Book of Common Prayer

²⁵ Circumcision indeed avails, if you keep the law. But if you break the law, your circumcision is made uncircumcision. ²⁶ Therefore if the uncircumcised man keeps the righteous things contained in the law, shall his uncircumcision not be counted for circumcision? ²⁷ And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it keeps the law, condemn you who, being under the letter and circumcision, do transgress the law? ²⁸ For he is not a Jew who is a Jew outwardly. Neither is that thing circumcision which is outward in the flesh. ²⁹ But he is a Jew who is hid within, and the circumcision of the heart is the true circumcision, which is in the Spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.

Paul shows what preferment the Jews have, and that both Jews and Gentiles are under sin, and are justified only by the grace of God in Christ.

3 What preferment, then, has the Jew? Or what advantage from circumcision? ² Surely very much. The word of God was committed first to them. ³ What, then, if some of them did not believe? Does their unbelief make the promise of God without effect? ⁴ God forbid. Let God be true and all men liars, as it is written: That you may be justified in your words, and should overcome when you are judged.

⁵ If our unrighteousness makes the righteousness of God more excellent, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous, who takes vengeance? I speak after the manner of men. ⁶ God forbid, for how then will God judge the world? ⁷ If the truth of God appears more excellent through my lie, to his glory, why am I still judged as a sinner? ⁸ And why not say rather (as some ill report of us, and as some allege we say), let us do evil, so that good may come of it? Their condemnation is just.

⁹ What are we saying then? Are we better than they? No, not in any way. For we have already established that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin, ¹⁰ as it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one. ¹¹ There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks after God. ¹² They are all gone out of the way. They are all unprofitable. There is no one who does good: no, not one. ¹³ Their throat is an open sepulchre. With their tongues they have deceived. The poison of asps is under their lips. ¹⁴ Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. ¹⁵ Their feet are swift to shed blood. ¹⁶ Destruction and wretchedness are in their ways, ¹⁷ and the way of peace they have not known. ¹⁸ There is no fear of God before their eyes.

³⁰ I can of my own self do nothing at all. As I hear, I judge. And my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who has sent me.

³¹ If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. ³² There is another who bears witness of me, and I know that the witness he bears of me is true: ³³ you sent to John, and he bore witness to the truth. ³⁴ But I do not need the testimony of man. Nevertheless, I say these things so that you might be saved. ³⁵ He was a burning and a shining light, and you were willing for a season to enjoy his light.

³⁶ But I have greater witness than the witness of John. For the works which the Father has given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father sent me.

³⁷ And the Father himself who has sent me bears witness of me. You have not heard his voice at any time, nor have you seen his nature, ³⁸ and his words you do not have abiding in you. For whom he has sent, him you do not believe.

³⁹ Search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and it is they that testify of me. ⁴⁰ And yet you will not come to me so that you might have life. ⁴¹ I do not need praise from men, ⁴² but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. ⁴³ I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, him you will receive. ⁴⁴ How can you believe, who receive honour from one another, and do not seek the honour that comes from God only?

⁴⁵ Do not think that I will accuse you to my Father. There is one who accuses you: even Moses, in whom you trust. ⁴⁶ For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me. For he wrote of me. ⁴⁷ But seeing you do not believe his writing, how will you believe my words?