Romans 3:23

King James Version (KJV)

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Adam Clarke
Bible Commentary

For all have sinned : - And consequently are equally helpless and guilty; and, as God is no respecter of persons, all human creatures being equally his offspring, and there being no reason why one should be preferred before another, therefore his endless mercy has embraced All.

And come short of the glory of God - και υστερουνται της δοξης του θεου These words have been variously translated. Failed of attaining the glory of God: Have not been able to bring glory to God: Stand in need of the glory, that is, the mercy of God. The simple meaning seems to be this: that all have sinned, and none can enjoy God's glory but they that are holy; consequently both Jews and Gentiles have failed in their endeavors to attain it, as, by the works of any law, no human being can be justified.

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Albert Barnes
Notes on the Whole Bible

For all have sinned - This was the point which he had fully established in the discussion in these chapters.

Have come short - Greek, “Are deficient in regard to;” are lacking, etc. Here it means, that they had failed to obtain, or were destitute of.

The glory of God - The praise or approbation of God. They had sought to be justified, or approved, by God; but all had failed. Their works of the Law had not secured his approbation; and they were therefore under condemnation. The word “glory” ( δόξα doxa) is often used in the sense of praise, or approbation, John 5:41, John 5:44; John 7:18; John 8:50, John 8:54; John 12:43.

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Matthew Henry
Concise Bible Commentary

Must guilty man remain under wrath? Is the wound for ever incurable? No; blessed be God, there is another way laid open for us. This is the righteousness of God; righteousness of his ordaining, and providing, and accepting. It is by that faith which has Jesus Christ for its object; an anointed Saviour, so Jesus Christ signifies. Justifying faith respects Christ as a Saviour, in all his three anointed offices, as Prophet, Priest, and King; trusting in him, accepting him, and cleaving to him: in all these, Jews and Gentiles are alike welcome to God through Christ. There is no difference, his righteousness is upon all that believe; not only offered to them, but put upon them as a crown, as a robe. It is free grace, mere mercy; there is nothing in us to deserve such favours. It comes freely unto us, but Christ bought it, and paid the price. And faith has special regard to the blood of Christ, as that which made the atonement. God, in all this, declares his righteousness. It is plain that he hates sin, when nothing less than the blood of Christ would satisfy for it. And it would not agree with his justice to demand the debt, when the Surety has paid it, and he has accepted that payment in full satisfaction.

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SDA Bible Commentary (limited)
Volume 1-7

23. All have sinned. Literally, “all sinned.” Adam’s sin marred the divine image in man (see on ch. 5:12; cf. GW 80), and ever since man’s fall, all of Adam’s descendants have continued to fall short and be destitute of the image and glory of God (see below under “glory”). Paul is urging Jews and Gentiles alike to recognize the vital fact that all the evidence of experience and history clearly proves that fallen man, with his depraved nature, is wholly incapable of fulfilling the requirements of God’s law and of establishing his own righteousness. The only possible way to obtain righteousness is by faith in Jesus Christ. By this experience of faith men are once again brought into a right relation with God (ch. 3:24), new hearts are created within them, and they are thus enabled by faith to live once again in obedience to God’s law (see on ch. 5:1).

Come short. Gr. hustereÅÂ, used elsewhere with the meaning “to suffer need” (Phil. 4:12), “to be destitute” (Heb. 11:37), “to be in want” (Luke 15:14). In the account of the marriage feast at Cana, hustereo is used to report that the supply of wine had failed (John 2:3). The Greek indicates that sinners still continue to fall short. Moreover, the particular form of the verb may express not only the fact of falling short but also the awareness of the lack. If such is the case here, the verb could be translated “consciously continue to fall short.” This sense of loss has led men everywhere to attempt to establish their own righteousness by works of law.

Glory. Gr. doxa. In the Bible doxa seems to have two main and somewhat different usages, though both are based upon the original meaning, in classical Greek, of “opinion,” “notion,” “repute.” It is often used to signify “honor,” “fame,” “recognition” (John 5:44; 7:18; etc.). In this sense it is opposed to “dishonor” (1 Cor. 11:14, 15; 15:43; 2 Cor. 6:8). In this sense it is sought (John 5:44; 7:18; 1 Thess. 2:6), received (John 5:41, 44), given (Luke 17:18; John 9:24), ascribed to God (Luke 2:14; Rev. 1:6).

If this is Paul’s usage of the term here in Rom. 3:23, then “the glory of God” means the honor, praise, or approbation that God bestows and from which men have fallen short. Since Paul is dealing in this passage with man’s standing before God, and refers in the next verse to justification, the only means by which a man may be restored to the approval and approbation of God, this sense of the term “glory” may be appropriate in this context.

