Chapter 3
God Remains Faithful
1
What, then, [is] the advantage of [being] a Jew? Or what [is] the value of circumcision?
Τί οὖν τὸ περισσὸν τοῦ Ἰουδαίου ἢ τίς ἡ ὠφέλεια τῆς περιτομῆς Ti oun to perisson tou Ioudaiou ē tis hē ōpheleia tēs peritomēs — NA/TR · 1
2
Much in every way. vvv vvv First of all -, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.
πολὺ κατὰ πάντα τρόπον γὰρ μὲν πρῶτον ὅτι ἐπιστεύθησαν τὰ λόγια τοῦ Θεοῦ poly kata panta tropon gar men prōton hoti episteuthēsan ta logia tou Theou — NA/TR · 2
3
What if some did not have faith? {Will} their lack of faith vvv nullify God’s faithfulness?
Τί εἰ γάρ τινες ἠπίστησάν αὐτῶν ἡ ἀπιστία μὴ καταργήσει τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν πίστιν Ti ei gar tines ēpistēsan autōn hē apistia mē katargēsei tou Theou tēn pistin — NA/TR · 3
4
vvv Certainly not! - {Let} God be true and every man a liar. As it is written -: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.”
μὴ γένοιτο δὲ ὁ Θεὸς γινέσθω ἀληθής δὲ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ψεύστης καθὼς γέγραπται Ὅπως ἂν δικαιωθῇς ἐν σου τοῖς λόγοις καὶ νικήσεις ἐν σε τῷ κρίνεσθαί mē genoito de ho Theos ginesthō alēthēs de pas anthrōpos pseustēs kathōs gegraptai Hopōs an dikaiōthēs en sou tois logois kai nikēseis en se tō krinesthai — NA/TR · 4
5
But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? [That] God [is] unjust to inflict [His] wrath [on us]? I am speaking in human terms.
δὲ Εἰ ἡμῶν ἡ ἀδικία συνίστησιν δικαιοσύνην Θεοῦ τί ἐροῦμεν ὁ Θεὸς μὴ ἄδικος ὁ ἐπιφέρων τὴν ὀργήν λέγω κατὰ ἄνθρωπον de Ei hēmōn hē adikia synistēsin dikaiosynēn Theou ti eroumen ho Theos mē adikos ho epipherōn tēn orgēn legō kata anthrōpon — NA/TR · 5
6
vvv Certainly not! In that case, how {could} God judge the world?
μὴ γένοιτο ἐπεὶ πῶς ὁ Θεὸς κρινεῖ τὸν κόσμον mē genoito epei pōs ho Theos krinei ton kosmon — NA/TR · 6
7
However, if - my falsehood accentuates God’s truthfulness, to the increase of His glory, why {am} I still condemned as a sinner?
δὲ εἰ ἡ ἐν ἐμῷ τῷ ψεύσματι ἐπερίσσευσεν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀλήθεια εἰς αὐτοῦ τὴν δόξαν τί κἀγὼ ἔτι κρίνομαι ὡς ἁμαρτωλὸς de ei hē en emō tō pseusmati eperisseusen tou Theou alētheia eis autou tēn doxan ti kagō eti krinomai hōs hamartōlos — NA/TR · 7
8
[Why] not [say], as some slanderously claim [that] we say, “- Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is deserved!
καὶ μὴ καθὼς καθώς τινες βλασφημούμεθα καὶ φασίν ἡμᾶς λέγειν ὅτι Ποιήσωμεν κακὰ τὰ ἵνα τὰ ἀγαθά ἔλθῃ ὧν τὸ κρίμα ἐστιν ἔνδικόν kai mē kathōs kathōs tines blasphēmoumetha kai phasin hēmas legein hoti Poiēsōmen kaka ta hina ta agatha elthē hōn to krima estin endikon — NA/TR · 8
There Is No One Righteous
9
What then? Are we any better? Not at all. For we have already made the charge [that] Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin.
Τί οὖν προεχόμεθα οὐ πάντως γὰρ προῃτιασάμεθα Ἰουδαίους καὶ Ἕλληνας τε εἶναι πάντας ὑφ’ ἁμαρτίαν Ti oun proechometha ou pantōs gar proētiasametha Ioudaious kai Hellēnas te einai pantas hyph’ hamartian — NA/TR · 9
10
As it is written -: “There is no one righteous, not even one.
καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι ἔστιν Οὐκ δίκαιος οὐδὲ εἷς kathōs gegraptai hoti estin Ouk dikaios oude heis — NA/TR · 10
11
There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
ἔστιν οὐκ ὁ συνίων ἔστιν οὐκ ὁ ἐκζητῶν τὸν Θεόν estin ouk ho syniōn estin ouk ho ekzētōn ton Theon — NA/TR · 11
12
All have turned away, vvv they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
πάντες ἐξέκλιναν ἅμα ἠχρεώθησαν ἔστιν οὐκ ὁ ποιῶν χρηστότητα ἔστιν οὐκ ἕως ἑνός pantes exeklinan hama ēchreōthēsan estin ouk ho poiōn chrēstotēta estin ouk heōs henos — NA/TR · 12
13
“Their throats [are] open graves; their tongues practice deceit.” “[The] venom of vipers [is] on their lips.”
