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 ^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, ^op10as it is written: ^q

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 useless.

There is no one who does what is good,

not even one. ^rs

¹³Their throat is an open grave;

they deceive with their tongues. ^tu

Vipers’ venom is under their lips. ^vw

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

¹⁵Their feet are swift to shed blood;

¹⁶ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,

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

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

¹⁹Now we know that whatever the law says ^dspeaks to those who are subject to the law, ^efso that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment. ^gh20For no one will be justified ⁱin His sight by the works of the law, ^jbecause the knowledge of sin comes through the law. ^k

God’s Righteousness through Faith

²¹But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed ^l—attested by the Law and the Prophets ^mn22—that is, God’s righteousness through faith ^oin Jesus Christ, ^pqto all who believe, ^rsince there is no distinction. ^s23For all have sinned ^tand fall short of the ^uglory of God. ²⁴They are justified freely by His grace ^vthrough the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. ^w25God presented Him as a propitiation ^xythrough faith in His blood, ^zto demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God ^apassed over the sins previously committed. ^b26God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous ^cthe one who has faith in Jesus.

Boasting Excluded

²⁷Where then is boasting? ^dIt is excluded. By what kind of law? ^efBy one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law ^gof faith. ²⁸For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. ^h29Or is God for Jews only? ⁱIs He not also for Gentiles? Yes, for Gentiles too, ³⁰since there is one God ^jwho will justify the circumcised by faith ^kand the uncircumcised through faith. ³¹Do we then cancel the law through faith? Absolutely not! ^lOn the contrary, we uphold the law. ^m