Romans 3:8 (WEB)

Passage

Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let us do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned.

Nearby Context

Romans 3:6 May it never be! For then how will God judge the world?

Romans 3:7 For if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

Romans 3:8 Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let us do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned.

Romans 3:9 What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.

Romans 3:10 As it is written, “There is no one righteous; no, not one.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "condemn", "slanderously", "reported", "some", "affirm", "evil", "good", and "come". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "condemn" and "slanderously", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "For if the truth of God through..." into verse 9's "What then Are we better than they...", so "condemn" and "slanderously" belong inside that flow. In Romans context, the local focus is righteousness by faith, union with Christ, life in the Spirit, and God's covenant faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "condemn" and "slanderously" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.