20 For (A)by works of the law no human being[a] will be justified in his sight, since (B)through the law comes knowledge of sin.

The Righteousness of God Through Faith

21 But now (C)the righteousness of God (D)has been manifested apart from the law, although (E)the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God (F)through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. (G)For there is no distinction: 23 for (H)all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 (I)and are justified (J)by his grace as a gift, (K)through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God (L)put forward as (M)a propitiation (N)by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in (O)his divine forbearance he had passed over (P)former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 3:20 Greek flesh

20 Therefore (A)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 (B)the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, (C)being witnessed by the Law (D)and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all [a]and on all who believe. For (E)there is no difference; 23 for (F)all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified [b]freely (G)by His grace (H)through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth (I)as a [c]propitiation (J)by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over (K)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.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 3:22 NU omits and on all
  2. Romans 3:24 without any cost
  3. Romans 3:25 mercy seat

20 because (A)by the works [a]of the Law [b]none of mankind will be justified in His sight; for [c](B)through the Law comes [d]knowledge of sin.

Justification by Faith

21 But now apart [e]from the Law (C)the righteousness of God has been revealed, being (D)witnessed by the [f]Law and the Prophets, 22 but it is the (E)righteousness of God through (F)faith (G)in Jesus Christ for (H)all those [g]who believe; for (I)there is no distinction, 23 for all [h](J)have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift (K)by His grace through (L)the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God displayed publicly as (M)a [i]propitiation [j](N)in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, [k]because in God’s merciful (O)restraint He (P)let the sins previously committed go unpunished; 26 for the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who [l]has faith in Jesus.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 3:20 Or of law
  2. Romans 3:20 Lit no flesh
  3. Romans 3:20 Or through law
  4. Romans 3:20 Or recognition
  5. Romans 3:21 Or from law
  6. Romans 3:21 I.e., the Old Testament
  7. Romans 3:22 Or who believe. For there is
  8. Romans 3:23 Or sinned
  9. Romans 3:25 I.e., a means of reconciliation between God and mankind by paying the penalty for sin
  10. Romans 3:25 Or by
  11. Romans 3:25 Lit because of the passing over of the sins previously committed, in the restraint of God
  12. Romans 3:26 Lit is of the faith of Jesus

20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

Christ Took Our Punishment

21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses[a] and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:21 Greek in the law.

We’re All in the Same Sinking Boat

9-20 So where does that put us? Do we Jews get a better break than the others? Not really. Basically, all of us, whether insiders or outsiders, start out in identical conditions, which is to say that we all start out as sinners. Scripture leaves no doubt about it:

There’s nobody living right, not even one,
    nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God.
They’ve all taken the wrong turn;
    they’ve all wandered down blind alleys.
No one’s living right;
    I can’t find a single one.
Their throats are gaping graves,
    their tongues slick as mudslides.
Every word they speak is tinged with poison.
    They open their mouths and pollute the air.
They race for the honor of sinner-of-the-year,
    litter the land with heartbreak and ruin,
Don’t know the first thing about living with others.
    They never give God the time of day.

This makes it clear, doesn’t it, that whatever is written in these Scriptures is not what God says about others but to us to whom these Scriptures were addressed in the first place! And it’s clear enough, isn’t it, that we’re sinners, every one of us, in the same sinking boat with everybody else? Our involvement with God’s revelation doesn’t put us right with God. What it does is force us to face our complicity in everyone else’s sin.

God Has Set Things Right

21-24 But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.

25-26 God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it’s now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.

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