羅馬書 3
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
3 那麼，猶太人有什麼長處呢？割禮有什麼價值呢？ 2 其實益處非常多！首先，上帝的聖言託付給了猶太人。 3 雖然有些人不相信，但那有什麼關係呢？難道上帝的信實可靠會因他們的不信而化為無有嗎？ 4 當然不會！縱然人人都撒謊，上帝仍然真實可靠。正如聖經上說：
「你的判語證明你是公義的；
你雖被人控告，卻終必得勝。」
5 我姑且用人的觀點說：「如果我們的不義可以反襯出上帝的公義，我們該做何論？上帝向我們發怒是祂不公正嗎？」 6 當然不是！若是這樣，上帝怎麼能審判這世界呢？ 7 你們又說：「如果我們的虛謊凸顯出上帝的真實，增加祂的榮耀，為什麼祂還要把我們當作罪人審判呢？」 8 為什麼你們不乾脆說：「我們作惡吧，好成就善事」？有人毀謗我們，說我們傳這種道理。這些人受審判是罪有應得！
沒有義人
9 那麼，我們猶太人比別人優越嗎？絕對不是！我們已經說過，無論是猶太人還是希臘人，所有的人都身陷罪中。 10 正如聖經上說：
「沒有義人，一個也沒有，
11 沒有人明白，沒有人尋求上帝。
12 人人偏離正路，變得毫無價值。
沒有人行善，一個也沒有。
13 他們的喉嚨是敞開的墳墓，
舌頭上盡是詭詐，
嘴唇有蛇的毒液，
14 滿口咒詛，言語惡毒；
15 殺人流血，腳步飛快；
16 所到之處，大肆毀滅；
17 平安之路，他們未曾知道；
18 他們眼中毫無對上帝的畏懼。」
19 我們知道律法所講的都是針對律法之下的人，好叫所有的人都無話可說，使全世界都伏在上帝的審判之下。 20 因為無人能夠靠遵行律法而被上帝視為義人，律法的本意是要使人知罪。
因信稱義
21 但如今，上帝的義在律法以外顯明出來，有律法和眾先知做見證。 22 人只要信耶穌基督，就可以被上帝稱為義人，沒有一個人例外。 23 因為世人都犯了罪，虧欠上帝的榮耀， 24 但蒙上帝的恩典，靠著基督耶穌的救贖，世人被無條件地稱為義人。 25 上帝使基督耶穌成為贖罪祭，以便人藉著相信耶穌的寶血可以得到赦免。這是為了顯明上帝的義，因為祂用忍耐的心寬容人過去的罪， 26 好在現今顯明祂的義，使人知道祂是公義的，祂也稱信耶穌的為義人。
27 既然如此，我們哪裡能誇口呢？當然沒有可誇的。靠什麼方法讓人不能誇口呢？靠遵守律法嗎？不是！是靠信主的方法。 28 因為我們堅信人被稱為義人是藉著信，不是靠遵行律法。 29 難道上帝只是猶太人的上帝嗎？祂不也是外族人的上帝嗎？祂當然也是外族人的上帝。 30 因為上帝只有一位，祂本著信稱受割禮的人為義人，也本著信稱未受割禮的人為義人。 31 這麼說來，我們是藉著信心廢掉上帝的律法嗎？當然不是！我們反倒是鞏固律法。
Romans 3
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 3
The Value of Judaism. 1 Is there any advantage, therefore, in being a Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 A great deal in every respect. In the first place, they were entrusted with the words of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their lack of faith nullify the fidelity of God? 4 By no means! God must be true even if every human being is a liar,[a] as it is written,
“That you may be justified in your words,
and vindicated when you are judged.”
5 But if our wickedness serves to confirm the righteousness of God, what are we to say? Is God unjust (I speak of him in human terms) to bring retribution upon us? 6 Of course not! For that would imply that God could not judge the world. 7 But if, as a result of my falsehood, God demonstrates his truthfulness, to his greater glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not say, as some people slanderously accuse us of proposing, “Let us do evil so that good may result”? Such people deserve their condemnation.
The Whole World Guilty before God.[b] 9 Well, then, are we any better?[c] No, not at all. For we have already charged that both Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written,
“There is no one who is righteous,
not even one.
11 There is no one who has understanding,
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away;
together they have become worthless.
There is no one who shows kindness,
not even one.
13 Their throats are open graves;
they use their tongues to deceive.
The venom of vipers is on their lips;
14 their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
15 Their feet hasten to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their paths.
17 The way of peace they do not know;
18 there is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that what the Law says is addressed to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the entire world may be seen as guilty before God. 20 For no one can be regarded as justified in the sight of God by keeping the Law. The Law brings only the consciousness of sin.
The Redemption in Jesus Christ[d]
21 God’s Righteousness through Faith in Jesus Christ.[e] But now the righteousness of God that is attested by the Law and the Prophets has been manifested apart from law: 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. No distinction has been made. 23 For all have sinned and thereby are deprived of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified by the gift of his grace that is given freely through the redemption in Christ Jesus.
25 God designated him to be a sacrifice of expiation of sin through faith by the shedding of his blood because in his divine forbearance he allowed to be unpunished the sins previously committed. 26 He thus demonstrated his righteousness in the present time so that he might show himself to be just as the one who justifies anyone who has faith in Jesus.
27 Justification through Faith Apart from the Works of the Law. What reason then does one have to boast? It is excluded! By works of the Law? No, rather by the law of faith. 28 For we maintain that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law.
29 Is God the God only of the Jews? Is he not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, he is the God of the Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, and he will justify both the circumcised and the uncircumcised on the basis of their faith. 31 Are we thereby nullifying the Law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we are upholding the Law.
Footnotes
- Romans 3:4 Every human being is a liar: these words are taken from Ps 116:11 LXX; the rest of the verse comes from Ps 51:6 LXX.
- Romans 3:9 To ensure the solidity of his inquiry concerning the universal reign of sin, Paul applies the Biblical proof to it. In the manner of the rabbis, he offers several citations on human corruption from the Psalms and the Book of Isaiah (the references are—in the order of the citations—Pss 14:1-3; 5:9; 140:4; 10:7; Isa 59:7-8; Pss 36:1; 143:2). Paul has led us in this descent into the hell of sin, in which humankind lies impotent, in order to enable us to appreciate the greatness of redemption and the necessity of faith.
- Romans 3:9 Are we any better?: i.e., are Jews better than Gentiles in God’s sight?
- Romans 3:21 By dying on the cross, Jesus Christ publicly manifested the justice of God, that is, the faithful fulfillment of what God had promised for the salvation of every human being.
- Romans 3:21 Sacrifice of expiation alludes to the cover of the ark, known as the “propitiatory,” which played an important role in the Jewish ritual of the Day of Atonement (Lev 16). It was sprinkled with the blood of animals, as though to atone for collective sin. By giving his life, Christ really freed the people from sin and brought them God’s forgiveness.
