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45 “Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes.

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45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses,(A) on whom your hopes are set.(B)

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19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 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.

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19 Now we know that whatever the law says,(A) it says to those who are under the law,(B) so that every mouth may be silenced(C) and the whole world held accountable to God.(D) 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;(E) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.(F)

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10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.”[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 3:10 Deut 27:26.

10 For all who rely on the works of the law(A) are under a curse,(B) as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”[a](C)

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 3:10 Deut. 27:26

The Glory of the New Covenant

The old way,[a] with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! 10 In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. 11 So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

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Footnotes

  1. 3:7 Or ministry; also in 3:8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

The Greater Glory of the New Covenant

Now if the ministry that brought death,(A) which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory,(B) transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that brought condemnation(C) was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!(D) 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

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12 When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it.

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12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law(A) will be judged by the law.

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28 Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! 29 We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”

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28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!(A) 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”(B)

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Salvation Is for Everyone

For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.[a] But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” In fact, it says,

“The message is very close at hand;
    it is on your lips and in your heart.”[b]

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

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Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”[a](A) But the righteousness that is by faith(B) says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”[b](C) (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’”[c](D) (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).(E) But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”[d](F) that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare(G) with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”(H) and believe(I) in your heart that God raised him from the dead,(J) you will be saved.(K) 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 10:5 Lev. 18:5
  2. Romans 10:6 Deut. 30:12
  3. Romans 10:7 Deut. 30:13
  4. Romans 10:8 Deut. 30:14

The Jews and the Law

17 You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. 18 You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. 19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. 20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth.

21 Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? 22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples?[a] 23 You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. 24 No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.”[b]

25 The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God’s law. But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. 26 And if the Gentiles obey God’s law, won’t God declare them to be his own people? 27 In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God’s law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God’s law but don’t obey it.

28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. 29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise[c] from God, not from people.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:22 Greek do you steal from temples?
  2. 2:24 Isa 52:5 (Greek version).
  3. 2:29 Or receives praise.

The Jews and the Law

17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;(A) 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?(B) 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?(C) 23 You who boast in the law,(D) do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”[a](E)

25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law,(F) but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.(G) 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements,(H) will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?(I) 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you(J) who, even though you have the[b] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly,(K) nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.(L) 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart,(M) by the Spirit,(N) not by the written code.(O) Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.(P)

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 2:24 Isaiah 52:5 (see Septuagint); Ezek. 36:20,22
  2. Romans 2:27 Or who, by means of a

19 Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me.”

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19 Has not Moses given you the law?(A) Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”(B)

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“Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?”[a] they asked.

Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended.

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Footnotes

  1. 19:7 See Deut 24:1.

“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”(A)

Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.

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At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, 10 and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. 11 Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. 12 But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.

Struggling with Sin

14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.

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Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life(A) actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,(B) deceived me,(C) and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.(D)

13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good(E) to bring about my death,(F) so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,(G) sold(H) as a slave to sin.(I)

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When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.

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At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.

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The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.

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In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.(A) Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap,(B) in order to have a basis for accusing him.(C)

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.

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