1 So then, what more is the Jew, or what is the usefulness of circumcision? 2 Much in every way: First of all, certainly, because the eloquence of God was entrusted to them. 3 But what if some of them have not believed? Shall their unbelief nullify the faith of God? Let it not be so! 4 For God is truthful, but every man is deceitful; just as it was written: “Therefore, you are justified in your words, and you will prevail when you give judgment.” 5 But if even our injustice points to the justice of God, what shall we say? Could God be unfair for inflicting wrath? 6 (I am speaking in human terms.) Let it not be so! Otherwise, how would God judge this world? 7 For if the truth of God has abounded, through my falseness, unto his glory, why should I still be judged as such a sinner? 8 And should we not do evil, so that good may result? For so we have been slandered, and so some have claimed we said; their condemnation is just. 9 What is next? Should we try to excel ahead of them? By no means! For we have accused all Jews and Greeks to be under sin, 10 just as it was written: “There is no one who is just. 11 There is no one who understands. There is no one who seeks God. 12 All have gone astray; together they have become useless. There is no one who does good; there is not even one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulcher. With their tongues, they have been acting deceitfully. The venom of asps is under their lips. 14 Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood. 16 Grief and unhappiness are in their ways. 17 And the way of peace they have not known. 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 But we know that whatever the law speaks, it speaks to those who are in the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the entire world may be subject to God. 20 For in his presence no flesh shall be justified by the works of the law. For knowledge of sin is through the law. 21 But now, without the law, the justice of God, to which the law and the prophets have testified, has been made manifest. 22 And the justice of God, through the faith of Jesus Christ, is in all those and over all those who believe in him. For there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and all are in need of the glory of God. 24 We have been justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God has offered as a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to reveal his justice for the remission of the former offenses, 26 and by the forbearance of God, to reveal his justice in this time, so that he himself might be both the Just One and the Justifier of anyone who is of the faith of Jesus Christ. 27 So then, where is your self-exaltation? It is excluded. Through what law? That of works? No, but rather through the law of faith. 28 For we judge a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law. 29 Is God of the Jews only and not also of the Gentiles? On the contrary, of the Gentiles also. 30 For One is the God who justifies circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith. 31 Are we then destroying the law through faith? Let it not be so! Instead, we are making the law stand.
Romans · Catholic Public Domain Version
Romans 3 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
Cross references (30)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Romans 2:25–29; Genesis 25:32; Ecclesiastes 6:8; Ecclesiastes 6:11; Hebrews 13:9
- 2 Romans 9:4; Acts 7:38; Psalm 147:19–20; Nehemiah 9:13–14; 1 Corinthians 9:17
- 3 2 Timothy 2:13; Hebrews 4:2; Romans 9:6; Titus 1:1–2; Isaiah 55:11
- 4 Psalm 51:4; Psalm 116:11; Galatians 2:17; Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2
- 5 Romans 6:19; Galatians 3:15; 1 Corinthians 9:8; Romans 2:5; Romans 9:18–20
- 6 Genesis 18:25; Acts 17:31; Job 8:3; Psalm 98:9; Psalm 50:6
- 7 Romans 3:4; Romans 9:19–20; Acts 13:27–29; 2 Kings 8:10–15; Isaiah 10:6–7
- 8 Romans 6:1; Romans 6:15; Romans 5:20; Romans 7:7; 1 Peter 3:16–17
- 9 Galatians 3:22; Romans 6:15; Isaiah 65:5; Romans 11:32; Romans 3:22–23
- 10 Psalm 53:1–3; Psalm 14:1–3; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8–10; Job 15:14
- 11 Psalm 14:2–4; Psalm 53:2; Titus 3:3; Hosea 4:6; Romans 8:7
- 12 Psalm 14:3; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Isaiah 59:8; Isaiah 64:6; Isaiah 53:6
- 13 Psalm 5:9; Psalm 140:3; Matthew 23:27–28; Jeremiah 9:3–5; Psalm 57:4
- 14 Psalm 10:7; Psalm 109:17–18; Psalm 59:12; James 3:10
- 15 Isaiah 59:7–8; Proverbs 1:16; Proverbs 6:18
- 17 Isaiah 59:8; Romans 5:1; Luke 1:79; Matthew 7:14; Isaiah 57:21
- 18 Psalm 36:1; Proverbs 23:17; Proverbs 16:6; Proverbs 8:13; Revelation 19:5
- 19 Galatians 3:10; Galatians 3:22–23; Romans 2:12–18; Romans 3:9; Galatians 5:18
- 20 Galatians 2:16; Acts 13:39; Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:19; Romans 4:15
- 21 Acts 10:43; Jeremiah 33:16; Philippians 3:9; Jeremiah 23:5–6; Galatians 3:8
- 22 Romans 10:12; Galatians 3:28; Romans 8:1; Galatians 2:16; Romans 5:1–11
- 23 Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8–10; Romans 3:9; Galatians 3:22; Romans 11:32
- 24 1 Peter 1:18–19; Titus 3:5–7; Colossians 1:14; Ephesians 1:6–7; Romans 5:9
- 25 Romans 3:23–24; 1 Peter 1:18–20; 1 John 4:10; 1 John 2:2; Colossians 1:20–23
- 26 Deuteronomy 32:4; Romans 4:5; Acts 13:38–39; Romans 3:30; Zephaniah 3:5
- 27 Romans 4:2; Romans 2:23; 1 Corinthians 1:29–31; Galatians 3:22; Romans 2:17
- 28 Titus 3:7; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:24; Galatians 3:8; Romans 3:26
- 29 Colossians 3:11; Zechariah 2:11; Ephesians 3:6; Galatians 3:14; Galatians 3:25–29
- 30 Galatians 3:8; Galatians 3:20; Philippians 3:3; Colossians 2:10–11; Galatians 5:6
- 31 Galatians 2:21; Matthew 5:17; Romans 13:8–10; Romans 10:4; Romans 8:4
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
He had accused the Gentiles, he had accused the Jews; it came next in order to mention the righteousness which is by faith.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
And, "There is none that understandeth, or that seeketh after God: they have all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable," they maintain to be said concerning ignorance of Bythus.
… in many other significations; and among these various usages, a frequent one is to use flesh for man himself, the nature of man taking the part for the whole, as in the words, "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified;" for what does he mean here by "no flesh" but "no man?" And this, indeed, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
God forbid! yea, we establish the law." For since the law was laboring at this, to make man righteous, but had not power, He came and brought in the way of righteousness by faith, and so established that which the law desired: and what the law could not by letters, this He accomplished by faith.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
for the godly man is perished out of the earth, and there is none that doeth right among men: and again, They are all gone out of the way, they are together became unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one: and again, Cursing and stealing, and adultery, and murder are poured out upon the land.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)