Romans 3

God’s Righteousness Upheld

1Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2Much in every way. To begin with, #Deut. 4:8; Ps. 147:19, 20; See John 4:22 the Jews were entrusted with #See Acts 7:38the oracles of God. 3#ch. 10:16; Heb. 4:2 What if some were unfaithful? #[ch. 9:6; 2 Tim. 2:13]Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4By no means! #See John 8:26 Let God be true though #Ps. 62:9; 116:11; [ver. 7] every one were a liar, as it is written,

# Cited from Ps. 51:4 (Gk.) “That you may be justified in your words,

and prevail when you #[Job 9:32]are judged.”

5But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict #[ch. 2:5] wrath on us? (#ch. 6:19; 1 Cor. 9:8; Gal. 3:15; [1 Cor. 15:32]I speak in a human way.) 6By no means! For then how could #[Gen. 18:25; Job 8:3]; See ch. 2:16God judge the world? 7But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, #[ch. 9:19]why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8And why not #[ch. 6:1, 15]do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

No One Is Righteous

9What then? Are we Jews#3:9 Greek Are we any better off?#3:9 Or at any disadvantage? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both #ch. 2:1-29 Jews and #ch. 1:18-32 Greeks, are #Gal. 3:22; [ver. 19, 23; ch. 11:32; Prov. 20:9]under sin, 10as it is written:

# ver. 10-12, cited from Ps. 14:1-3; 53:1-3 “None is righteous, no, not one;

11no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

12All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.”

13 # Cited from Ps. 5:9 “Their throat is #Jer. 5:16 an open grave;

they use their tongues to deceive.”

# Cited from Ps. 140:3 “The venom of asps is under their lips.”

14 # Cited from Ps. 10:7 (Gk.) “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”

15 # Cited from Prov. 1:16; ver. 15-17, cited from Isa. 59:7, 8 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16in their paths are ruin and misery,

17and #Luke 1:79the way of peace they have not known.”

18 # Cited from Ps. 36:1 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19Now we know that whatever #John 10:34; 15:25 the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, #Job 5:16; Ps. 63:11; 107:42; Ezek. 16:63; [ch. 1:20; 2:1] so that every mouth may be stopped, and #See ver. 9the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For #Gal. 2:16; [Ps. 143:2; Acts 13:39] by works of the law no human being#3:20 Greek flesh will be justified in his sight, since #ch. 7:7; [ch. 4:15; 5:13, 20]through the law comes knowledge of sin.

The Righteousness of God Through Faith

21But now #See ch. 1:17 the righteousness of God #ch. 16:26; 2 Tim. 1:10 has been manifested apart from the law, although #Acts 10:43; [ch. 1:2; John 5:46]the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God #ch. 4:5; [2 Tim. 3:15] through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. #ch. 10:12; [Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11]For there is no distinction: 23for #See ver. 9all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24#Titus 3:7 and are justified #ch. 4:4, 5, 16; See Acts 15:11 by his grace as a gift, #Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:15; [1 Cor. 1:30]through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God #Eph. 1:9 put forward as #See 1 John 2:2 a propitiation #ch. 5:9; Eph. 2:13 by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in #ch. 2:4 his divine forbearance he had passed over #[Acts 17:30]former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

27 # ch. 2:17, 23; 4:2; 1 Cor. 1:29-31; Eph. 2:9; 2 Tim. 1:9; See Acts 13:39 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that one is justified by faith #See James 2:18apart from works of the law. 29Or #ch. 9:24; 10:12; 15:9is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since #Gal. 3:20; [ch. 10:12] God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and #Gal. 3:8; [ch. 4:9]; See ch. 2:26the uncircumcised through faith. 31Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

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