Advantage

1So what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the profit of circumcision?

2Much in every way! ⁵¹First of all, because they were entrusted with the oracles of God. ⁵²

3So, what if some did not believe? Their unbelief will not nullify God's faithfulness, will it?

4Of course not! Rather, let God be found true, but every man a liar; just as it is written: “That you may be justified in your words, and may overcome when you are judged.” ⁵³

A conundrum

5Now if our unrighteousness highlights God's righteousness, what shall we say? God is not unrighteous for inflicting His wrath, is He? (I speak as a man.)

6Of course not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?

7Still, if the truth of God abounded to His glory by my falsehood, just why am I still judged as a sinner? ⁵⁴

8However, we must not say, “Let us do evil so that good may come” (as some people slanderously claim that we do)—their condemnation is well deserved! ⁵⁵

All are under sin

9What then? Are we any better? Not at all! For we have already charged both Jews and Greeks ⁵⁶that they are all under sin.

10Just as it is written: “No one is righteous, not even one;

11there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.

12All have turned aside, together they have been made useless; there is no one who shows kindness,
no, not so much as one.” ⁵⁷

13“Their throat is an opened grave; they habitually deceive with their tongues.” ⁵⁸“Viper's venom is under their lips”; ⁵⁹

14“whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” ⁶⁰

15“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,

17and the way of peace they have not known.” ⁶¹

18“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” ⁶²

19Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world become accountable to God.

20It follows that no flesh will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, because through the law comes the real knowledge of sin. ⁶³

Righteousness by faith

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

22namely, a righteousness from God through faith in Jesus Christ, into all and upon all ⁶⁴those who believe. There is no difference:

23all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ⁶⁵

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

25whom God has openly made available as a propitiation through the faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness because of the passing over, in God's forbearance, of the previously committed sins; ⁶⁶

26to demonstrate His righteousness at this present time, so as to be just, Himself, and the justifier of him who is of the Faith of Jesus. ⁶⁷

27Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law, that of works? No, but by a law of faith.

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

29Or is God for Jews only? Is He not also for Gentiles? Yes, also for Gentiles,

30since indeed there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through the Faith. ⁶⁸

31Do we then nullify law through the Faith? Of course not! Rather, we uphold law. ⁶⁹