Romans 3

God’s Judgment Defended

1What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2Much in every way! Chiefly because #Deut. 4:5–8; Ps. 147:19; Rom. 9:4to them were committed the oracles of God. 3For what if #Rom. 10:16; Heb. 4:2some did not believe? #Num. 23:19; (2 Tim. 2:13)Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4#Job 40:8Certainly not! Indeed, let #(John 3:33)God be true but #Ps. 62:9every man a liar. As it is written:

#Ps. 51:4“That You may be justified in Your words,

And may overcome when You are judged.”

5But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? #Rom. 6:19; 1 Cor. 9:8; 15:32; Gal. 3:15(I speak as a man.) 6Certainly not! For then #(Gen. 18:25)how will God judge the world?

7For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8And why not say, #Rom. 5:20“Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

All Have Sinned

9What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that #Rom. 3:19, 23; 11:32; Gal. 3:22they are all under sin.

10As it is written:

#Ps. 14:1–3; 53:1–3; Eccl. 7:20“There is none righteous, no, not one;

11There is none who understands;

There is none who seeks after God.

12They have all turned aside;

They have together become unprofitable;

There is none who does good, no, not one.”

13“Their#Ps. 5:9 throat is an open tomb;

With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

#Ps. 140:3“The poison of asps is under their lips”;

14“Whose#Ps. 10:7 mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”

15“Their#Prov. 1:16; Is. 59:7, 8 feet are swift to shed blood;

16Destruction and misery are in their ways;

17And the way of peace they have not known.”

18“There#Ps. 36:1 is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19Now we know that whatever #John 10:34the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that #Job 5:16; Ps. 107:42every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20Therefore #Ps. 143:2; (Acts 13:39; Gal. 2:16)by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

God’s Righteousness Through Faith

21But now #Acts 15:11the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, #John 5:46being witnessed by the Law #1 Pet. 1:10and the Prophets, 22even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For #Rom. 10:12; (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11)there is no difference; 23for #Gal. 3:22all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24being justified freely #Rom. 4:4, 16; (Eph. 2:8; Titus 3:5, 7)by His grace #(Matt. 20:28; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; 1 Tim. 2:6; Heb. 9:12, 15; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19)through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God set forth #Lev. 16:15as a propitiation #Col. 1:20by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over #Acts 14:16; 17:30; (Rom. 2:4)the sins that were previously committed, 26to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Boasting Excluded

27#Rom. 2:17, 23; (1 Cor. 1:29); Eph. 2:9Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28Therefore we conclude #Gal. 2:16that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30since #Rom. 10:12; (Gal. 3:8, 20)there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

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Romans 3: NKJV

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