Who, what, why, when, where, and how — read the book introduction
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Learn about the sources and coverage →Then what advantage is there in being a Jew? And what benefit is there in being circumcised?
What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there 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?
There is great benefit in every way! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the very words of God.
Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
Πολὺ κατὰ πάντα τρόπον∙ πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ὅτι ἐπιστεύθησαν τὰ λόγια τοῦ θεοῦ.
Poly kata panta tropon; prōton men gar hoti episteuthēsan ta logia tou theou.
What if some of them were unfaithful? Would their unfaithfulness somehow cancel out God's faithfulness?
For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
Τί γὰρ εἰ ἠπίστησάν τινες; Μὴ ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τὴν πίστιν τοῦ θεοῦ καταργήσει;
Ti gar ei ēpistēsan tines? Mē hē apistia autōn tēn pistin tou theou katargēsei?
Absolutely not! God must always be recognized as truthful, even if every human being proves to be a liar. As Scripture says, “So that You may be shown to be right in what You say and prevail when You are judged.”1
God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
Μὴ γένοιτο∙ γινέσθω δὲ ὁ θεὸς ἀληθής, πᾶς δὲ ἄνθρωπος ψεύστης, καθὼς γέγραπται, Ὅπως ἂν δικαιωθῇς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου, καὶ νικήσῃς ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαί σε.
Mē genoito; ginesthō de ho theos alēthēs, pas de anthrōpos pseustēs, kathōs gegraptai, Hopōs an dikaiōthēs en tois logois sou, kai nikēsēs en tō krinesthai se.
But if our wrongdoing makes God's righteousness stand out more clearly, what should we say? Would God be unjust to bring His wrath upon us? I'm speaking merely from a human point of view.
But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
Εἰ δὲ ἡ ἀδικία ἡμῶν θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην συνίστησιν, τί ἐροῦμεν; Μὴ ἄδικος ὁ θεὸς ὁ ἐπιφέρων τὴν ὀργήν;—κατὰ ἄνθρωπον λέγω—
Ei de hē adikia hēmōn theou dikaiosynēn synistēsin, ti eroumen? Mē adikos ho theos ho epipherōn tēn orgēn?—kata anthrōpon legō—
Absolutely not! If that were true, how could God judge the world?
God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
Μὴ γένοιτο∙ ἐπεὶ πῶς κρινεῖ ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον;
Mē genoito; epei pōs krinei ho theos ton kosmon?
People may argue, “If my dishonesty makes God's truth stand out even more and brings Him glory, why am I still being judged as a sinner?”
For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
Εἰ γὰρ ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ ψεύσματι ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, τί ἔτι κἀγὼ ὡς ἁμαρτωλὸς κρίνομαι;
Ei gar hē alētheia tou theou en tō emō pseusmati eperisseusen eis tēn doxan autou, ti eti kagō hōs hamartōlos krinomai?
So why not say, “Let's keep doing evil so that good may come from it”? Some people falsely accuse us of teaching exactly that. Their condemnation is deserved.
And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.
Καὶ μή—καθὼς βλασφημούμεθα, καὶ καθώς φασίν τινες ἡμᾶς λέγειν—ὅτι Ποιήσωμεν τὰ κακὰ ἵνα ἔλθῃ τὰ ἀγαθά; Ὧν τὸ κρίμα ἔνδικόν ἐστιν.
Kai mē—kathōs blasphēmoumetha, kai kathōs phasin tines hēmas legein—hoti Poiēsōmen ta kaka hina elthē ta agatha? Hōn to krima endikon estin.
So what does this mean? Are we Jews any better off? Not at all. We have already shown that both Jews and Gentiles are under the power of sin.
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
Τί οὖν; Προεχόμεθα; Οὐ πάντως∙ προῃτιασάμεθα γὰρ Ἰουδαίους τε καὶ Ἕλληνας πάντας ὑφ’ ἁμαρτίαν εἶναι,
Ti oun? Proechometha? Ou pantōs; proētiasametha gar Ioudaious te kai Hellēnas pantas hyph’ hamartian einai,
As Scripture says, “No one is righteous—not even one.2
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος οὐδὲ εἷς∙
kathōs gegraptai hoti Ouk estin dikaios oude heis;
No one truly understands, and no one actively pursues a relationship with God.3
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ συνιῶν, οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ἐκζητῶν τὸν θεόν∙
ouk estin ho syniōn, ouk estin ho ekzētōn ton theon;
Everyone has turned away. Together they have become corrupt. No one does what is good—not even one.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
πάντες ἐξέκλιναν, ἅμα ἠχρειώθησαν∙ οὐκ ἔστιν ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός∙
pantes exeklinan, hama ēchreiōthēsan; ouk estin poiōn chrēstotēta, ouk estin heōs henos;
Their throats are like open graves. Their tongues are full of lies, and their words carry the venom of a poisonous snake.
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν∙ ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν∙
taphos aneōgmenos ho larynx autōn, tais glōssais autōn edoliousan; ios aspidōn hypo ta cheilē autōn;
They speak with bitterness and wish harm on others.
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
ὧν τὸ στόμα ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει∙
hōn to stoma aras kai pikrias gemei;
They are quick to shed blood.
