Romans 3

¹What then is the advantage of the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?

²Much in every way. First of all, indeed, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

³For what if some were without faith? Will their lack of faith nullify the faithfulness of God?

⁴May it never be! Let God be found true, though every man a liar; as it has been written: 'That you may be justified in your words, and may prevail when you come into judgment.'

⁵But if our unrighteousness demonstrates God's righteousness, what shall we say? Is God who inflicts the wrath unjust? I speak according to human standards —

⁶May it never be! For otherwise how will God judge the world?

⁷But if the truth of God abounded to his glory through my lie, why am I still also being judged as a sinner?

⁸And why not — as we are slandered and as some affirm that we say — let us do evil that good may come? Their condemnation is just.

⁹What then? Are we in a better position? Not at all; for we have already charged both Jews and Greeks that all are under sin,

¹⁰As it has been written, that there is none righteous, not even one;

¹¹there is none who understands, there is none who seeks after God;

¹²All turned away, together they became worthless; there is none doing good, there is not so much as one.

¹³Their throat is an opened grave; with their tongues they were practicing deceit; the venom of asps is under their lips;

¹⁴whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

¹⁵swift are their feet to shed blood;

¹⁶ruin and misery are in their ways;

¹⁷and the way of peace they have not known.

¹⁸There is no fear of God before their eyes.

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

²⁰Because by works of law no flesh will be justified before him; for through the law comes knowledge of sin.

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

²²even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe; for there is no distinction.

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

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

²⁵whom God put forward as a propitiation through faith, in his blood, as a demonstration of his righteousness, because of the passing over of sins previously committed,

²⁶for the demonstration of his righteousness in the present season, so that he might be just and the one who justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.

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

²⁸For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

²⁹Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not also of Gentiles? Yes, of Gentiles also,

³⁰since 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.