What does Romans 3:9 say about Jews and Gentiles being under sin?
Romans 3:9 asks whether Jews are better than Gentiles and answers no. Paul declares both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, having been proved guilty. Every Jew and every non-Jew who has ever lived has disobeyed God's revealed will, and that disobedience is sin.
Les explains that Romans 3:9 is part of comparing Scripture with Scripture. Paul asks, "are we Jews better than they, those Gentiles?" and answers, "No, in no wise." He says both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, having been proved so. Les clarifies that every Jew and every non-Jew who has ever lived has been guilty of disobeying the revealed will of God, and that is sin. This agrees with Genesis 3, where Eve was told she would surely die, and Ezekiel 14:18, where the soul that sins shall surely die. Paul does not disagree with Eve or Ezekiel one iota, and he continues into Romans 3:12-20.
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;