25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you (A)practice [a]the Law; but if you are a violator [b]of the Law, (B)your circumcision has turned into uncircumcision. 26 (C)So if (D)the [c]uncircumcised man (E)keeps the requirements of the Law, will his uncircumcision not be regarded as circumcision? 27 And (F)he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not (G)judge you who [d]though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a violator [e]of the Law? 28 For (H)he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But (I)he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and (J)circumcision is of the heart, by the (K)Spirit, not by the letter; (L)and his praise is not from people, but from God.

All the World Guilty

Then what [f]advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. First, that (M)they were entrusted with the (N)actual words of God. What then? If (O)some [g]did not believe, their [h]unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? [i](P)Far from it! Rather, God must prove to be true, though every person be found (Q)a liar, as it is written:

(R)So that You are justified in Your words,
And prevail [j]when You are judged.”

But if our unrighteousness [k](S)demonstrates the righteousness of God, (T)what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? ((U)I am speaking from a human viewpoint.) (V)Far from it! For otherwise, how will (W)God judge the world? But if through my lie (X)the truth of God abounded to His glory, (Y)why am I also still being judged as a sinner? And why not say (just as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “(Z)Let’s do evil that good may come of it”? [l]Their condemnation is deserved.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 2:25 Or law
  2. Romans 2:25 Or of law
  3. Romans 2:26 Lit uncircumcision
  4. Romans 2:27 Lit through the letter
  5. Romans 2:27 Or of law
  6. Romans 3:1 Lit is the advantage of the Jew
  7. Romans 3:3 Or were unfaithful
  8. Romans 3:3 Or unfaithfulness
  9. Romans 3:4 Lit May it never happen! And so throughout the ch
  10. Romans 3:4 Or in Your judging
  11. Romans 3:5 I.e., by requiring His judgment
  12. Romans 3:8 Lit Whose

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