Who are the three categories of people Paul indicts in Romans, and what is his verdict on them?
In Romans, Paul indicts the gross immoral person, the moral person, and the religious person. His verdict is that there is no difference between these three categories: they are all unprofitable, because all have sinned and come short in glory.
Les explains that in the first three chapters of Romans, God through the Apostle's pen proved the whole race utterly sinful, utterly rebellious, and utterly opposite to the things of God. Paul built the case against the gross immoral person, then the moral person, then the religious person. He put all three categories together and declared there is no difference; they are all unprofitable, for all have sinned. This leads to Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and come short in glory.”
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
More Questions
What three groups of people does Paul address in the first part of Romans?
Paul's argument in the opening chapters targets the gross immoral person, the moral person, and the religious person, and then groups all three together, saying there is no difference because they are all unprofitable and all have sinned.
What conclusion does Paul reach in Romans 3:23?
Romans 3:23 concludes that all have sinned and come short in glory.