Their feet are swift to shed blood:
ὀξεῖς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα∙
oxeis hoi podes autōn ekcheai haima;
Destruction and misery follow wherever they go.
Destruction and misery are in their ways:
σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν,
syntrimma kai talaipōria en tais hodois autōn,
They have never known the way of peace.
And the way of peace have they not known:
καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν∙
kai hodon eirēnēs ouk egnōsan;
They live without any fear of God.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.
οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν.
ouk estin phobos theou apenanti tōn ophthalmōn autōn.
Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those under the Law. Its purpose is to silence every excuse and hold the whole world accountable before God.
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι ὅσα ὁ νόμος λέγει, τοῖς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ λαλεῖ, ἵνα πᾶν στόμα φραγῇ, καὶ ὑπόδικος γένηται πᾶς ὁ κόσμος τῷ θεῷ∙
Oidamen de hoti hosa ho nomos legei, tois en tō nomō lalei, hina pan stoma phragē, kai hypodikos genētai pas ho kosmos tō theō;
No one will be declared righteous before God by merely obeying the Law, because the Law only makes us aware of our sin. It does not free us from it.4
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
διότι ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὐ δικαιωθήσεται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ∙ διὰ γὰρ νόμου ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας.
dioti ex ergōn nomou ou dikaiōthēsetai pasa sarx enōpion autou; dia gar nomou epignōsis hamartias.
But now God has revealed how we can be made right with Him apart from obeying the Law—a way that the Law and the prophets themselves testified about.
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Νυνὶ δὲ χωρὶς νόμου δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ πεφανέρωται, μαρτυρουμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν∙
Nyni de chōris nomou dikaiosynē theou pephanerōtai, martyroumenē hypo tou nomou kai tōn prophētōn;
This righteousness comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ. It is available to everyone who believes in Him, whether Jew or Gentile. There is no distinction.
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
δικαιοσύνη δὲ θεοῦ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ χριστοῦ εἰς πάντας καὶ ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς πιστεύοντας∙ οὐ γάρ ἐστιν διαστολή∙
dikaiosynē de theou dia pisteōs Iēsou christou eis pantas kai epi pantas tous pisteuontas; ou gar estin diastolē;
For everyone has sinned and falls short of God's glory.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
πάντες γὰρ ἥμαρτον καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ,
pantes gar hēmarton kai hysterountai tēs doxēs tou theou,
Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right with Him through the redemption that comes through Christ Jesus.5
Being 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;
God presented Jesus Christ as the sacrifice that satisfies His righteous judgment against sin, through faith and through His shed blood. In doing so, God demonstrated His righteousness, because in His patience He had passed over sins committed in the past.6
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
ὃν προέθετο ὁ θεὸς ἱλαστήριον, διὰ τῆς πίστεως, ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι, εἰς ἔνδειξιν τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ, διὰ τὴν πάρεσιν τῶν προγεγονότων ἁμαρτημάτων,
hon proetheto ho theos hilastērion, dia tēs pisteōs, en tō autou haimati, eis endeixin tēs dikaiosynēs autou, dia tēn paresin tōn progegonotōn hamartēmatōn,
He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, showing that He is just and that He makes righteous those who have faith in Jesus.
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
ἐν τῇ ἀνοχῇ τοῦ θεοῦ∙ πρὸς ἔνδειξιν τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν δίκαιον καὶ δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ.
en tē anochē tou theou; pros endeixin tēs dikaiosynēs autou en tō nyn kairō, eis to einai auton dikaion kai dikaiounta ton ek pisteōs Iēsou.
So what room is left for boasting? None at all. By what principle—one based on works? No, by the principle of faith.
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law 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.
We conclude, then, that a person is made right with God through faith in Jesus, apart from works of the Law.7
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Λογιζόμεθα οὖν πίστει δικαιοῦσθαι ἄνθρωπον, χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου.
Logizometha oun pistei dikaiousthai anthrōpon, chōris ergōn nomou.
After all, is God only the God of the Jews? Isn't He also the God of the Gentiles? Of course He is!
Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
Ἢ Ἰουδαίων ὁ θεὸς μόνον; Οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ ἐθνῶν; Ναὶ καὶ ἐθνῶν∙
Ē Ioudaiōn ho theos monon? Ouchi de kai ethnōn? Nai kai ethnōn;
There is only one God, and He will make both the circumcised and the uncircumcised right with Him through faith.
Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
ἐπείπερ εἷς ὁ θεός, ὃς δικαιώσει περιτομὴν ἐκ πίστεως, καὶ ἀκροβυστίαν διὰ τῆς πίστεως.
epeiper heis ho theos, hos dikaiōsei peritomēn ek pisteōs, kai akrobystian dia tēs pisteōs.
Does this mean that faith makes God's Law meaningless? Absolutely not! Instead, faith upholds the Law.
Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Νόμον οὖν καταργοῦμεν διὰ τῆς πίστεως; Μὴ γένοιτο∙ ἀλλὰ νόμον ἱστῶμεν.
Nomon oun katargoumen dia tēs pisteōs? Mē genoito; alla nomon histōmen.