On the other hand, “glory” is also used in the Bible to signify “brightness” “glorious appearance which attracts the eye” (see Matt. 4:8; Luke 12:27; Acts 22:11). It is sometimes used in a sense parallel with “image,” “likeness,” “form,” “appearance” (see Rom. 1:23; cf. the LXX of Num. 12:8, which has doxa for “similitude”). The glory revealed to Moses (Ex. 33:18, 22) was the character of Godâ€”goodness, mercy, forgiveness (see GW 417). This glory may also be reflected in those of God’s creatures who are capable of knowing and loving and growing like their Maker. Thus Paul speaks of man as “the image and glory of God” (1 Cor. 11:7), doubtless because he is capable of receiving and reflecting God’s glory. The complete revelation of the glory and perfection of God is “the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

As this glory of God revealed in Christ shines forth from the gospel into the heart and mind of the believer, it transforms him into “light in the Lord” (Eph. 5:8). Thus “we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18). The hope and aspiration of the Christian is more and more fully to participate in the glory of God (see Rom. 5:2; 1 Thess. 2:12; 2 Thess. 2:14).

If “the glory of God” be understood more in this latter sense, to “come short of the glory of God” would mean to have come short of the perfection of God, to have lost His image, and to have become destitute of His likeness.

Perhaps these two interpretations are not mutually exclusive, and both make good sense in this verse.

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Ellen G. White
SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6 (EGW), 1070-3

What a scene that will be! No pen can describe it! The accumulated guilt of the world will be laid bare, and the voice of the Judge will be heard saying to the wicked, “Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” 6BC 1070.1

Then those who pierced Christ will remember how they slighted His love and abused His compassion; how they chose in His stead Barabbas, a robber and murderer; how they crowned the Saviour with thorns, and caused Him to be scourged and crucified; how, in the agony of His death on the cross, they taunted Him, saying, “Let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.” “He saved others; himself he cannot save.” They will seem to hear again His voice of entreaty. Every tone of solicitude will vibrate as distinctly in their ears as when the Saviour spoke to them. Every act of insult and mockery done to Christ will be as fresh in their memory as when the satanic deeds were done. 6BC 1070.2

They will call on the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. “The wrath of the Lamb”—One who ever showed Himself full of tenderness, patience, and long-suffering, who, having given Himself up as the sacrificial offering, was led as a lamb to the slaughter, to save sinners from the doom now falling upon them because they would not allow Him to take away their guilt (The Review and Herald, June 18, 1901). 6BC 1070.3

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Ellen G. White
SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6 (EGW), 1109

16 (ch. 3:10-13, 24; Romans 3:19-28; 5:1). No Room for Self-sufficiency—We are justified by faith. The soul who understands the meaning of these words will never be self-sufficient. We are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves. The Holy Spirit is our efficiency in the work of character building, in forming characters after the divine similitude. When we think ourselves capable of molding our own experience, we make a great mistake. We can never of ourselves obtain the victory over temptation. But those who have genuine faith in Christ will be worked by the Holy Spirit. The soul in whose heart faith abides will grow into a beautiful temple for the Lord. He is directed by the grace of Christ. Just in proportion as he depends on the Holy Spirit's teaching he will grow (Manuscript 8, 1900). 6BC 1109.1

20 (Philippians 1:21; Colossians 3:3; see EGW on Revelation 3:1). The Greatest Work in the World—Everything good in men and women is the fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit teaches us to reveal righteousness in our lives. The greatest work that can be done in our world is to glorify God by living the character of Christ. God will make perfect only those who will die to self. Those who are willing to do this can say, “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Manuscript 16, 1900). 6BC 1109.2

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Ellen G. White
Selected Messages Book 1, 397-8

Genuine faith will be manifested in good works; for good works are the fruits of faith. As God works in the heart, and man surrenders his will to God, and cooperates with God, he works out in the life what God works in by the Holy Spirit, and there is harmony between the purpose of the heart and the practice of the life. Every sin must be renounced as the hateful thing that crucified the Lord of life and glory, and the believer must have a progressive experience by continually doing the works of Christ. It is by continual surrender of the will, by continual obedience, that the blessing of justification is retained. 1SM 397.1

Those who are justified by faith must have a heart to keep the way of the Lord. It is an evidence that a man is not justified by faith when his works do not correspond to his profession. James says, “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was his faith made perfect?” (James 2:22). 1SM 397.2

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Ellen G. White
Faith and Works, 108.1

Beholding the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, he finds the peace of Christ; for pardon is written against his name, and he accepts the Word of God, “Ye are complete in Him” (Colossians 2:10). How hard is it for humanity, long accustomed to cherish doubt, to grasp this great truth! But what peace it brings to the soul, what vital life! In looking to ourselves for righteousness, by which to find acceptance with God, we look to the wrong place, “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We are to look to Jesus; for “we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). You are to find your completeness by beholding the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. FW 108.1

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Romans 3:23