Romans 3:1-9:33 ¶ What advantage then has the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?

EJ2000⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ ¶ What advantage then has the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? ² Much in every way: first, certainly, that the oracles of God have been entrusted unto them. ³ For what if some of them did not believe? Shall their unbelief have made the truth of God without effect? ⁴ No, in no wise: for God is true, and every man a liar; as it is written, That thou might be justified in thy words and might overcome when thou dost judge. ⁵ And if our iniquity commends the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Shall for this reason God be unjust who sends punishment? (I speak as a man.) ⁶ No, in no wise: for then how shall God judge the world? ⁷ For if the truth of God has more abounded through my lie unto his glory, why even so am I also judged as a sinner? ⁸ And why not say (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil, that good may come? The condemnation of whom is just. ⁹ What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise; for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin; ¹⁰ as it is written, There is no one righteous, no, not one; ¹¹ there is no one that understands; there is no one that seeks after God. ¹² They are all gone out of the way; they are together become unprofitable; there is no one that does good, no, not one. ¹³ Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips, ¹⁴ whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; ¹⁵ their feet are swift to shed blood; ¹⁶ destruction and misery are in their ways, ¹⁷ and the way of peace they have not known; ¹⁸ there is no fear of God before their eyes. ¹⁹ ¶ Now we know that all that the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may submit themselves unto God. ²⁰ For by the deeds of the law, no flesh shall be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. ²¹ But now, without the law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets: ²² the righteousness, that is, of God by the faith of Jesus, the Christ, for all and upon all those that believe in him, for there is no difference; ²³ for all have sinned and are made destitute of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus, the Christ, ²⁵ whom God purposed for reconciliation through faith in his blood for the manifestation of his righteousness, for the remission of sins that are past, by the patience of God, ²⁶ manifesting in this time his righteousness that he only be the just one and the justifier of him that is of the faith of Jesus. ²⁷ Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸ Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. ²⁹ Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, ³⁰ seeing it is one God who shall justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision by faith. ³¹ Do we then make void the law through faith? No, in no wise; to the contrary, we establish the law. ⁴ ¹ ¶ What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, has found? ² For if Abraham were justified by works, he has reason to glory in himself, but not before God. ³ For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. ⁴ But unto him that works, the reward is not reckoned as grace, but as debt. ⁵ But to him that does not work, but believes in him that justifies the ungodly, the faith is counted as righteousness. ⁶ Even as David also describes the blessedness of the man unto whom God doth attribute righteousness without works, ⁷ saying, Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. ⁸ Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute sin. ⁹ ¶ Is this blessedness, therefore, only upon the circumcision or also upon the uncircumcision? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness. ¹⁰ How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. ¹¹ And he received the circumcision as a sign, as a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all the uncircumcised believers, that it might be counted unto them also as righteousness, ¹² that he be the father of the circumcision: not only to those who are of the circumcision, but also unto those who walk in the steps of the faith that was in our father Abraham before he was circumcised. ¹³ For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For if those who are of the law are the heirs, faith is in vain, and the promise annulled, ¹⁵ because the law works wrath; for where there is no law, there is no rebellion either. ¹⁶ Therefore by faith, that it might be by grace, to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to that which is of the law, but also to that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, ¹⁷ ¶ as it is written, As a father of many Gentiles have I placed thee before God, whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which are not as those that are. ¹⁸ Who believed to wait against all hope, that he might become the father of many Gentiles, according to that which had been spoken unto him, So shall thy seed be. ¹⁹ And he did not weaken in faith: he considered not his own body now dead when he was about one hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb; ²⁰ he doubted not the promise of God, with unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ being fully persuaded that he was also powerful to do all that he had promised; ²² therefore, his faith was also attributed unto him as righteousness. ²³ ¶ Now it is not written for his sake alone that it was so reckoned to him, ²⁴ but for us also to whom it shall be so reckoned, that is, to those that believe in him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵ who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. ⁵ ¹ ¶ Justified therefore by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus, the Christ, ² by whom we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and glory in hope of the glory of the sons of God. ³ And not only this, but we even glory in the tribulations, knowing that the tribulation works patience; ⁴ and patience, experience; and experience, hope; ⁵ and the hope shall not be ashamed, because the love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us. ⁶ ¶ For the Christ, when we were yet weak, in his time died for the ungodly. ⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. ⁸ But God increased the price of his charity toward us in that while we were yet sinners the Christ died for us. ⁹ Then much more now justified in his blood, we shall be saved from wrath by him. ¹⁰ For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled with God by the death of his Son, much more, now reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. ¹¹ And not only this, but we even glory in God through our Lord Jesus, the Christ, by whom we have now received the reconciliation. ¹² Therefore, in the manner which sin entered into the world by one man, and because of sin, death; and so death passed upon all men in the one in whom all sinned. ¹³ For until the law, sin was in the world; but the sin was not imputed, there being no law. ¹⁴ Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even