Romans 3 — TNTC

Advantage

3Verse 1So what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the profit of circumcision?^{Verse 2}Much in every way!⁺First of all, because they were entrusted with the oracles of God.^{+Verse 3}So, what if some did not believe? Their unbelief will not nullify God's faithfulness, will it?^{Verse 4}Of course not! Rather, let God be found true, but every man a liar; just as it is written:“That you may be justified in your words,and may overcome when you are judged.”⁺

A conundrum

^{Verse 5}Now if our unrighteousness highlights God's righteousness, what shall we say? God is not unrighteous for inflicting His wrath, is He? (I speak as a man.)^{Verse 6}Of course not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?^{Verse 7}Still, if the truth of God abounded to His glory by my falsehood, just why am I still judged as a sinner?^{+Verse 8}However, we must not say, “Let us do evil so that good may come” (as some people slanderously claim that we do)—their condemnation is well deserved!⁺

All are under sin

^{Verse 9}What then? Are we any better? Not at all! For we have already charged both Jews and Greeks⁺that they are all under sin.^{Verse 10}Just as it is written:“No one is righteous, not even one;^{Verse 11}there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.^{Verse 12}All have turned aside, together they have been made useless;there is no one who shows kindness,
no, not so much as one.”^{+Verse 13}“Their throat is an opened grave;they habitually deceive with their tongues.”⁺“Viper's venom is under their lips”;^{+
Verse 14}“whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”^{+
Verse 15}“Their feet are swift to shed blood;^{Verse 16}ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,
^{Verse 17}and the way of peace they have not known.”^{+Verse 18}“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”^{+Verse 19}Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world become accountable to God.^{Verse 20}It follows that no flesh will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, because through the law comes the real knowledge of sin.⁺

Righteousness by faith

^{Verse 21}But now, apart from law, a righteousness from God has been revealed, being attested by the Law and the Prophets,^{Verse 22}namely, a righteousness from God through faith in Jesus Christ, into all and upon all⁺those who believe. There is no difference:^{Verse 23}all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,^{+Verse 24}being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;^{Verse 25}whom God has openly made available as a propitiation through the faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness because of the passing over, in God's forbearance, of the previously committed sins;^{+Verse 26}to demonstrate His righteousness at this present time, so as to be just, Himself, and the justifier of him who is of the Faith of Jesus.^{+Verse 27}Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law, that of works? No, but by a law of faith.^{Verse 28}Therefore we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from works of law.^{Verse 29}Or is God for Jews only? Is He not also for Gentiles? Yes, also for Gentiles,^{Verse 30}since indeed there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through the Faith.^{+Verse 31}Do we then nullify law through the Faith? Of course not! Rather, we uphold law.⁺