Romans 3:1–4:25
3 So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusteda with the very words of God.b 3 What then? If some were unfaithful,c will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Absolutely not!d Let God be true, even though everyone is a liar,e as it is written:
That you may be justified in your words
and triumph when you judge.A,f
5 But if our unrighteousness highlightsB God’s righteousness,g what are we to say?h I am using a human argument:C,i Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? 6 Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?j 7 But if by my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?k 8 And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”?l Their condemnation is deserved!
THE WHOLE WORLD GUILTY BEFORE GOD
9 What then? Are we any better off?D Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jewsm and Greeksn are all under sin,F,o 10 as it is written:
There is no one righteous, not even one.
11 There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
all alike have become worthless.
There is no one who does what is good,
13 Their throat is an open grave;
they deceive with their tongues.H,q
Vipers’ venom is under their lips.I,r
14 Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.J,s
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,
17 and the path of peace they have not known.K,t
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.L,u
19 Now we know that whatever the law says,v it speaks to those who are subject to the law,M,w so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.N,x 20 For no one will be justifiedO in his sight by the works of the law,y because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.z
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD THROUGH FAITH
21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed,aa attested by the Law and the Prophets.P,ab 22 The righteousness of God is through faithac in Jesus ChristQ,ad to all who believe,ae since there is no distinction.af 23 For all have sinnedag and fall short of theR glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his graceah through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.ai 25 God presented him as the mercy seatS,aj by his blood,ak through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint Godal passed over the sins previously committed.am 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting?an It is excluded. By what kind of law?u,ao By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a lawV of faith. 28 For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.ap 29 Or is God the God of Jews only?aq Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is one Godar who will justify the circumcised by faithas and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not!at On the contrary, we uphold the law.au
4 What then will we say that Abraham, our forefatherav according to the flesh, has found?W 2 If Abraham was justifiedX by works,aw he has something to boast about—but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness.A,a 4 Now to the one who works,b pay is not credited as a gift, but as something owed. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly,c his faith is credited for righteousness.
DAVID CELEBRATING THE SAME TRUTH
6 Likewise, David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven
and whose sins are covered.
the Lord will never charge with sin.B,d
ABRAHAM JUSTIFIED BEFORE CIRCUMCISION
9 Is this blessing only for the circumcised,e then? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say, Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness.A,f 10 In what way, then, was it credited—while he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? It was not while he was circumcised, but uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcisiong as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith* h while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the fatheri of all who believej but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also. 12 And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised.
THE PROMISE GRANTED THROUGH FAITH
13 For the promise to Abrahamk or to his descendants that he would inherit the worldl was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 If those who are of the law are heirs,m faith is made empty and the promise nullified, 15 because the law produces wrath.n And where there is no law,o there is no transgression.
16 This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace,p to guarantee it to all the descendantsq—not only to the one who is of the lawD but also to the one who is of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations—E,r in the presence of the God in whom he believed, the one who gives life to the deads and callst things into existence that do not exist.u 18 He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nationsE,v according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.F,w 19 He did not weaken in faith when he consideredG his own body to be already deadx (since he was about a hundred years old)y and also the deadness of Sarah’s womb.z 20 He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,aa 21 because he was fully convincedab that what God had promised, he was also able to do.ac 22 Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness.A,ad 23 Now it was credited to himA was not written for Abraham alone,ae 24 but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in himaf who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.ag 25 He was delivered up forH our trespassesah and raised for our justification.ai