in those that did not sin after the manner of the rebellion of Adam, who is a figure of him that was to come. ¹⁵ But not as the offense, so also is the gift. For if through the offense of that one many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of one man, Jesus the Christ, has abounded unto many. ¹⁶ Nor was it in the same manner as by one sin, likewise also the gift; for the judgment truly came of one sin unto condemnation, but grace came of many offenses unto justification. ¹⁷ For if by one offense, death reigned because of one man; much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of gifts and of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus the Christ. ¹⁸ Therefore, in the same manner that by the iniquity of one guilt came upon all men unto condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, grace came upon all men unto justification of life. ¹⁹ For as by one man’s disobedience, many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. ²⁰ Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, ²¹ so that in the same manner as sin has reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus, the Christ, our Lord. ⁶ ¹ ¶ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ² No, in no wise. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? ³ Know ye not that all of us that are baptized into Jesus the Christ are baptized into his death? ⁴ For we are buried with him by baptism into death, that just as the Christ was raised up from the dead to the glory of the Father, likewise we also walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been planted together in him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection, ⁶ knowing this: that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that we should not serve sin any longer. ⁷ For he that is dead is justified from sin. ⁸ Now if we die with the Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, ⁹ knowing that the Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more; death has no more dominion over him. ¹⁰ For he that is dead died unto sin once, and he that lives, lives unto God. ¹¹ Likewise also reckon yourselves to be truly dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ, Jesus, our Lord. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. ¹³ Neither present your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but present yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. ¹⁴ So that sin shall have no dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace. ¹⁵ What then? shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? No, in no wise. ¹⁶ Or know ye not that to whom ye present yourselves slaves to obey, his slaves ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death or of the obedience unto righteousness? ¹⁷ Thank God that, although ye were the slaves of sin, ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine unto which ye are delivered; ¹⁸ and freed from sin, ye are become the slaves of righteousness. ¹⁹ I speak a human thing because of the weakness of our flesh: that as ye presented your members to serve uncleanness and iniquity unto iniquity, likewise now present your members to serve righteousness unto holiness. ²⁰ For being previously the slaves of sin, now ye have been made the slaves of righteousness. ²¹ What fruit had ye then in those things of which ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. ²² But now freed from sin and made slaves to God, ye have as your fruit sanctification and as the end, everlasting life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the grace of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ⁷ ¹ ¶ Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to those that know the law), that the law has dominion over a man only as long as he lives? ² For the woman who is subject to a husband is obligated to the law so long as the husband lives; but if the husband dies, she is free from the law of the husband. ³ So then if, while her husband lives, she belongs to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law so that she is no adulteress if she belongs to another man. ⁴ Likewise ye also, my brethren, are become dead to the law in the body of the Christ that ye should belong to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. ⁵ For while we were in the flesh, the affections of the sins which were by the law worked in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. ⁶ But now we are free from the law of death in which we were held, that we might serve in newness of Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. ⁷ ¶ What shall we say then? Is the law sin? No, in no wise. But, I did not know sin except by the law; for neither would I have known lust if the law did not say, Thou shalt not covet. ⁸ Then sin, when there was occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of lust. For without the law sin was as if it were dormant. ⁹ So that without the law I lived for some time; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. ¹⁰ And I found that the same commandment, which was unto life, was mortal unto me. ¹¹ For sin, having had occasion, deceived me by the commandment and by it killed me. ¹² So the law is truly holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. ¹³ Was then that which is good made death unto me? No, in no wise. But sin, to show itself sin by that which is good, worked death in me, making sin exceedingly sinful by the commandment. ¹⁴ ¶ For we now know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold unto subjection by sin. ¹⁵ For that which I do, I do not understand, and not even the good that I desire is what I do; but what I hate, that is what I do. ¹⁶ If then I do that which I do not desire, I approve that the law is good. ¹⁷ So that it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. ¹⁸ And I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing; for I have the desire, but I am not able to perform that which is good. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good that I desire; but the evil which I do not desire, that I do. ²⁰ And if I do that which I do not desire, I am not working, but sin that dwells in me. ²¹ So that, desiring to do good, I find this law: evil is natural unto me. ²² For I delight with the law of God with the inward man, ²³ but I see another law in my members which rebels against the law of my mind, bringing captive unto the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? ²⁵ The grace of God, by Jesus, the Christ, our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. ⁸ ¹ ¶ So that now, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ, Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ, Jesus, has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For that which was impossible to the law, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh ⁴ that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those that are according to the flesh know the things that are of the flesh; but those that are according to the Spirit, the things that are of the Spirit. ⁶ For the prudence of the flesh is death, but the prudence of