God’s Judgment Defended

3 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because ato them were committed the 1oracles of God. 3 For what if bsome did not believe? cWill their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 dCertainly not! Indeed, let eGod be 2true but fevery man a liar. As it is written:

g“That You may be justified in Your words,

And may overcome when You are judged.”

5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? h(I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then ihow will God judge the world?

7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, j“Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their 3condemnation is just.

All Have Sinned

9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that kthey are all under sin.

10 As it is written:

l“There is none righteous, no, not one;

11 There is none who understands;

There is none who seeks after God.

12 They have all turned aside;

They have together become unprofitable;

There is none who does good, no, not one.”

13 “Their mthroat is an open 4tomb;

With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

n“The poison of asps is under their lips”;

14 “Whose omouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”

15 “Their pfeet are swift to shed blood;

16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;

17 And the way of peace they have not known.”

18 “There qis no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever rthe law says, it says to those who are under the law, that severy mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become 5guilty before God. 20 Therefore tby the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

God’s Righteousness Through Faith

21 But now uthe righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, vbeing witnessed by the Law wand the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all 6and on all who believe. For xthere is no difference; 23 for yall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified 7freely zby His grace athrough the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth bas a 8propitiation cby His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over dthe sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Boasting Excluded

27 eWhere is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude fthat a man is 9justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since gthere is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.