Packed in the center of this passage is a string of OT quotes from Psalms, Ecclesiastes and Isaiah. The density of quotes may be a reflection of a deeper topical study on this subject that was known among early believers.
There is a debate that Dr. Moo outlines in his excursus called Paul, “Works of the Law” and First Century Judaism. Essentially some are saying that Paul doesn’t lay out a case against what the Jews really believed in the first century. In this way, it makes Paul seem ridiculous in my view, because it tries to show that the Jews were not depending on their performance of the law to maintain good standing with God. In reality, Paul’s whole argument becomes a straw man argument if this is the case. It’s impossible for me to imagine that we who are so removed from the life and reality of first Century ancient world, can actually overturn Paul’s arguments and their intended subjects. I find Dr. Moo’s excursus overwhelmingly convincing on this point. It’s an issue that seems to be gaining steam though, because I recently saw a reference to this view I think on a TV show (May have been PBS).
In 3:9-20 Paul finishes his accusation that everyone, not just the Gentiles, are under the power of sin. No one is able to do what is right. The OT (law and prophets) show us that we are sinners. At the same time that very law brings us to a state where we are unable to say anything in our own defense. Like a defendant in court, we are left speechless with the overwhelming evidence presented before the judge. Our guilt, the guilt of all mankind, is so powerfully portrayed that no one can utter a word. We can only hope for mercy somehow.
Paul quotes scriptures to establish his point because this is the authority of appeal to his hearers. On top of this, Paul has brought his accusation that all men are guilty to a close. He has made his case clearly and conclusively. The prime target he was trying to bring to a point of surrender was the Jewish reader. The Gentiles were assumed to be guilty. Having painted their picture darkly in chapter 1, he moved on in 2 to unfold the guilt of the Jews. Now in 3:1-20 Paul sums up the guilt of the Jews, dealing with objections to his teaching and bringing it all to a climax with a flurry of scriptures densely packed together. Vs. 19-20 summarize the entire section and prepare us for the great beginning of hope, characterized by the famous, “But now” in 3:21.
