Chapter 3

  What advantage then hath the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?  

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  Much every way. First indeed, because the words of God were committed to them.  

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  For what if some of them have not believed? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid.  

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  But God is true; and every man a liar, as it is written, That thou mayest be justified in thy words, and mayest overcome when thou art judged.  

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  But if our injustice commend the justice of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust, who executeth wrath?  

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  (I speak according to man.) God forbid: otherwise how shall God judge this world?  

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  For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie, unto his glory, why am I also yet judged as a sinner?  

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  And not rather (as we are slandered, and as some affirm that we say) let us do evil, that there may come good? whose damnation is just.  

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  What then? Do we excel them? No, not so. For we have charged both Jews, and Greeks, that they are all under sin.  

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  As it is written: There is not any man just.  

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  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  

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  All have turned out of the way; they are become unprofitable together: there is none that doth good, there is not so much as one.  

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  Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have dealt deceitfully. The venom of asps is under their lips.  

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  Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:  

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  Their feet swift to shed blood:  

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  Destruction and misery in their ways:  

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  And the way of peace they have not known:  

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  There is no fear of God before their eyes.  

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  Now we know, that what things soever the law speaketh, it speaketh to them that are in the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be made subject to God.  

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  Because by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before him. For by the law is the knowledge of sin.  

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  But now without the law the justice of God is made manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.  

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  Even the justice of God, by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe in him: for there is no distinction:  

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  For all have sinned, and do need the glory of God.  

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  Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption, that is in Christ Jesus,  

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  Whom God hath proposed to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to the shewing of his justice, for the remission of former sins,  

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  Through the forbearance of God, for the shewing of his justice in this time; that he himself may be just, and the justifier of him, who is of the faith of Jesus Christ.  

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  Where is then thy boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.  

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  For we account a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law.  

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  Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also.  

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  For it is one God, that justifieth circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.  

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  Do we, then, destroy the law through faith? God forbid: but we establish the law.  

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