Romans 3

Romans 3:1-4

¹Then what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the profit of circumcision? ²Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the revelations of God. ³For what if some were without faith? Will their lack of faith nullify the faithfulness of God? ⁴May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written, “that you might be justified in your words, and might prevail when you come into judgment.”

Jewish advantage is real—especially being entrusted with God’s oracles—yet human unbelief cannot nullify God’s faithfulness; He remains true though every person were a liar.

Romans 3:5-8

⁵But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak like men do. ⁶May it never be! For then how will God judge the world? ⁷For if the truth of God through my lie abounded to his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? ⁸Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), “Let’s do evil, that good may come?” Those who say so are justly condemned.

Paul rejects the twisted logic that our unrighteousness somehow justifies God’s wrath being wrong, or that we should do evil that good may come.

Romans 3:9-18

⁹What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way. For we previously warned both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. ¹⁰As it is written, “There is no one righteous; no, not one. ¹¹There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. ¹²They have all turned away. They have together become unprofitable. There is no one who does good, no, not so much as one.” ¹³“Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit.” “The poison of vipers is under their lips.” ¹⁴“Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” ¹⁵“Their feet are swift to shed blood. ¹⁶Destruction and misery are in their ways. ¹⁷The way of peace, they haven’t known.” ¹⁸“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Jews and Greeks are alike under sin; Scripture testifies that none is righteous, none seeks God, and violence and ruin mark human speech and paths.

Romans 3:19-20

¹⁹Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God. ²⁰Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight; for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

The law speaks so every mouth may be stopped and the whole world held accountable; by works of the law no flesh is justified, for through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Romans 3:21-22

²¹But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets; ²²even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction,

But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed—testified by the Law and the Prophets—through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

Romans 3:23

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

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God—a universal verdict that levels every boast and prepares the way for free justification.

Romans 3:24

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

Those who fall short are justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 3:25-26

²⁵whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance; ²⁶to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time, that he might himself be just and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.

God put forward Christ as an atoning sacrifice by His blood, demonstrating righteousness in passing over former sins and proving He is just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:27-30

²⁷Where then is the boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. ²⁸We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. ²⁹Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, ³⁰since indeed there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

Boasting is excluded by the law of faith; a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law, and God is one—justifying the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

Romans 3:31

³¹Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.

Faith does not nullify the law; it upholds the law’s true intent as fulfilled in the gospel’s righteousness.

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