. But if man's unfaithfulness has this result, how can God, consistently with his justice, be wrath with us and punish us for it? Surely the Jew (whose case we are now considering) may claim exemption from "the wrath" of God spoken of above, his unfaithfulness being allowed to have served only to establish God's truth and to enhance his glory.Answer (ver. 6-8). I have suggested this objection as though the matter could be regarded from a mere human point of view, as though it were one between man and man; for it is true that a man cannot justly take vengeance on another who has not really harmed him. But such a view is inapplicable to God in his dealings with man; it does not touch our doctrine of his righteous wrath against sin as such. I can only meet it with aμὴ γένοιτο. For
(1) it would preclude God from judging the world at all, as we all believe he will do. Anyheathen sinner might put in the same plea, saying, Why am I too (κἀγὼ) judged as a sinner? Nay, . . .
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
What,Τί(Ti)Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101:Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.then,οὖν(oun)Conjunction
Strong's 3767:Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.[is] theτὸ(to)Article - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.advantageπερισσὸν(perisson)Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4053:From peri; superabundant or superior; by implication, excessive; adverbially violently; neuter preeminence.ofτοῦ(tou)Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.[being] a Jew?Ἰουδαίου(Ioudaiou)Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2453:Jewish. From Iouda; Judaean, i.e. Belonging to Jehudah.Orἢ(ē)Conjunction
Strong's 2228:Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.what [is]τίς(tis)Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5101:Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.theἡ(hē)Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.valueὠφέλεια(ōpheleia)Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5622:Usefulness, profit, advantage, benefit, gain. From a derivative of the base of ophelimos; usefulness, i.e. Benefit.of circumcision?περιτομῆς(peritomēs)Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 4061:Circumcision. From peritemno; circumcision.
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NT Letters: Romans 3:1 Then what advantage does the Jew have? (Rom. Ro) 
