A common misinterpretation of Romans 3:5 is to take Paul's rhetorical question as endorsement of the idea that human sin glorifies God so much that punishment is unjust or unnecessary, leading to antinomian views that excuse wrongdoing; another error is assuming Paul agrees God might be 'unrighteous who taketh vengeance,' ignoring his immediate rejection in verse 6 and the broader context of Romans 3 arguing universal sinfulness under God's impartial justice, not human relativism.
Romans 3:5
King James Version (1769)
5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
In Romans 3:5, Paul rhetorically addresses a flawed human objection: if human unrighteousness highlights God's righteousness, does that make God unjust in punishing sin? Speaking as a man to expose weak logic, Paul affirms that God remains perfectly righteous and just, taking vengeance on sin without contradiction, as divine justice stands independent of human sinfulness and actually demonstrates God's holiness more clearly through judgment.