God’s Righteousness Upheld
Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, athe Jews were entrusted with bthe oracles of God. 3 aWhat if some were unfaithful? bDoes their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! aLet God be true though bevery one were a liar, as it is written,
c“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you dare judged.”
5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict awrath on us? (bI speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could aGod judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, awhy am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not ado evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
No One Is Righteous
9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both aJews and bGreeks, are cunder sin, 10 as it is written:
a“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13 a“Their throat is ban open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
c“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 a“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 a“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and athe way of peace they have not known.”
18 a“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever athe law says it speaks to those who are under the law, bso that every mouth may be stopped, and cthe whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For aby works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since bthrough the law comes knowledge of sin.
The Righteousness of God Through Faith
21 But now athe righteousness of God bhas been manifested apart from the law, although cthe Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God athrough faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. bFor there is no distinction: 23 for aall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 aand are justified bby his grace as a gift, cthrough the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God aput forward as ba propitiation cby his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in dhis divine forbearance he had passed over eformer sins. 26 It 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 aThen 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. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith aapart from works of the law. 29 Or ais God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since aGod is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and bthe uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.