Righteousness Through Faith

²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God^(A) has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.^{(B) 22} This righteousness^(C) is given through faith^(D) in^[a] Jesus Christ^(E) to all who believe.^(F) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,^{(G) 23} for all have sinned^(H) and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified^(I) freely by his grace^(J) through the redemption^(K) that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[b](L) through the shedding of his blood^(M)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished^(N)— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

²⁷ Where, then, is boasting?^(O) It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. ²⁸ For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.^{(P) 29} Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,^{(Q) 30} since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.^{(R) 31} Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Psalm 130

A song of ascents.

⁴⁷ “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. ⁴⁸ So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs.^{(A) 49} Because of this, God in his wisdom^(B) said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’^{(C) 50} Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel^(D) to the blood of Zechariah,^(E) who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.^(F)

⁵² “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”^(G)

⁵³ When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, ⁵⁴ waiting to catch him in something he might say.^(H)