The manifestation of God’s goodness on earth is never the result of people’s evil works; it comes from above and through Christ it is given to both the Gentile and the Jew. Paul explains this idea further in Romans 3:9–20. It makes sense to undergird the foregoing with further clarification: What then? that is, what does all this mean? (Romans 3:9). He then immediately proceeds with a second question: Are we Jews any better off? Better off is the translation of the complex Greek word proechometha. The plural in this question may be seen in connection to Romans 3:8’s blasphèmoumetha (slanderously), and in such a case the question would pertain to whether the apostles occupy a position of priority among the Jews as a whole? The question would then be something akin to: Do we then have precedence? Or Do we push ourselves into the forefront? The plural here could also be referring back to the whole of Romans 3:1–8, however. In such a case the question pertains to the Jews in general. Is there something about the Jews that gives them a prominent position before God, even though they are subject to the judgment? Are we Jews any better off? The answer is a qualified denial: not in all respects. (In the Greek it does not say pantos ou, which would translate as not at all, but ou patos, which indicates a qualification or condition. In other words, there is no unconditional privilege). There is, however, a privilege in the sense that the Jews have been entrusted with God’s Word (Romans 3:2), but that is an assigned privilege, which distinguishes the Jewish people from other peoples. God bestowed on them the special privileges of revelation. With respect to themselves and because of their shortcomings, the Jews are in no way privileged or distinguishable from other nations.¹