1What then is the advantage of the Jew, or what is the benefit of circumcision?
2Much in every way. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.
3What then? If some were unfaithful, will their unfaithfulness nullify the faithfulness of God?
4May it never be! Rather, let God be true, and every man a liar, just as it is written: “That you may be justified in your words, and may prevail when you are judged.”
5But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust to inflict wrath? (I am speaking in human terms.)
6May it never be! For otherwise how will God judge the world?
7But if by my falsehood the truth of God abounded to his glory, why am I still also judged as a sinner?
8And why not say (as we are slanderously charged, and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.
No One Is Righteous
9What then? Are we any better off? Not at all, for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,
10just as it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;
11there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God.
12All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; there is no one who does good, there is not even one.
13Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they have practiced deceit; the venom of asps is under their lips;
14their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;
15their feet are swift to shed blood;
16ruin and misery are in their ways,
17and the way of peace they have not known.
18There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those under the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become accountable to God;
20because by works of the law no flesh will be justified before him; for through the law comes knowledge of sin.
Righteousness Through Faith in Jesus
21But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been manifested, testified to by the Law and the Prophets,
22even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe. For there is no distinction,
23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25whom God set forth as an atonement cover through faith in his blood, to demonstrate his righteousness, because of the passing over of the sins previously committed—
26in the forbearance of God, for the demonstration of his righteousness in the present time, so that he might be just and the one who justifies the person who has faith in Jesus.
27Where then is boasting? It has been excluded. Through what kind of law? Of works? No, but through the law of faith.
28For we reckon that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not also of Gentiles? Yes, of Gentiles too,
30since indeed God is one, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
31Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! Rather, we uphold the law.
Where this passage connects across Scripture — each link typed and reasoned, part of the AIT Bible Nexus Chart.
God's Faithfulness Vindicated
quotationPsalms 51:4— Paul quotes David's confession, 'that you may be justified in your words, and may prevail when you are judged.'
quoted byPsalms 51:1— Paul quotes 'so that you may be justified in your words' from this verse to prove God's righteousness in judgment.
thematicGenesis 18:16— Abraham's assertion that the Judge of all the earth must do justice parallels Paul's argument that God is the righteous judge of the world.
thematicPsalms 147:12— Both affirm Israel's unique privilege in receiving God's oracles/law not given to other nations.
No One Is Righteous
quotationIsaiah 59:7— Quotes 'their feet are swift to shed blood... the way of peace they have not known.'
quoted byIsaiah 59:1— Paul's catena of sins quotes 'Their feet run to shed blood... the way of peace they have not known.'
quoted byProverbs 1:8— Paul cites 'their feet are swift to shed blood,' drawn from this same tradition (Isa 59:7 / Prov 1:16).
quotationPsalms 14:1— The catena opens with a near-verbatim citation of the psalm's 'there is no one who does good, not even one.'
quotationPsalms 53:1— Parallel psalm to Ps 14 quoted here declaring none who does good.
quotationPsalms 5:9— Quotes 'Their throat is an open grave' with tongues practicing deceit.
quotationPsalms 140:3— Quotes 'the venom of asps is under their lips.'
quotationPsalms 10:7— Quotes 'their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.'
quotationPsalms 36:1— Quotes 'There is no fear of God before their eyes.'
quoted byPsalms 5:1— Paul quotes this verse in his catena on universal sinfulness, citing the throat as an open grave and deceitful tongues.
quoted byPsalms 10:1— Paul quotes 'His mouth is full of cursing' as part of his catena on universal sinfulness.
quoted byPsalms 140:1— Paul quotes 'the venom of vipers is under their lips' from this verse in his catena on human sinfulness.
parallelGalatians 2:16— Same doctrine that no one is justified by works of the law but by faith in Christ.
echoed inGalatians 2:15— The phrase that no flesh will be justified by works of the law echoes Ps 143 as used in Romans.
allusionPsalms 143:2— Echoes 'no one living is righteous before you' in 'no flesh will be justified before him.'
echoed inPsalms 143:1— Paul echoes this verse that no one living is justified/righteous before God through works of the law.
thematicEcclesiastes 7:15— Paul's teaching that none is righteous echoes Qohelet's claim that no righteous man exists who does not sin.
thematicJob 9:1— Paul develops the same claim that no one is justified before God, echoing Job's question about mortals being right with God.
Righteousness Through Faith in Jesus
prefiguresExodus 25:10— The mercy seat (hilasterion) where atonement is made prefigures Christ set forth as a propitiation, the word Paul uses.
prefiguresExodus 26:1— The mercy seat on the ark is presented in the NT as prefiguring Christ as the place of atonement.
typologyLeviticus 16:14— 'Propitiation' (hilasterion) evokes the mercy seat sprinkled with blood on the Day of Atonement.
parallelGalatians 2:16— Restates justification by faith apart from works of the law.
allusionDeuteronomy 6:4— Appeals to the Shema's confession that 'God is one' to argue he justifies Jew and Gentile alike.
thematic1 John 2:2— Both describe Christ as the propitiation for sins.
thematic1 John 2:1— Shared concept of Christ as propitiation/atoning sacrifice for sins.
thematic2 Chronicles 6:12— The declaration that there is no person who does not sin expresses the universal sinfulness of humankind.