What advantage then hath the Jew? or what is the profit of circumcision?
Much every way: first of all, that they were intrusted with the oracles of God.
For what if some were without faith? shall their want of faith make of none effect the faithfulness of God?
{Greek: Be it not so: and so elsewhere.}God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written,
{Psalm 51:4}That thou mightest be justified in thy words,
And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment.
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.)
{Greek: Be it not so: and so elsewhere.}God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
{Many ancient authorities read For.}But if the truth of God through my lie abounded unto his glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?
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.
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;
as it is written,
{Psalm 14:1 ff.; 53:1 ff}There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none that understandeth,
There is none that seeketh after God;
They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable;
There is none that doeth good, no, not so much as one:
{Psalm 5:9}Their throat is an open sepulchre;
With their tongues they have used deceit:
{Psalm 140:3}The poison of asps is under their lips:
{Psalm 10:7}Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
{Isaiah 59:7 f.}Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Destruction and misery are in their ways;
And the way of peace have they not known:
{Psalm 36:1}There is no fear of God before their eyes.
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:
because {Greek: out of.}by {Or, works of law}the works of the law shall no flesh be {Or, accounted righteous}justified in his sight; for {Or, through law}through the law cometh the knowledge of sin.
But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
even the righteousness of God through faith {Or, of}in Jesus Christ unto all {Some ancient authorities add and upon all.}them that believe; for there is no distinction;
for all {Greek: sinned.}have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;
being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
whom God set forth {Or, to be propitiatory}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;
for the showing, I say, of his righteousness at this present season: that he might himself be {See chapter 2:13 margin.}just, and the {See chapter 2:13 margin.}justifier of him that {Greek: is of faith.}hath faith in Jesus.
Where then is the glorying? It is excluded. By what manner of law? of works? Nay: but by a law of faith.
{Many ancient authorities read For we reckon.}We reckon therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from {Or, works of law}the works of the law.
Or is God the God of Jews only? is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yea, of Gentiles also:
if so be that God is one, and he shall justify the circumcision {Greek: out of. Galatians 3:8.}by faith, and the uncircumcision {Or, through the faith Galatians 2:16.}through faith.
Do we then make {Or, law}the law of none effect {Or, through the faith Galatians 2:16.}through faith? God forbid: nay, we establish {Or, law}the law.
Querverweise zu Römer 3,9 Röm 3,9
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.)
even the righteousness of God through faith {Or, of}in Jesus Christ unto all {Some ancient authorities add and upon all.}them that believe; for there is no distinction;
And even as they {Greek: did not approve.}refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
backbiters, {Or, haters of God}hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful:
who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them.
For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, {Deuteronomy 27:26.}Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? God forbid.
for all {Greek: sinned.}have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;
Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest {Greek: the other.}another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost practise the same things.
{Many ancient authorities read For.}And we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against them that practise such things.
And reckonest thou this, O man, who judgest them that practise such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
who will render to every man according to his works:
to them that by {Or, stedfastness}patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:
but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation,
tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek;
but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek:
for there is no respect of persons with God.
For as many as {Greek: sinned.}have sinned without law shall also perish without the law: and as many as {Greek: sinned.}have sinned under the law shall be judged by the law;
for not the hearers of the law are {Or, righteous}just before God, but the doers of the law shall be {Or, accounted righteous: and so elsewhere.}justified:
(for when Gentiles that have not the law do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are the law unto themselves;
in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and {Or, their thoughts accusing or else excusing them one with another}their {Or, reasonings 2 Corinthians 10:5.}thoughts one with another accusing or else excusing them);
in the day when God {Or, judgeth}shall judge the secrets of men, according to my {See marginal notes on chapter 1:1.}gospel, by Jesus Christ.
But the scripture shut up all things under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
What then? That which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened:
that say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.
What say I then? that a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?
Now when the Pharisee that had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were {Some ancient authorities read the prophet. See John 1:21, 25.}a prophet, would have perceived who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, that she is a sinner.
What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
And he spake also this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set {Greek: the rest.}all others at nought:
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a {See marginal note on chapter 3:12.}publican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this {See marginal note on chapter 3:12.}publican.
I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I get.
But the {See marginal note on chapter 3:12.}publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God, {Or, be thou propitiated}be thou merciful to me {Or, the sinner}a sinner.
I say unto you, This man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled; but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
What then? only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? but if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?