Romans 3:10

The context

Romans 3 introduces a chain of quotations from psalms and prophets to support the claim that Jew and Greek are alike under sin. Verse 10 is the opening line of that catena, and the verses that follow assemble phrases from several different texts into a single indictment. The argument then turns to the law's role.

What it establishes

It establishes that Paul built his case by compiling Scripture rather than by citing one passage, and that he claimed universal unrighteousness as the result. The catena is presented as what is written.

What it does not establish

It does not prove total inability. The quotations come from settings about fools and practical atheists, and Paul strings them together without their original contexts. The verse asserts a universal verdict; the doctrine of total depravity is a later systematisation of that verdict.

Short note, first pass, October 2026. Corrections welcome.

Cited in these answers

• Why do Christians think God is going to let them into heaven because they were better than everybody else?

Part of Scripture, Opened — the exegetical layer behind every citation on this site. Scripture quotations are from the ESV.