Psalm 27

My Stronghold

Of David.

A Tree and Its Fruit

⁴³ “A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit.^{[a](A) 44} For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren’t gathered from thornbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush. ⁴⁵ A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.

Paul Answers an Objection

3 So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? ² Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted^(A) with the very words of God.^{(B) 3} What then? If some were unfaithful,^(C) will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? ⁴ Absolutely not!^(D) Let God be true, even though everyone is a liar,^(E) as it is written:

⁵ But if our unrighteousness highlights^[b] God’s righteousness,^(G) what are we to say?^(H) I am using a human argument:^[c](I) Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? ⁶ Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?^{(J) 7} But if by my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?^{(K) 8} And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”?^(L) Their condemnation is deserved!

The Whole World Guilty before God

⁹ What then? Are we any better off?^[d] Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews^(M) and Greeks^(N) are all under sin,^{[e](O) 10} as it is written:

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says,^(V) it speaks to those who are subject to the law,^[l](W) so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.^{[m](X) 20} For no one will be justified^[n] in his sight by the works of the law,^(Y) because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.^(Z)

⁷ Now grace was given to each one of us^(A) according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ For it says:

⁹ But what does “he ascended” mean except that he^[b] also descended to the lower parts of the earth?^{[c](D) 10} The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens,^(E) to fill all things.^{(F) 11} And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,^{(G) 13} until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son,^(H) growing into maturity with a stature^(I) measured by Christ’s fullness. ¹⁴ Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching,^(J) by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. ¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head^(K)—Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, fitted and knit together^(L) by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth^(M) of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.