Romans 3:23-26
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What's easy to miss here is the tension between the past-tense "have sinned" and the present-tense "fall short." This means our sin isn't just a historical event; it's a present reality that means we are currently missing out on God's glory. This "glory of God" isn't just future reward, but God's approval and presence that we should be experiencing right now but have fallen short of.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul has just established that both Jews and Gentiles are under the power of sin. He's dismantling any notion that adhering to the Law gives someone an advantage before God. This verse is the emphatic conclusion to that argument: no one measures up to God's perfect standard.
Ever felt like you just can't quite measure up? This verse tells us why, and it applies to everyone, everywhere.
Paul starts with a bold declaration: "all have sinned." This isn't just about a few bad apples; it's a statement about the human condition. The Greek word used here, 'hamartano', speaks to missing the mark, like an archer who fails to hit the target.
A Universal Condition
This isn't meant to make us despair, but to show us the depth of our need for something outside ourselves.
What does it mean to 'fall short of the glory of God,' and why is it so significant?
The second part of the verse, 'and fall short of the glory of God,' unpacks the consequence of sin.
What is God's Glory?
The 'glory of God' here is multifaceted, but at its core, it refers to His perfect, radiant holiness, His ultimate standard, and His desire for humanity to reflect Him.
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Our sin creates a gap between us and God's perfect standard, a gap that we cannot bridge on our own.
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.
dikaioumenoi · Greek Verb (participle)
A legal term denoting God's act of declaring a sinner righteous. It is a judicial verdict based on the finished work of Christ, not on the individual's merit or works.
charis · Greek Noun
The unmerited, favor of God toward the undeserving. It is the basis for salvation, provided freely by God's own initiative and love.
apolytrōsis · Greek Noun
The act of buying back or setting free from slavery or captivity through the payment of a price. Biblically, it refers to deliverance from the bondage of sin and its penalty via the death of Christ.
hilastērion · Greek Noun
A sacrificial term referring to the removal of wrath through the offering of a substitute. It denotes the satisfaction of God's holy justice through the blood of Christ.
anochē · Greek Noun
The patient delay of judgment or restraint of divine wrath. God demonstrates this quality by not immediately punishing sin, as seen in His historical dealings with humanity prior to the cross.
dikaiosynē · Greek Noun
The attribute of God referring to His absolute moral perfection, justice, and faithfulness to His own character and covenant promises. It signifies that God always acts in accordance with what is right and true.
dikaiounta · Greek Verb
To be declared righteous, acquitted, or placed in a right standing before God. It is a forensic, legal act whereby God credits the righteousness of Christ to the believer, removing the guilt of sin.
pistis · Greek Noun
Trust, reliance, or firm persuasion in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ. It is the instrument through which a person receives the gift of salvation and is justified before God.
This passage describes the first human sin, illustrating the origin of humanity's fallen state and the universal tendency to 'fall short' described in Romans.
Psalm 14:2-3This psalm echoes the sentiment of Romans 3:23 by declaring that 'all' have turned aside and become corrupt, with none doing good, highlighting the pervasive nature of sin.
Ecclesiastes 7:20This verse states, 'Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins,' directly supporting the universal claim of sinfulness found in Romans 3:23.
1 John 1:8This passage warns that if we claim to have no sin, we deceive ourselves, reinforcing the absolute truth that all have sinned and therefore fall short of God's perfect standard.
Isaiah 53:6This prophecy, fulfilled in Christ's atoning work, states that 'all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way,' powerfully illustrating the collective sin and deviation from God's path mentioned in Romans.
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…
What's easy to miss here is the tension between the past-tense "have sinned" and the present-tense "fall short." This means our sin isn't just a historical event; it's a present reality that means we are currently missing out on God's glory. This "glory of God" isn't just future reward, but God's approval and presence that we should be experiencing right now but have fallen short of.
Paul has just established that both Jews and Gentiles are under the power of sin. He's dismantling any notion that adhering to the Law gives someone an advantage before God. This verse is the emphatic conclusion to that argument: no one measures up to God's perfect standard.
Paul has just established that both Jews and Gentiles are under the power of sin. He's dismantling any notion that adhering to the Law gives someone an advantage before God. This verse is the emphatic conclusion to that argument: no one measures up to God's perfect standard.
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to sho…" — What's easy to miss here is the tension between the past-tense "have sinned" and the present-tense "fall short." This means our sin isn't just a historical event; it's a present reality that means we…
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Last reviewed October 2026
