Romans 3:4

God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

Cross-references

Romans 3:31 Parallel

In Romans 3:31, Paul again says 'May it never be!' when asked if faith nullifies the Law, mirroring the denial in 3:4 that human faithlessness nullifies God's truth.

Romans 3:6 Parallel

In Romans 3:6, Paul uses the same 'May it never be!' to argue God must judge the world, reinforcing 3:4's point that God's truth stands despite human falsehood.

Romans 3:19 Parallel

Romans 3:19 concludes the argument: the law silences every mouth (cf. 'every one a liar' in 3:4), making all accountable to God alone.

Romans 3:13 Parallel

Romans 3:13 continues the scriptural indictment of human wickedness, showing deceitful tongues — supporting Paul's point that only God is true.

Romans 3:10 Parallel

Romans 3:10 quotes Psalm 14 to show all are sinful, continuing the argument that God alone is true (3:4) while every human is a liar.

In Romans 11:11, Paul uses the same emphatic denial (μὴ γένοιτο) to reject the idea that Israel's stumble means final fall — mirroring the argumentative style of Romans 3:4.

Romans 2:2 Related theme

Romans 2:2 states God's judgment is based on truth — directly supporting the claim that God is proved right.

Romans 9:14 Parallel

In Romans 9:14, 'May it never be!' rejects God being unjust, echoing 3:4's defense of God's truthfulness.

Romans 7:13 Parallel

In Romans 7:13, 'May it never be!' denies the Law caused death, similar to 3:4's denial that human sin nullifies God's truth.

Romans 11:1 Parallel

In Romans 11:1, 'May it never be!' denies God rejected Israel, mirroring 3:4's denial that human unfaithfulness nullifies God's faithfulness.

Romans 6:2 Parallel

In Romans 6:2, 'May it never be!' rejects living in sin under grace, paralleling 3:4's rejection that human unfaithfulness nullifies God's faithfulness.

Romans 6:15 Parallel

In Romans 6:15, 'May it never be!' denies sin under grace, echoing 3:4's refusal to let human sin compromise God's truth.

Romans 7:7 Parallel

In Romans 7:7, 'May it never be!' denies the Law is sin, paralleling 3:4's denial that God's faithfulness is nullified.

In 1 Corinthians 6:15, Paul again uses μὴ γένοιτο to reject the idea of joining Christ's body to a prostitute — same emphatic denial as in Romans 3:4.

2 Corinthians 1:18 asserts God's faithfulness, reinforcing that God's word is reliable and not inconsistent.

In Galatians 2:17, Paul uses μὴ γένοιτο to deny that Christ promotes sin — the same strong rejection formula as in Romans 3:4.

Titus 1:2 Parallel

Titus 1:2 says God never lies, directly affirming the truthfulness of God contrasted with human falsehood.

Hebrews 6:18 states it is impossible for God to lie, directly supporting that God is true and every human a liar.

1 John 5:10 Related theme

1 John 5:10 shows that unbelief makes God a liar, reinforcing that God is true despite human denial.

1 John 5:20 Related theme

1 John 5:20 identifies Jesus Christ as the true God, affirming God's truth against human falsehood.

Deuteronomy 32:4 declares God's perfect work and justice — the foundation for Paul's assertion in Romans 3:4 that God must be true even when humans fail.

Revelation 3:7 Related theme

Revelation 3:7 calls Christ 'the true one,' directly linking to the truthfulness of God in Romans.

John 3:33 Parallel

John 3:33 declares that whoever receives Christ's testimony confirms God is true, directly supporting the assertion of God's truth.

Psalm 138:2 Related theme

Psalm 138:2 exalts God's faithfulness to His word, reinforcing that God's truth stands above all human falsehood.

Psalm 116:11 declares 'all mankind are liars' — directly echoing Paul's premise that every person is false compared to God's truth.

Psalm 62:9 Related theme

Psalm 62:9 calls men of high degree a lie, echoing that all humans are false compared to God's truth.

Psalm 51:4 Citation

Psalm 51:4 is the verse Paul quotes — David acknowledges God's justice in judging sin, supporting Paul's argument for God's truthfulness.

Job 40:8 Allusion

In Job 40:8, God challenges Job's attempt to justify himself — echoing the theme that God is justified in His judgments, as Romans 3:4 affirms.

John 7:28 Parallel

John 7:28 has Jesus declare that the Father is true — a direct thematic parallel to 'Let God be true' in Romans 3:4.

Luke 7:29 Parallel

Luke 7:29 describes people acknowledging God's way as right — directly parallel to Romans 3:4's claim that God is true.

Job 4:17 Parallel

Job 4:17 questions whether any mortal can be righteous before God — directly parallel to Paul's claim that all humans are false before God's truth.

Micah 7:20 Related theme

Micah 7:20 affirms God's faithfulness to His covenant promises, supporting the theme that God remains true despite human failure.