Romans 3

What advantage, then, does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they were entrusted with the words of God. For what if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify the faithfulness of God? Absolutely not! Yes, let God be found true, but every human a liar. As it is written,

“that you might be justified in your words, and might conquer when you come into judgment.”+Psa 51:4

But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what will we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? (I am speaking in human terms.) Absolutely not! For then how will God judge the world? For if through my lie the truth of God enhances his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? Why not say, as some slanderously report that we affirm, “Let’s do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned.

Not One Is Righteous

What then? Are we in a better position? Not at all! For we already made the charge that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin. As it is written,

“There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks God. They have all turned away. They have together become useless. There is no one who does good, no, not even one.”+Psa 14:1-7:20 “Their throat is an open grave. They deceive with their tongues.”+Psa 5:9 “The poison of vipers is under their lips.”+Psa 140:3 “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”+Psa 10:7 “Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways. The way of peace, they have not known.”+Isa 59:7-8 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”+Psa 36:1

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those under the law, so that every mouth may be closed, and all the world would become accountable to God. For by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified before ʜɪᴍ, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

Righteousness Through Faith

But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the law and the prophets. The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fail to meet the glory of God, and all are justified freely by ʜɪꜱ grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice through faith in his blood. This was a demonstration of ʜɪꜱ righteousness, through the restraint of God in passing over sins already committed to demonstrate ʜɪꜱ righteousness at this present time, so that ʜᴇ might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Where then is the boasting? It is shut out. By what sort of law? Of works? No, rather by a law of faith. We compute, then, that a human is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t ʜᴇ the God of ethnic groups also? Yes, of ethnic groups too! After all, there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not! Instead, we uphold the law.