Paul Answers an Objection

1So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusteda with the spoken words of God.b 3What then? If some did not believe,c will their unbelief cancel God’s faithfulness? 4Absolutely not!d God must be true, even if everyone is a liar,e as it is written:

That You may be justified in Your words

and triumph when You judge.f, g

5But if our unrighteousness highlightsh God’s righteousness,i what are we to say?j I use a human argument:k, l Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? 6Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?m 7But if by my lie God’s truth is amplified to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?n 8And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”?o Their condemnation is deserved!

The Whole World Guilty before God

9What then? Are we any better?p Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jewsq and Gentilesr, s are all under sin,t, u 10as it is written:v

There is no one righteous, not even one.

11There is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

12All have turned away;

all alike have become useless.

There is no one who does what is good,

not even one.w, x

13Their throat is an open grave;

they deceive with their tongues.y, z

Vipers’ venom is under their lips.aa, ab

14Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.ac, ad

15Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,

17and the path of peace they have not known.ae, af

18There is no fear of God before their eyes.ag, ah

19Now we know that whatever the law saysai speaks to those who are subject to the law,aj, ak so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.al, am 20For no one will be •justifiedan in His sight by the works of the law,ao because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.ap

God’s Righteousness through Faith

21But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealedaq — attested by the Law and the Prophetsar, as 22 — that is, God’s righteousness through faithat in Jesus Christ,au, av to all who believe,aw since there is no distinction.ax 23For all have sinneday and fall short of theaz glory of God. 24They are justified freely by His graceba through the •redemption that is in Christ Jesus.bb 25God presented Him as a •propitiationbc, bd through faith in His blood,be to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint Godbf passed over the sins previously committed.bg 26God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteousbh the one who has faith in Jesus.

Boasting Excluded

27Where then is boasting?bi It is excluded. By what kind of law?bj, bk By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a lawbl of faith. 28For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.bm 29Or is God for Jews only?bn Is He not also for Gentiles? Yes, for Gentiles too, 30since there is one Godbo who will justify the circumcised by faithbp and the uncircumcised through faith. 31Do we then cancel the law through faith? Absolutely not!bq On the contrary, we uphold the law.br