Romans 2:25–3:9

Circumcision of the Heart

²⁵For circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. ^l26Therefore if an uncircumcised ^mman keeps the law’s requirements, ⁿwill his uncircumcision not be counted as circumcision? ²⁷A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who fulfills the law, will judge you ^owho are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. ²⁸For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, ^pand true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. ²⁹On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, ^qand circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. ^rsThat man’s praise ^tis not from men but from God. ^u

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 ^vwith the spoken words of God. ^w3What then? If some did not believe, ^xwill their unbelief cancel God’s faithfulness? ⁴Absolutely not! ^yGod must be true, even if everyone is a liar, ^zas it is written:

That You may be justified in Your words

and triumph when You judge. ^ab

⁵But if our unrighteousness highlights ^cGod’s righteousness, ^dwhat are we to say? ^eI use a human argument: ^fgIs God unrighteous to inflict wrath? ⁶Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world? ^h7But if by my lie God’s truth is amplified to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? ⁱ⁸And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”? ^jTheir condemnation is deserved!

The Whole World Guilty before God

⁹What then? Are we any better? ^kNot at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews ^land Gentiles ^mnare all under sin, ^op