Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse highlights that "all have sinned" as a completed historical fact, leading to a present reality of falling short. This falling short isn't just about failing to achieve perfection, but a missing out on the very honor and approval that comes from God Himself.
Paul is building his case that no one is righteous on their own, not even Jews with the Law. He's just shown how everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, is under sin's power. This verse serves as the crucial conclusion to that argument: because everyone has sinned, everyone falls short of God's perfect standard.
The Bible doesn't mince words: 'all have sinned.' What does this stark statement really mean for every single person?
This verse declares a universal truth about humanity: 'all have sinned.' This isn't just about individual bad choices, but a fundamental brokenness that affects everyone.
Sin doesn't just mess things up; it causes us to 'fall short' of something incredibly precious. What is this 'glory of God' we miss?
The second part of the verse, 'and come short of the glory of God,' reveals the profound consequence of sin. It's about failing to meet a divine standard and missing out on a divine destiny.
Understand the original words
hēmarton · Greek Verb
To miss the mark; to fall short of God’s standard of holiness and perfection. It is a rebellion against God's law and a corruption of human nature.
doxa · Greek Noun
The manifestation of God's presence, majesty, and character. For humans, it refers to the state of perfection originally intended for creation that was forfeited through sin.
This passage describes the first sin of humanity, highlighting the universal human tendency to 'fall short' by acting against God's explicit command, demonstrating the origin of the sin Paul speaks of.
Psalm 14:2-3This psalm echoes Paul's sentiment by declaring that 'all alike have turned away,' showing that the concept of universal sinfulness was recognized long before Paul's writings.
Ecclesiastes 7:20This verse directly states, 'Indeed, there is no righteous man on earth who continually does good and never sins,' reinforcing the idea that no one is exempt from sin, aligning with Paul's assertion in Romans.
1 John 1:8-10John addresses the denial of sin, emphasizing that claiming to be without sin is self-deception and that confessing our sins is essential, which supports Paul's premise that all have sinned and fall short.
John 12:43Jesus speaks about people who loved 'praise from men rather than praise from God,' illustrating the concept of 'falling short of the glory of God' by seeking human approval over divine approval, a theme resonant with Romans 3:23.
meyerRomans 3:23: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
Romans 3:23 . Ἥμαρτον ] The sinning of every man is presented as a historical fact of the past, whereby the sinful state is produced. The perfect would designate it as a completed subsisting fact. Calvin, moreover, properly remarks that according to Paul there is nulla justitia “nisi perfecta et absoluta,” and “si verum esset, nos partim operibus justificari, partim Dei gratia, non valeret hoc Pauli argumentum.” Luther aptl…
ellicottRomans 3:23: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
(23) All have sinned and come short. —Strictly, all sinned; the Apostle looking back upon an act done in past time under the old legal dispensation, without immediate reference to the present: he then goes on to say that the result of that act (as distinct from the act itself) continues on into the present. The result is that mankind, in a body, as he now sees them, and before they come within the range of the new Christian…
The verse highlights that "all have sinned" as a completed historical fact, leading to a present reality of falling short. This falling short isn't just about failing to achieve perfection, but a missing out on the very honor and approval that comes from God Himself.
Paul is building his case that no one is righteous on their own, not even Jews with the Law. He's just shown how everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, is under sin's power. This verse serves as the crucial conclusion to that argument: because everyone has sinned, everyone falls short of God's perfect standard.
Paul is building his case that no one is righteous on their own, not even Jews with the Law. He's just shown how everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, is under sin's power. This verse serves as the crucial conclusion to that argument: because everyone has sinned, everyone falls short of God's perfect standard.
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"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," — The verse highlights that "all have sinned" as a completed historical fact, leading to a present reality of falling short. This falling short isn't just about failing to achieve perfection, but a mis…