25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you apractice 1the Law; but if you are a transgressor 2of the Law, byour circumcision has become uncircumcision.

26 aSo if bthe 1uncircumcised man ckeeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

27 And ahe who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not bjudge you who 1though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor 2of the Law?

28 For ahe is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.

29 But ahe is a Jew who is one inwardly; and bcircumcision is that which is of the heart, by the cSpirit, not by the letter; dand his praise is not from men, but from God.

Chapter 3

All the World Guilty

1 Then what 1advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?

2 Great in every respect. First of all, that athey were entrusted with the boracles of God.

3 What then? If asome 1did not believe, their 2unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?

4 aMay it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found ba liar, as it is written,

“cThat You may be justified in Your words,

And prevail when You 1are judged.”

5 But if our unrighteousness 1ademonstrates the righteousness of God, bwhat shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (cI am speaking in human terms.)

6 aMay it never be! For otherwise, how will bGod judge the world?

7 But if through my lie athe truth of God abounded to His glory, bwhy am I also still being judged as a sinner?

8 And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “aLet us do evil that good may come”? 1Their condemnation is just.

9 What then? 1aAre we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both bJews and cGreeks are dall under sin;