Study Desk

Then what ^[a]advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?

Great in every respect. First of all, that ^(a)they were entrusted with the ^(b)oracles of God.

What then? If ^(c)some ^[b]did not believe, their ^[c]unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?

^(d)May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found ^(e)a liar, as it is written, "^(f) That You may be justified in Your words , And prevail when You ^[d] are judged ."

But if our unrighteousness ^[e](g)demonstrates the righteousness of God, ^(h)what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (⁽ⁱ⁾I am speaking in human terms.)

^(j)May it never be! For otherwise, how will ^(k)God judge the world?

But if through my lie ^(l)the truth of God abounded to His glory, ^(m)why am I also still being judged as a sinner?

And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), "⁽ⁿ⁾Let us do evil that good may come"? ^[f]Their condemnation is just.

What then? ^[g](o)Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both ^(p)Jews and ^(q)Greeks are ^(r)all under sin;

as it is written, "^(s) There is none righteous, not even one ;

There is none who understands , There is none who seeks for God ;

All have turned aside, together they have become useless ; There is none who does good , There is not even one ."

"^(t) Their throat is an open grave , With their tongues they keep deceiving ," "^(u) The poison of asps is under their lips ";

"^(v) Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness ";

"^(w) Their feet are swift to shed blood ,

Destruction and misery are in their paths ,

And the path of peace they have not known ."

"^(x) There is no fear of God before their eyes ."

Now we know that whatever the ^(y)Law says, it speaks to ^(z)those who are ^[h]under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and ^(aa)all the world may become accountable to God;

because ^(ab)by the works ^[i]of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for ^[j](ac)through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

But now apart ^[k]from the Law ^(ad)the righteousness of God has been manifested, being ^(ae)witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

even the ^(af)righteousness of God through ^(ag)faith ^(ah)in Jesus Christ for ^(ai)all those ^[l]who believe; for ^(aj)there is no distinction;

for all ^[m](ak)have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

being justified as a gift ^(al)by His grace through ^(am)the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

whom God displayed publicly as ^(an)a ^[n]propitiation ^[o](ao)in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, ^[p]because in the ^(ap)forbearance of God He ^(aq)passed over the sins previously committed;

for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who ^[q]has faith in Jesus.

Where then is ^(ar)boasting? It is excluded. By ^(as)what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

^[r]For ^(at)we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works ^[s]of the Law.

Or ^(au)is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,

since indeed ^(av)God ^(aw)who will justify the ^[t]circumcised ^[u]by faith and the ^[v]uncircumcised through faith ^(ax)is one.

Do we then nullify ^[w]the Law through faith? ^(ay)May it never be! On the contrary, we ^(az)establish the Law.