Do you think that Paul is saying that all righteous men never sinned? The verse says that all HAVE sinned. In fact even righteous men still sin. Paul knew about David, among dozens of other examples of righteous men.
Clearly, in context, Paul is saying that Jewish customs and their national heritage does not save a man - which is NOT what the Judaizers thought... FAITH in God does. The Jews thought that the Gentiles should be circumcised. Remember this is one of the big problems Paul had with the Jewish Christians, right?
Sure, and a common theme of Paul was that following the law to the best of our ability is not what saves. Not one of us can do it. Thus, ALL (meaning ALL) have sinned. That fits perfectly with Paul's message.
This faith can even be exercised by Gentiles, as Ch. 2 describes. This faith, of course, is from the Spirit, who is the Author of the Law on our hearts! The problem is your paradigm that sees all men as evil, and thus, you overlook the context of Romans 3 and the Psalms that it quotes.
If you believe that faith is truly from the Spirit, and I know you do, then that does not contradict the notion that all men are evil and totally lost without specific and total action by God. He removes from us the nature that is wholly evil and gives us a new nature.
But even a non-Christian would see my point of view and disagree that Paul could have meant all people are evil, because they would only have to read a few of the Psalms that deny this idea - which Paul quotes from.
I don't see how any non-Christian could come away from the Bible with the idea that all men who are called righteous were sinless from birth.
FK: "Many of you must have thought that some wicked Jews were sinless."
HUH??
That is what I'm supposing Paul must have meant if he took your view. My point is that his statement would have been utterly pointless if all he meant was that wicked men sin. Therefore, since all Jews knew that some were righteous, some must have thought that some wicked Jews were sinless. Paul was there to teach them that "no", in fact, only the wicked Jews sinned. This makes no sense as a teaching to me.
I'm saying that Paul's statement has profound meaning if he was saying that since ALL have sinned, it is a waste of time to attempt to enter Heaven by doing one's best to follow the Law. Many Jews certainly did believe that, as you pointed out.
No, I do not think that all righteous men have never sinned. this is not the point. Yes, we sin, as John says in John 1. The point is that men who sin DO turn back to God. Wicked people do not.
Thus, ALL (meaning ALL) have sinned. That fits perfectly with Paul's message.
Yes, we have all sinned. But the Scripture talks about righteous people, nonetheless. Apparently, we don't have to be absolutley perfect to be righteous.
I don't see how any non-Christian could come away from the Bible with the idea that all men who are called righteous were sinless from birth.
Who says that all righteous men are sinless? David was called righteous. Does this mean he was sinless?
My point is that his statement would have been utterly pointless if all he meant was that wicked men sin. Therefore, since all Jews knew that some were righteous, some must have thought that some wicked Jews were sinless. Paul was there to teach them that "no", in fact, only the wicked Jews sinned. This makes no sense as a teaching to me. Why would you think that wicked men were sinless? I am not sure not how you get this concept?. The point is not about whether righteous sin or not, the point is that the wicked who sinned didn't care nor did they ask for repentance. Thus, the Jews pursued David were wicked, as were the Jews who were opposed to Paul, according to him. Being a Jew by birth wasn't enough to inherit salvation.
I'm saying that Paul's statement has profound meaning if he was saying that since ALL have sinned, it is a waste of time to attempt to enter Heaven by doing one's best to follow the Law. Many Jews certainly did believe that, as you pointed out
I do not believe that the Jews thought that one had to be absolutely perfect and sinless to enter heaven.
Regards