Romans 3:5
“But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak like men do.”
What does Romans 3:5 mean?
Paul is wrestling with a hard question that might occur to someone thinking about his teaching: if our sin actually highlights how good and just God is, doesn't that mean God should be okay with our wrongdoing? His answer is a firm no, followed by what sounds almost like an apology for even framing the question that way. "I speak like men do" suggests he's acknowledging that this objection comes from human reasoning, which misses something crucial about God's nature. The real point underneath is that God's justice and holiness can never be served by evil, even when that evil somehow makes God look better by contrast. Paul wants his readers to understand that there's no logical escape hatch where sin becomes acceptable because it demonstrates God's righteousness. God's wrath against wrongdoing isn't unjust, even when we're tempted to think our failings serve some greater purpose. He's inviting us to trust that God's character is far more consistent and good than our attempts to justify ourselves ever could be.