Romans 3
Names of God Bible
Everyone Is a Sinner
3 Is there any advantage, then, in being a Jew? Or is there any value in being circumcised? 2 There are all kinds of advantages. First of all, God entrusted them with his word.
3 What if some of them were unfaithful? Can their unfaithfulness cancel God’s faithfulness? 4 That would be unthinkable! God is honest, and everyone else is a liar, as Scripture says,
“So you hand down justice when you speak,
and you win your case in court.”
5 But if what we do wrong shows that God is fair, what should we say? Is God unfair when he vents his anger on us? (I’m arguing the way humans would.) 6 That’s unthinkable! Otherwise, how would God be able to judge the world? 7 If my lie increases the glory that God receives by showing that God is truthful, why am I still judged as a sinner? 8 Or can we say, “Let’s do evil so that good will come from it”? Some slander us and claim that this is what we say. They are condemned, and that’s what they deserve.
9 What, then, is the situation? Do we have any advantage? Not at all. We have already accused everyone (both Jews and Greeks) of being under the power of sin, 10 as Scripture says,
“Not one person has God’s approval.
11 No one understands.
No one searches for God.
12 Everyone has turned away.
Together they have become rotten to the core.
No one does anything good,
not even one person.
13 Their throats are open graves.
Their tongues practice deception.
Their lips hide the venom of poisonous snakes.
14 Their mouths are full of curses and bitter resentment.
15 They run quickly to murder people.
16 There is ruin and suffering wherever they go.
17 They have not learned to live in peace.
18 They are not terrified of God.”
19 We know that whatever the Scriptures say applies to everyone under their influence, and no one can say a thing. The whole world is brought under the judgment of God. 20 Not one person can have God’s approval by any effort to follow the laws in the Scriptures. These laws show what sin is.
God Gives Us His Approval as a Gift
21 Now, the way to receive God’s approval has been made plain in a way other than the laws in the Scriptures. Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets tell us this. 22 Everyone who believes has God’s approval through faith in Yeshua Christ.
There is no difference between people. 23 Because all people have sinned, they have fallen short of God’s glory. 24 They receive God’s approval freely by an act of his kindness[a] through the price Christ Yeshua paid to set us free from sin. 25 God showed that Christ is the throne of mercy where God’s approval is given through faith in Christ’s blood. In his patience God waited to deal with sins committed in the past. 26 He waited so that he could display his approval at the present time. This shows that he is a God of justice, a God who approves of people who believe in Yeshua.
27 So, do we have anything to brag about? Bragging has been eliminated. On what basis was it eliminated? On the basis of our own efforts? No, indeed! Rather, it is eliminated on the basis of faith. 28 We conclude that a person has God’s approval by faith, not by his own efforts.
29 Is God only the God of the Jews? Isn’t he also the God of people who are not Jewish? Certainly, he is, 30 since it is the same God who approves circumcised people by faith and uncircumcised people through this same faith.
31 Are we abolishing the laws in the Scriptures by this faith? That’s unthinkable! Rather, we are supporting these laws.
Footnotes
- Romans 3:24 Or “grace.”
Romans 3
Young's Literal Translation
3 What, then, [is] the superiority of the Jew? or what the profit of the circumcision?
2 much in every way; for first, indeed, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God;
3 for what, if certain were faithless? shall their faithlessness the faithfulness of god make useless?
4 let it not be! and let God become true, and every man false, according as it hath been written, `That Thou mayest be declared righteous in Thy words, and mayest overcome in Thy being judged.'
5 And, if our unrighteousness God's righteousness doth establish, what shall we say? is God unrighteous who is inflicting the wrath? (after the manner of a man I speak)
6 let it not be! since how shall God judge the world?
7 for if the truth of God in my falsehood did more abound to His glory, why yet am I also as a sinner judged?
8 and not, as we are evil spoken of, and as certain affirm us to say -- `We may do the evil things, that the good ones may come?' whose judgment is righteous.
9 What, then? are we better? not at all! for we did before charge both Jews and Greeks with being all under sin,
10 according as it hath been written -- `There is none righteous, not even one;
11 There is none who is understanding, there is none who is seeking after God.
12 All did go out of the way, together they became unprofitable, there is none doing good, there is not even one.
13 A sepulchre opened [is] their throat; with their tongues they used deceit; poison of asps [is] under their lips.
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
15 Swift [are] their feet to shed blood.
16 Ruin and misery [are] in their ways.
17 And a way of peace they did not know.
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.'
19 And we have known that as many things as the law saith, to those in the law it doth speak, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may come under judgment to God;
20 wherefore by works of law shall no flesh be declared righteous before Him, for through law is a knowledge of sin.
21 And now apart from law hath the righteousness of God been manifested, testified to by the law and the prophets,
22 and the righteousness of God [is] through the faith of Jesus Christ to all, and upon all those believing, -- for there is no difference,
23 for all did sin, and are come short of the glory of God --
24 being declared righteous freely by His grace through the redemption that [is] in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God did set forth a mercy seat, through the faith in his blood, for the shewing forth of His righteousness, because of the passing over of the bygone sins in the forbearance of God --
26 for the shewing forth of His righteousness in the present time, for His being righteous, and declaring him righteous who [is] of the faith of Jesus.
27 Where then [is] the boasting? it was excluded; by what law? of works? no, but by a law of faith:
28 therefore do we reckon a man to be declared righteous by faith, apart from works of law.
29 The God of Jews only [is He], and not also of nations?
30 yes, also of nations; since one [is] God who shall declare righteous the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through the faith.
31 Law then do we make useless through the faith? let it not be! yea, we do establish law.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.