Romans 3:21-5

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Righteousness through Faith

²¹ But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed and is attested by the Law and the Prophets,^{(A) 22} the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ^[a] for all who believe.^[b] For there is no distinction,^{(B) 23} since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;^{(C) 24} they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,^{(D) 25} whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement^[c] by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed;^{(E) 26} it was to demonstrate at the present time his own righteousness, so that he is righteous and he justifies the one who has the faith of Jesus.^[d]

²⁷ Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. Through what kind of law? That of works? No, rather through the law of faith.^{(F) 28} For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.^{(G) 29} Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of gentiles also? Yes, of gentiles also, ³⁰ since God is one, and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.^{(H) 31} Do we then overthrow the law through this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

The Example of Abraham

4 What then are we to say was gained by^[e] Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? ² For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.^{(I) 3} For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed^[f] God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”^{(J) 4} Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due.^{(K) 5} But to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. ⁶ So also David pronounces a blessing on those to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:

⁹ Is this blessing, then, pronounced only on the circumcised or also on the uncircumcised? We say, “Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.” ¹⁰ How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after but before he was circumcised. ¹¹ He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith^[g] while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the ancestor of all who believe^[h] without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them,^{(M) 12} and likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but follow the example of the faith that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised.

God’s Promise Realized through Faith

¹³ For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.^{(N) 14} For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. ¹⁵ For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.^(O)

¹⁶ For this reason the promise depends on faith, in order that it may rest on grace, so that it may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (who is the father of all of us,^{(P) 17} as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”), in the presence of the God in whom he believed,^[i] who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.^{(Q) 18} Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So shall your descendants be.” ¹⁹ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already^[j] as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), and the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.^{(R) 20} No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.^{(S) 22} Therefore “it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” ²³ Now the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone^{(T) 24} but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe^[k] in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,^{(U) 25} who was handed over for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.^(V)

Results of Justification

5 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we^[l] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,^{(W) 2} through whom we have obtained access^[m] to this grace in which we stand, and we^[n] boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.^{(X) 3} And not only that, but we^[o] also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance,^{(Y) 4} and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.^(Z)

⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.^{(AA) 7} Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. ⁸ But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.^{(AB) 9} Much more surely, therefore, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.^{[p](AC) 10} For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.^{(AD) 11} But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Adam and Christ

¹² Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned^(AE)— ¹³ for sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. ¹⁴ Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam, who is a pattern of the one who was to come.^(AF)

¹⁵ But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. ¹⁶ And the gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the gift following many trespasses brings justification. ¹⁷ If, because of the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. ¹⁹ For just as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. ²⁰ But law came in, so that the trespass might increase, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,^{(AG) 21} so that, just as sin reigned in death, so grace might also reign through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.