Romans 3:6
God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
Original Language Analysis
μὴ
God forbid
G3361
μὴ
God forbid
Strong's:
G3361
Word #:
1 of 9
(adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas g3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether
γένοιτο·
G1096
γένοιτο·
Strong's:
G1096
Word #:
2 of 9
to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e., (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.)
πῶς
how
G4459
πῶς
how
Strong's:
G4459
Word #:
4 of 9
an interrogative particle of manner; in what way? (sometimes the question is indirect, how?); also as exclamation, how much!
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
6 of 9
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
θεὸς
God
G2316
θεὸς
God
Strong's:
G2316
Word #:
7 of 9
a deity, especially (with g3588) the supreme divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; exceedingly (by hebraism)
Cross References
Genesis 18:25That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?Acts 17:31Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.Job 8:3Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?
Historical Context
The universal judgment of God was bedrock Jewish theology (see Genesis 18:25, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"). Paul's argument would have been compelling to Jewish Christians: you cannot affirm God as Judge while denying His right to punish those whose sin He uses for His purposes.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you reconcile God's absolute sovereignty over evil with His perfect justice in punishing evildoers?
- Why is the doctrine of future judgment essential to a coherent understanding of God's righteousness?
- How should the certainty of divine judgment shape your daily decisions and priorities?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? Another emphatic mē genoito (μὴ γένοιτο). Paul's reductio ad absurdum: if the previous objection held, God could not judge ton kosmon (τὸν κόσμον, "the world"). The verb krinei (κρινεῖ, "shall judge") is future tense, assuming the reality of final judgment—an axiom shared by Paul and his Jewish interlocutors.
The logic is devastating: if God cannot punish sin that allegedly magnifies His glory, He cannot judge anyone, since all sin ultimately serves His sovereign purposes (see Genesis 50:20; Acts 2:23). But God's role as righteous Judge is non-negotiable in Jewish theology. Paul thus exposes the absurdity of the objection: you cannot have a holy God without judgment of sin, regardless of how God uses that sin in His providence.