Romans 3-4

American Standard Version

3 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what is the profit of circumcision? ² Much every way: first of all, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God. ³ For what if some were without faith? shall their want of faith make of none effect the faithfulness of God? ^4 [a]God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written,

⁵ But if our unrighteousness commendeth the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who visiteth with wrath? (I speak after the manner of men.) ^6 [c]God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? ^7 [d]But if the truth of God through my lie abounded unto his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? ⁸ and why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil, that good may come? whose condemnation is just.

⁹ What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we before laid to the charge both of Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin; ¹⁰ as it is written,

¹⁹ Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God: ²⁰ because ^[k]by ^[l]the works of the law shall no flesh be ^[m]justified in his sight; for ^[n]through the law cometh the knowledge of sin.

²¹ But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; ²² even the righteousness of God through faith ^[o]in Jesus Christ unto all ^[p]them that believe; for there is no distinction; ²³ for all ^[q]have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; ²⁴ being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: ²⁵ whom God set forth ^[r]to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show his righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God; ²⁶ for the showing, I say, of his righteousness at this present season: that he might himself be ^[s]just, and the ^[t]justifier of him that ^[u]hath faith ^[v]in Jesus. ²⁷ Where then is the glorying? It is excluded. By what manner of law? of works? Nay: but by a law of faith. ^28 [w]We reckon therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from ^[x]the works of the law. ²⁹ Or is God the God of Jews only? is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yea, of Gentiles also: ³⁰ if so be that God is one, and he shall justify the circumcision ^[y]by faith, and the uncircumcision ^[z]through faith.

³¹ Do we then make ^[aa]the law of none effect ^[ab]through faith? God forbid: nay, we establish ^[ac]the law.

4 What then shall we say ^[ad]that Abraham, ^[ae]our forefather, hath found according to the flesh? ² For if Abraham was justified ^[af]by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God. ³ For what saith the scripture? ^[ag]And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. ⁴ Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt. ⁵ But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. ⁶ Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works, ⁷ saying,

⁹ Is this blessing then pronounced upon the circumcision, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say, To Abraham his faith was reckoned for righteousness. ¹⁰ How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision: ¹¹ and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them; ¹² and the father of circumcision to them who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision. ¹³ For not ^[ai]through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect: ¹⁵ for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression. ¹⁶ For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all ¹⁷ (as it is written, ^[aj]A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were. ¹⁸ Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, ^[ak]So shall thy seed be. ¹⁹ And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body ^[al]now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s ^[am]womb; ²⁰ yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. ²² Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. ²³ Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned unto him; ²⁴ but for our sake also, unto whom it shall be reckoned, who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵ who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.