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“But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned.

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But if our unrighteousness demonstrates[a] the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is he? (I am speaking in human terms.)[b] Absolutely not! For otherwise how could God judge the world? For if by my lie the truth of God enhances[c] his glory, why am I still actually being judged as a sinner? And why not say, “Let us do evil so that good may come of it”?—as some who slander us allege that we say.[d] (Their[e] condemnation is deserved!)

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 3:5 tn Or “shows clearly.”
  2. Romans 3:5 sn The same expression occurs in Gal 3:15, and similar phrases in Rom 6:19 and 1 Cor 9:8.
  3. Romans 3:7 tn Grk “abounded unto.”
  4. Romans 3:8 tn Grk “(as we are slandered and some affirm that we say…).”
  5. Romans 3:8 tn Grk “whose.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, this relative clause was rendered as a new sentence in the translation.