Everyone is a Sinner

1What advantage, then, does the Jew have, or what value is there in circumcision? 2There are all kinds of advantages! First of all, the Jewsa have been entrusted with the utterances of God. 3What if some of the Jewsb were unfaithful? Their unfaithfulness cannot cancel God’s faithfulness, can it? 4Of course not! God is true, even if everyone else is a liar. As it is written,

“You are right when you speak,c

and win your case when you go into court.”d

5But if our unrighteousness serves to confirm God’s righteousness, what can we say? God is not unrighteous when he vents his wrath on us, is he? (I am talking in human terms.) 6Of course not! Otherwise, how could God judge the world? 7Fore if through my falsehood God’s truthfulness glorifies him even more, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8Or can we say—as some people slander us by claiming that we say—“Let’s do evil that good may result”? They deserve to be condemned!

9What, then, does this mean?f Are we Jewsg any better off? Not at all! For we have already accused everyone, both Jews and Greeks, of being under the power ofh sin. 10As it is written,

“Not even one person is righteous.

11No one understands.

No one searches for God.

12All have turned away.

They have become completely worthless.

No one shows kindness, not even one person!i

13Their throats are open graves.

With their tongues they deceive.j

The venom of poisonous snakes is under their lips.k

14Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.l

15They run swiftlym to shed blood.

16Ruin and misery characterize their lives.

17They have not learned the path to peace.n

18They don’t fear God.o

19Now we know that whatever the Law says applies to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20Therefore, Godp will not justify any human being by means of the actions prescribed by the Law, for through the Law comes the full knowledge of sin.

God Gives Us Righteousness through Faith

21But now, apart from the Law, God’s righteousness is revealed and is attested by the Law and the Prophets— 22God’s righteousness through the faithfulness of Jesusq the Messiahr — for all who believe. For there is no distinction among people,s 23since all have sinned and continue to fall short of God’s glory. 24By his grace they are justified freely through the redemption that is in the Messiaht Jesus, 25whom God offered as a place where atonement by the Messiah’su blood would occur through faith. He did thisv to demonstrate his righteousness, because he had waited patiently to deal with sins committed in the past. 26He wantedw to demonstrate at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies anyone who has the faithfulness of Jesus.x

27What, then, is there to boast about? That has been eliminated. On what principle? On that of actions? No, but on the principle of faith. 28Fory we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the actions prescribed by the Law. 29Is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the gentiles, too? Yes, of the gentiles, too, 30since there is only one God who will justify the circumcised on the basis of faith and the uncircumcised by that same faith. 31Do we, then, abolish the Law by this faith? Of course not! Instead, we uphold the Law.