The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹ Also He spoke this parable to some ^(A)who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee ^(B)stood and prayed thus with himself, ^(C)‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ ¹³ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; ^(D)for everyone who exalts himself will be ^[a]humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever ^(A)the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that ^(B)every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become ^[a]guilty before God. ²⁰ Therefore ^(C)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

²¹ But now ^(D)the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, ^(E)being witnessed by the Law ^(F)and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all ^[b]and on all who believe. For ^(G)there is no difference; ²³ for ^(H)all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ being justified ^[c]freely ^(I)by His grace ^(J)through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God set forth ^(K)as a ^[d]propitiation ^(L)by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over ^(M)the sins that were previously committed, ²⁶ to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

³³ Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? ^(A)It is God who justifies. ^34 (B)Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, ^(C)who is even at the right hand of God, ^(D)who also makes intercession for us.

David Celebrates the Same Truth

⁵ But to him who ^(A)does not work but believes on Him who justifies ^(B)the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, ⁶ just as David also ^(C)describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

Faith Triumphs in Trouble

5 Therefore, ^(A)having been justified by faith, ^[a]we have ^(B)peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ^2 (C)through whom also we have access by faith into this grace ^(D)in which we stand, and ^(E)rejoice in hope of the glory of God.