New Testament · Romans

Romans 3

God Remains Faithful

1What then is the advantage of the Jew, or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2Great in every way — first, because they were entrusted with the oracless of God.^a

3For what if some were faithless? Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4May it never be! Let God be true^b, though every man is a liar, as it is written: "That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged^c."

5But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness^d of God, what shall we say? God is not unrighteous to inflict wrath^e, is He? — I am speaking in a human way. 6May it never be! For how will God judge the world? 7But if the truth^f of God abounded to His glory through my lie, why am I still also being judged as a sinner? 8And why not say — as we are slandered and as some claim we say — "Let us do evil that good may come"? The verdict^g of such people is just.

There Is No One Righteous

(Psalm 14:1–7; Psalm 53:1–6; Isaiah 59:1–17)

9What then? Do we have an advantage? Not at all! For we have already charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin, 10as it is written: "There is no righteous one, not even one;

11there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God.
12All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who does good, there is not even one.
13Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they practiced deceit; the venom of asps is under their lips.
14Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
15Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16ruin and misery are in their paths,
17and the way of peace^h they have not known.
18There is no fear of God before their eyes."

19Now we know that whatever the lawⁱ says, it speaks to those under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become accountable to God. 20Because by works of law no flesh^j will be justified before Him, for through law comes complete knowledge of sin.^k

Righteousness through Faith in Messiah

(Philippians 3:1–11)

21But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, being attested by the law and the prophets — 22the righteousness of God through the faith of Yeshua Messiah to all and upon all who believe; for there is no distinction, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24being justified freely^l by His grace^m through the redemptionⁿ that is in Messiah Yeshua,

25whom God set forth as a propitiation^o through faith in His blood, for a demonstration of His righteousness, on account of the passing over of previously committed sins 26in the forbearance of God — for the demonstration of His righteousness in the present appointed time, so that He might be righteous and the one who justifies the one who is of the faith of Yeshua.^p

27Where then is boasting? It has been excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from works of law.

29Or is He the God of Jews only? Is He not also the God of nations? Yes, of nations also, 30since indeed God is one, who will justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith.

31Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we uphold the law.