Read Amplified Bible, 2015 Romans 3 Bible Online

Romans 3 - Amplified Bible, 2015 bible

Romans 3

¹Then what is the advantage of the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?

²Great in every respect. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God [His very[1] words].

³What then? If some did not believe or were unfaithful [to God], their lack of belief will not nullify and make invalid the faithfulness of God and His word, will it?

⁴Certainly not! Let God be found true [as He will be], though every person be found a liar, just as it is written [in Scripture], "That You may be justified in Your words, And prevail when You are judged [by sinful men]."

⁵But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? God is not wrong to inflict His wrath [on us], is He? (I am speaking in purely human terms.)

⁶Certainly not! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?

⁷But [as you might say] if through my lie God's truth was magnified and abounded to His glory, why am I still being judged as a sinner?

⁸And why not say, (as some slanderously report and claim that we teach) "Let us do evil so that good may come of it"? Their condemnation [by God] is just.

⁹Well then, are we [Jews] better off than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles) are under the control of sin and subject to its power.

¹⁰As it is written and forever remains written, "There is none righteous [none that meets God's standard], not even one.

¹¹"There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God.

¹²"All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, no, not one."

¹³"Their throat is an open grave; They [habitually] deceive with their tongues." "The venom of asps is beneath their lips."

¹⁴"Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness."

¹⁵"Their feet are swift to shed blood,

¹⁶Destruction and misery are in their paths,

¹⁷And they have not known the path of peace."

¹⁸"There is no fear of God [and His awesome power] before their eyes."

¹⁹Now we know that whatever the Law [of Moses] says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that [the excuses of] every mouth may be silenced [from protesting] and that all the world may be held accountable to God [and subject to His judgment].

²⁰For no[2] person will be justified [freed of guilt and declared righteous] in His sight by [trying to do] the works of the Law. For through the Law we become conscious of sin [and the recognition of sin directs us toward repentance, but provides no remedy for sin].

²¹But now the righteousness of God has been clearly revealed [independently and completely] apart from the Law, though it is [actually] confirmed by the Law and the [words and writings of the] Prophets.

²²This righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believe [and trust in Him and acknowledge Him as God's Son]. There is no distinction,

²³since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God,

²⁴and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved][3] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,

²⁵whom God displayed publicly [before the eyes of the world] as a [life-giving][4] sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation (propitiation) by His blood [to be received] through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness [which demands punishment for sin], because in His forbearance [His deliberate restraint] He passed over the sins previously committed [before Jesus' crucifixion].

²⁶It was to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the One who justifies those who have faith in Jesus [and rely confidently on Him as Savior].

²⁷Then what becomes of [our] boasting? It is excluded [entirely ruled out, banished]. On what principle? On [the principle of good] works? No, but on the principle of faith.

²⁸For we maintain that an individual is justified by faith distinctly apart from works of the Law [the observance of which has nothing to do with justification, that is, being declared free of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God].

²⁹Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not also the God of Gentiles [who were not given the Law]? Yes, of Gentiles also,

³⁰since indeed it is one [and the same] God who will justify the circumcised by faith [which began with Abraham] and the uncircumcised through [their newly acquired] faith.

³¹Do we then nullify the Law by this faith [making the Law of no effect, overthrowing it]? Certainly not! On the contrary, we confirm and establish and uphold the Law [since it convicts us all of sin, pointing to the need for salvation].