Romans 3
3
The Faithfulness and Righteousness of God
1 Therefore, what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the usefulness of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. For first of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 For what if some disbelieved? Does their unbelief render ineffective the faithfulness of God? 4 May it never be! But let God be true but every man a liar, just as it is written:
“So that You may be justified in Your words,
and prevail when You are judged.”*
5 But if our unrighteousness proves* the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts the wrath? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6 May it never be! Otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if the truth of God through my falsehood overflowed to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not (as we are vilified, and as some assert that we say), ”Let us do evil, so that good may come”? Their condemnation is just!
The Sinfulness of Both Jews and Greeks
9 What then? Do we have an advantageous superiority? Certainly not. For we have previously charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, 10 just as it is written:
“No one is righteous, not even one;
11 there is none who understands;
there is none who seeks after God.
12 All have turned away,
together they have been rendered useless;
there is none who practises kindness,
there is not even one.”*
13 “Their throat is an open* grave;
they keep acting deceitfully with their tongues.”*
“The venom of asps is under their lips,”*
14 “whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”*
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and calamity are in their paths,
17 and they have not known the way of peace.”*
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes”*
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those under the Law, so that every mouth may be silenced and all the world brought under judgment to God. 20 Therefore, by the works of the Law, no flesh* will be justified* before Him, for through the Law comes* the knowledge of sin.
The Righteousness of God and Propitiation through Faith in Jesus Christ
21 But now, apart from the Law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, being attested by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and* are justified as a free gift by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation* by His blood, to be received through faith.* This was* for the demonstration of His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God, He passed over the sins previously committed. 26 It was* for the demonstration of His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Where then is boasting? It has been shut out. By what law?* That of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we regard a man* to be justified by faith, apart from the works of the Law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles as well, 30 since God is one, who will justify the circumcised* by faith and the uncircumcised* through faith. 31 Do we then invalidate the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we uphold the Law.
Notes
4 Quoted from Ps. 51:4
5 Or demonstrates
10-12 Quoted from Ps. 14:1-3
13 Greek opened grave
13 Quoted from Ps. 5:9
13 Quoted from Ps. 140:3
14 Quoted from Ps. 10:7
15-17 Quoted from Is. 59:7-8
18 Quoted from Ps. 36:1
20 Greek not any flesh
20 Or declared righteous
20 The singular verb comes is supplied to the text on a contextual basis for the purpose of clarification
24 The coordinating conjunction and is supplied to the text on a contextual basis for the purpose of clarification
25 Or as a means of expiation ; or as a sacrifice of atonement ; or as a mercy seat
25 Or whom God set forth as a mercy seat by His blood, to be accessed through faith
25 The introductory phrase This was is supplied to the text on a contextual basis for the purpose of clarification
26 The expletive construction It was is supplied to the text on a contextual basis for the purpose of clarification
27 Or B y what kind of law?
28 Or a person, as the term is understood in a generic sense
30 Greek circumcision
30 Greek uncircumcision
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Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Romans 3
3
The Faithfulness and Righteousness of God
1 Therefore, what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the usefulness of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. For first of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 For what if some disbelieved? Does their unbelief render ineffective the faithfulness of God? 4 May it never be! But let God be true but every man a liar, just as it is written:
“So that You may be justified in Your words,
and prevail when You are judged.”*
5 But if our unrighteousness proves* the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts the wrath? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6 May it never be! Otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if the truth of God through my falsehood overflowed to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not (as we are vilified, and as some assert that we say), ”Let us do evil, so that good may come”? Their condemnation is just!
The Sinfulness of Both Jews and Greeks
9 What then? Do we have an advantageous superiority? Certainly not. For we have previously charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, 10 just as it is written:
“No one is righteous, not even one;
11 there is none who understands;
there is none who seeks after God.
12 All have turned away,
together they have been rendered useless;
there is none who practises kindness,
there is not even one.”*
13 “Their throat is an open* grave;
they keep acting deceitfully with their tongues.”*
“The venom of asps is under their lips,”*
14 “whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”*
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and calamity are in their paths,
17 and they have not known the way of peace.”*
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes”*
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those under the Law, so that every mouth may be silenced and all the world brought under judgment to God. 20 Therefore, by the works of the Law, no flesh* will be justified* before Him, for through the Law comes* the knowledge of sin.
The Righteousness of God and Propitiation through Faith in Jesus Christ
21 But now, apart from the Law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, being attested by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and* are justified as a free gift by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation* by His blood, to be received through faith.* This was* for the demonstration of His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God, He passed over the sins previously committed. 26 It was* for the demonstration of His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Where then is boasting? It has been shut out. By what law?* That of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we regard a man* to be justified by faith, apart from the works of the Law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles as well, 30 since God is one, who will justify the circumcised* by faith and the uncircumcised* through faith. 31 Do we then invalidate the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we uphold the Law.
Notes
4 Quoted from Ps. 51:4
5 Or demonstrates
10-12 Quoted from Ps. 14:1-3
13 Greek opened grave
13 Quoted from Ps. 5:9
13 Quoted from Ps. 140:3
14 Quoted from Ps. 10:7
15-17 Quoted from Is. 59:7-8
18 Quoted from Ps. 36:1
20 Greek not any flesh
20 Or declared righteous
20 The singular verb comes is supplied to the text on a contextual basis for the purpose of clarification
24 The coordinating conjunction and is supplied to the text on a contextual basis for the purpose of clarification
25 Or as a means of expiation ; or as a sacrifice of atonement ; or as a mercy seat
25 Or whom God set forth as a mercy seat by His blood, to be accessed through faith
25 The introductory phrase This was is supplied to the text on a contextual basis for the purpose of clarification
26 The expletive construction It was is supplied to the text on a contextual basis for the purpose of clarification
27 Or B y what kind of law?
28 Or a person, as the term is understood in a generic sense
30 Greek circumcision
30 Greek uncircumcision
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Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).