God's Judgment Defended

1What then is the superiority of the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?

2Much in every way! First of all, that they were entrusted with the very words of God!

3For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God?

4By no means! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar, just as it is written:
“That You may be justified in Your words,
and You may prevail when You are judged.”

5But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Surely God, the One inflicting wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I speak as a man.)

6By no means! For otherwise how shall God judge the world?

7For if by my lie the truth of God has abounded to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

8And why not say, “Let us do evil so that good may come”?—just as we are slandered, and just as some affirm that we say. The judgment of whom is just.

All Have Sinned

9What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.

10Just as it is written:
“There is none righteous, no not one.

11There is none who understands;
there is none who seeks God.

12All have turned aside;
together they became unprofitable;
there is not one doing kindness, there is not so much as one.

13Their throat is an opened grave;
with their tongues they deceived;
the poison of asps is under their lips;

14Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

15Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16Ruin and misery are in their ways;

17and the way of peace they did not know.

18There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19Now we know that as many things as the law says, it speaks to those under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be held accountable to God.

20Therefore by works of the law no flesh shall be justified in His sight, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

Righteousness Through Faith

21But now the righteousness of God apart from the law has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

22even the righteousness of God, through faith ⁰in Jesus Christ, to all and upon all those that believe. For there is no distinction;

23for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,

24being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

25whom God set forth as a propitiation through faith in His blood, for a demonstration of His righteousness through the passing over of the sins having previously committed, in the forbearance of God,

26for a demonstration of His righteousness in the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of he who has faith in Jesus.

27Where then is boasting? It is excluded. Through what law? Of works? No, but through the law of faith.

28Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

29Or is He the God of the Jews only? But is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,

30since there is one God who will justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcised through faith.

31Therefore do we nullify the law through faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.