Romans 3

PAUL ANSWERS AN OBJECTION

3So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? ²Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted^a with the very words of God.^{b 3}What then? If some were unfaithful,^c will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? ⁴Absolutely 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.^Af

⁵But if our unrighteousness highlights^B God’s righteousness,^g what are we to say?^h I am using a human argument:^Ci Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? ⁶Absolutely 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

⁹What then? Are we any better off?^D Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews^m and Greeksⁿ are all under sin,^{Eo 10}as it is written:

There is no one righteous, not even one.

¹¹There is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

¹²All have turned away;

all alike have become worthless.

There is no one who does what is good,

not even one.^Fp

¹³Their throat is an open grave;

they deceive with their tongues.^Gq

Vipers’ venom is under their lips.^Hr

¹⁴Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.^Is

¹⁵Their feet are swift to shed blood;

¹⁶ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,

¹⁷and the path of peace they have not known.^Jt

¹⁸There is no fear of God before their eyes.^Ku

¹⁹Now we know that whatever the law says,^v it speaks to those who are subject to the law,^Lw so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.^{Mx 20}For no one will be justified^N 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

²¹But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed,^aa attested by the Law and the Prophets.^{Oab 22}The righteousness of God is through faith^ac in Jesus Christ^Pad to all who believe,^ae since there is no distinction.^{af 23}For all have sinned^ag and fall short of the^Q glory of God; ²⁴they are justified freely by his grace^ah through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.^{ai 25}God presented him as the mercy seat^Raj by his blood,^ak through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God^al 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.

BOASTING EXCLUDED

²⁷Where, then, is boasting?^an It is excluded. By what kind of law?^Aao By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law^B of faith. ²⁸For 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, ³⁰since there is one God^ar who will justify the circumcised by faith^as and the uncircumcised through faith. ³¹Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not!^at On the contrary, we uphold the law.^au