αὐτῶν ὁ λάρυγξ ἀνεῳγμένος τάφος ταῖς αὐτῶν γλώσσαις ἐδολιοῦσαν ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ αὐτῶν τὰ χείλη autōn ho larynx aneōgmenos taphos tais autōn glōssais edoliousan ios aspidōn hypo autōn ta cheilē — NA/TR · 13
14
“[Their] mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
ὧν τὸ στόμα γέμει ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας hōn to stoma gemei aras kai pikrias — NA/TR · 14
15
“Their feet [are] swift to shed blood;
αὐτῶν οἱ πόδες ὀξεῖς ἐκχέαι αἷμα autōn hoi podes oxeis ekcheai haima — NA/TR · 15
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ruin and misery [lie] in their wake,
σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν αὐτῶν ταῖς ὁδοῖς syntrimma kai talaipōria en autōn tais hodois — NA/TR · 16
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and [the] way of peace vvv they have not known.”
καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν kai hodon eirēnēs ouk egnōsan — NA/TR · 17
18
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
ἔστιν οὐκ φόβος Θεοῦ ἀπέναντι αὐτῶν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν estin ouk phobos Theou apenanti autōn tōn ophthalmōn — NA/TR · 18
19
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
δὲ Οἴδαμεν ὅτι ὅσα ὁ νόμος λέγει λαλεῖ τοῖς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ ἵνα πᾶν στόμα φραγῇ καὶ ὁ πᾶς κόσμος γένηται ὑπόδικος τῷ Θεῷ de Oidamen hoti hosa ho nomos legei lalei tois en tō nomō hina pan stoma phragē kai ho pas kosmos genētai hypodikos tō Theō — NA/TR · 19
20
Therefore no one… will be justified in His sight… by works of the law. For [the] law merely brings awareness of sin.
διότι οὐ πᾶσα σὰρξ δικαιωθήσεται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου γὰρ νόμου διὰ ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας dioti ou pasa sarx dikaiōthēsetai enōpion autou ex ergōn nomou gar nomou dia epignōsis hamartias — NA/TR · 20
Righteousness through Faith in Christ
21
But now, apart from [the] law, [the] righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.
δὲ Νυνὶ χωρὶς νόμου δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ πεφανέρωται μαρτυρουμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν de Nyni chōris nomou dikaiosynē Theou pephanerōtai martyroumenē hypo tou nomou kai tōn prophētōn — NA/TR · 21
22
And [this] righteousness [from] God [comes] through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,
δὲ δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς πάντας τοὺς πιστεύοντας γάρ ἐστιν οὐ διαστολή de dikaiosynē Theou dia pisteōs Iēsou Christou eis pantas tous pisteuontas gar estin ou diastolē — NA/TR · 22
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for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
γὰρ πάντες ἥμαρτον καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ gar pantes hēmarton kai hysterountai tēs doxēs tou Theou — NA/TR · 23
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[and are] justified freely by His grace through the redemption that [is] in Christ Jesus.
δικαιούμενοι δωρεὰν τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι διὰ τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ dikaioumenoi dōrean tē autou chariti dia tēs apolytrōseōs tēs en Christō Iēsou — NA/TR · 24
25
God presented [Him] [as an] atoning sacrifice in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in [His] forbearance [He] had passed over the sins committed beforehand.
Θεὸς προέθετο ὃν ὁ ἱλαστήριον ἐν αὐτοῦ τῷ αἵματι διὰ τῆς πίστεως εἰς ἔνδειξιν αὐτοῦ τῆς δικαιοσύνης διὰ ἐν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνοχῇ τὴν πάρεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων προγεγονότων Theos proetheto hon ho hilastērion en autou tō haimati dia tēs pisteōs eis endeixin autou tēs dikaiosynēs dia en tē tou Theou anochē tēn paresin tōn hamartēmatōn progegonotōn — NA/TR · 25
26
[He did this] to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as - to be just and to justify the [one] [who has] faith in Jesus.
πρὸς τὴν ἔνδειξιν τῆς αὐτοῦ δικαιοσύνης ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸ εἶναι δίκαιον καὶ δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ pros tēn endeixin tēs autou dikaiosynēs en tō nyn kairō eis auton to einai dikaion kai dikaiounta ton ek pisteōs Iēsou — NA/TR · 26
27
Where, then, [is] boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? [On] that of works? No, but on [that] of faith.
Ποῦ οὖν ἡ καύχησις ἐξεκλείσθη διὰ ποίου νόμου τῶν ἔργων οὐχί ἀλλὰ διὰ νόμου πίστεως Pou oun hē kauchēsis exekleisthē dia poiou nomou tōn ergōn ouchi alla dia nomou pisteōs — NA/TR · 27
28
For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
γὰρ λογιζόμεθα ἄνθρωπον δικαιοῦσθαι πίστει χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου gar logizometha anthrōpon dikaiousthai pistei chōris ergōn nomou — NA/TR · 28
29
Ἢ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰουδαίων μόνον οὐχὶ ἐθνῶν καὶ ναὶ ἐθνῶν καὶ Ē ho Theos Ioudaiōn monon ouchi ethnōn kai nai ethnōn kai — NA/TR · 29
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since [there is only] one God, who will justify [the] circumcised by faith and [the] uncircumcised through that [same] faith.
εἴπερ εἷς ὁ Θεός ὃς δικαιώσει περιτομὴν ἐκ πίστεως καὶ ἀκροβυστίαν διὰ τῆς πίστεως eiper heis ho Theos hos dikaiōsei peritomēn ek pisteōs kai akrobystian dia tēs pisteōs — NA/TR · 30
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vvv Do we, then, nullify [the] law by [this] faith? vvv Certainly not! Instead, we uphold [the] law.
οὖν καταργοῦμεν Νόμον διὰ τῆς πίστεως μὴ γένοιτο ἀλλὰ ἱστάνομεν νόμον oun katargoumen Nomon dia tēs pisteōs mē genoito alla histanomen nomon — NA/TR · 31