the Spirit, life and peace, ⁷ because the prudence of the flesh is enmity against God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, neither indeed can it. ⁸ So then, those that are carnal cannot please God. ⁹ But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, because the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, that person is not of him. ¹⁰ ¶ But if Christ is in you, the body is truly dead because of sin, but the Spirit is alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he that raised up the Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you. ¹² Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³ For if ye live according to the flesh, ye shall die; but if through the Spirit ye mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. ¹⁴ For all that are led by the Spirit of God, the same are sons of God. ¹⁵ For ye have not received the spirit of slavery to be in fear again, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. ¹⁶ For the same Spirit bears witness unto our spirit that we are sons of God, ¹⁷ ¶ and if sons, also heirs certainly of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together with him. ¹⁸ For I know with certainty that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory which shall be manifested in us. ¹⁹ For the earnest hope of the creatures waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creatures were subjected to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected them, ²¹ with the hope that the same creatures shall be delivered from the slavery of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. ²² For we now know that all the creatures groan together and travail in pain together until now. ²³ And not only they, but ourselves also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, that is to say, the redemption of our body. ²⁴ For in hope we are saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man sees, he does not wait for. ²⁵ But if we wait for that which we do not see, with patience we wait for it. ²⁶ ¶ And likewise also the Spirit helps our weakness; for we know not how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself makes entreaty for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷ But he that searches the hearts knows what is the desire of the Spirit, that according to the will of God, he makes entreaty for the saints. ²⁸ And we now know that unto those who love God, all things help them unto good, to those who according to the purpose are called to be saints. ²⁹ ¶ For unto those whom he knew beforehand, he also marked out beforehand the way that they might be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ And unto those whom he did mark out beforehand the way, to these he also called; and to whom he called, these he also justified; and to whom he justified, these he also glorified. ³¹ ¶ What shall we then say to these things? If God is for us, who shall be against us? ³² He that did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also give us all things with him? ³³ Who shall accuse the chosen of God’s? God is he that justifies them. ³⁴ Who is he that condemns them? Christ, Jesus, is he who died and, even more, he that also rose again, who furthermore is at the right hand of God, who also makes entreaty for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the charity of Christ? shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? ³⁶ (As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.) ³⁷ Nevertheless, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. ³⁸ Therefore I am certain that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come ³⁹ nor height nor depth nor any creature shall be able to separate us from the charity of God, which is in Christ, Jesus our Lord. ⁹ ¹ ¶ I say the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, ² that I have great sorrow and continual pain in my heart. ³ For I could wish that myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren, those who are my kinsmen according to the flesh, ⁴ who are Israelites, to whom pertains the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises, ⁵ whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh is the Christ, who is God over all things, blessed for all the ages. Amen. ⁶ ¶ Not as though the word of God has been deficient. For not all the descendants of Israel are Israelites; ⁷ neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are all sons, but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. ⁸ That is, Those who are sons of the flesh, these are not the sons of God; but those who are sons of the promise are counted in the generation. ⁹ For the word of the promise is this, At this time I will come, and Sara shall have a son. ¹⁰ And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac ¹¹ (for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand: not of works, but of him that calls), ¹² it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. ¹³ As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. ¹⁴ ¶ What shall we say then? Is there injustice in God? No, in no wise. ¹⁵ For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. ¹⁶ So then it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that has mercy. ¹⁷ For the scripture saith of Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. ¹⁸ Therefore he has mercy on whom he will have mercy, and he hardens whom he will. ¹⁹ Thou wilt say then unto me, Why does he become angry? For who shall resist his will? ²⁰ Rather, O man, who art thou to reply against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? ²¹ Has not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour? ²² What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much meekness the vessels of wrath, prepared for death, ²³ and making known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he has prepared unto glory? ²⁴ Even us, whom he has called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles! ²⁵ ¶ As he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people, who were not my people, and her beloved, who was not beloved. ²⁶ And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there shall they be called sons of the living God. ²⁷ Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel, Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant shall be saved; ²⁸ when the consumption comes to an end, righteousness shall overflow, because a short sentence will the Lord execute upon the earth. ²⁹ And as Isaiah said before, Except the Lord of the hosts had left us a seed, we had been as Sodom and been made like unto Gomorrha. ³⁰ ¶ What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who did not follow after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, that is to say, the righteousness which is by faith, ³¹ and Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. ³² Why? Because they followed it not by faith but, as it were, by the works (of the law); therefore, they stumbled on the stumblingstone; ³³ as it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock that will cause some to fall, and whosoever believes in him shall not be ashamed.