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“None righteous” means none righteous by their own works

Paul’s conclusion that “there is none righteous” (Rom 3:10) must be read in light of his repeated teaching that no one is righteous by works, not that God has never counted anyone righteous by faith. He has two types of righteousness in mind, that of the law and that of faith.

Scripture consistently testifies that specific individuals were counted righteous because they believed God:

1. Abraham: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Rom 4:3)

2. Noah: “a just man and perfect in his generations” (Gen 6:9)

3. Job: “a perfect and upright man” (Job 1:8)

These men lived under the Old Covenant, before regeneration as later revealed in Christ, yet they found favor with God because they responded to God in faith of their own will, which God counted as righteousness. Their righteousness was not inherent, earned, or meritorious, but credited by God after they believed.

Righteousness comes by faith, not by works, the “law of faith”

Paul explicitly contrasts works with faith, making them mutually exclusive as grounds of justification:

1. “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ … for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Galatians 2:16

2. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested … even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.” Romans 3:21-22

3. “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith." Romans 3:27

Faith excludes boasting precisely because it is not a work. If faith were a meritorious act, Paul’s argument would collapse.

Faith or believing is not a work, it is explicitly contrasted with working

1. “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Romans 4:4-5

Here Paul places believing in direct contrast to working. Faith is not treated as a righteous deed, but as the non-working, non-meritorious response through which God justifies the ungodly.

Paul is quoting Psalms that describe moral corruption, not ontological inability

In Romans 3:11, Paul is drawing from several Psalms, most directly Psalm 14:1–3 and Psalm 53:1–3, along with related passages (Ps 5:9; 10:7; 36:1; 140:3). When these Psalms are read in their original context, they are not describing humanity as born incapable of seeking God, but humanity as having turned away from God and become corrupt.

Both Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 begin by identifying “the fool”, not infants or humanity at conception, but those who say in their heart, “There is no God.” The corruption described is the result of moral rejection, not an inherited condition:

1. Psalm 14:1-3 “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

2. Psalm 53:1-3 “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one”

God specifically says He created man upright. This fits perfectly with the Psalms Paul cites. Humanity is not portrayed as created depraved, but as having gone astray:

1. “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions." Ecclesiastes 7:29

Romans 3:11 describes the majority condition, not an exceptionless rule

When Paul says none that understandeth and none that seeketh after God, he is summarizing the dominant, worldwide pattern of human rebellion under sin, not denying the existence of faithful exceptions. His language reflects the general moral condition of humanity, not an absolute claim that no individual ever responds to God. This is consistent with Jesus’ own teaching:

“Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.” (Matt 7:13)

Most do not seek God. Some do. Noah was not swept away with the world. Abraham believed. Job feared God. Moreover, the Psalms Paul quotes cannot intend an exceptionless literalism, or they would contradict themselves. The Psalter repeatedly speaks of:

1. the righteous,

2. those who seek God,

3. those who fear the Lord.

Thus, Romans 3:11 describes universal human guilt and pervasive sin, while still allowing for individuals who respond to God in faith, a truth Paul himself will affirm explicitly in Romans 4.

Notice the key phrase Paul uses here, they have become unprofitable. This isn’t something they were born with but rather something they chose to do.

Keeping in context to Romans we see Paul tells us the same thing in Romans 1 the people become, vain and darkened:

1. “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”