Study Desk

But by your hard and unchanged heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of the revelation of God's judging in righteousness;

But to those who, from a love of competition, are not guided by what is true, will come the heat of his wrath,

But glory and honour and peace to all whose works are good, to the Jew first and then to the Greek:

For it is not the hearers of the law who will be judged as having righteousness before God, but only the doers:

But as for you who have the name of Jew, and are resting on the law, and take pride in God,

It is true that circumcision is of use if you keep the law, but if you go against the law it is as if you had it not.

But he is a Jew who is a secret one, whose circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.

In no way: but let God be true, though every man is seen to be untrue; as it is said in the Writings, That your words may be seen to be true, and you may be seen to be right when you are judged.

But if the righteousness of God is supported by our wrongdoing what is to be said? is it wrong for God to be angry (as men may say)?

But if, because I am untrue, God being seen to be true gets more glory, why am I to be judged as a sinner?

But now without the law there is a revelation of the righteousness of God, to which witness is given by the law and the prophets;

What reason, then, is there for pride? It is shut out. By what sort of law? of works? No, but by a law of faith.

Do we, then, through faith make the law of no effect? in no way: but we make it clear that the law is important.

For if Abraham got righteousness by works, he has reason for pride; but not before God.

But what does it say in the holy Writings? And Abraham had faith in God, and it was put to his account as righteousness.

Now, the reward is credited to him who does works, not as of grace but as a debt.

But to him who without working has faith in him who gives righteousness to the evil-doer, his faith is put to his account as righteousness.

How, then, was it judged? when he had circumcision, or when he had it not? Not when he had it, but when he did not have it:

And the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who keep to the way of that faith which our father Abraham had before he underwent circumcision.

For God's word, that the earth would be his heritage, was given to Abraham, not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.