1 So|strong="G3767", do|strong="G5101" Jews|strong="G2453" have|strong="G2228" anything|strong="G5101" that|strong="G3767" others|strong="G3588" don’t have|strong="G2228"? Do|strong="G5101" they|strong="G3767" get any benefit|strong="G5622" from|strong="G2228" being circumcised|strong="G4061"?
2 Yes|strong="G1063", the|strong="G3956" Jews have|strong="G3748" many|strong="G4183" benefits. The|strong="G3956" most|strong="G4183" important one|strong="G3588" is|strong="G2316" this|strong="G3588": God|strong="G2316" trusted the|strong="G3956" Jews with|strong="G2316" his|strong="G3956" teachings.
3 It|strong="G0846" is|strong="G2316" true that|strong="G0846" some|strong="G5100" Jews were|strong="G3588" not|strong="G3361" faithful to|strong="G5100" God|strong="G2316". But|strong="G1487" will|strong="G2316" that|strong="G0846" stop|strong="G3361" God|strong="G2316" from|strong="G3361" doing what|strong="G5101" he|strong="G0846" promised?
4 No|strong="G3361", even|strong="G2532" if|strong="G0302" everyone|strong="G3956" else|strong="G2532" is|strong="G2316" a|strong="G1096" liar|strong="G5583", God|strong="G2316" will|strong="G2316" always|strong="G3956" do|strong="G2919" what|strong="G3588" he|strong="G2532" says|strong="G3056". As|strong="G2531" the|strong="G3956" Scriptures say|strong="G3056" about|strong="G1722" him|strong="G2532",
5 When|strong="G1161" we|strong="G2249" do|strong="G3361" wrong|strong="G0093", that|strong="G3004" shows more|strong="G2596" clearly that|strong="G3004" God|strong="G2316" is|strong="G2316" right|strong="G1343". So|strong="G1161" can|strong="G3004" we|strong="G2249" say|strong="G3004" that|strong="G3004" God|strong="G2316" does|strong="G5101" wrong|strong="G0093" when|strong="G1161" he|strong="G3004" punishes us|strong="G3004"? (That’s the|strong="G3588" way|strong="G2596" some|strong="G3588" people|strong="G0444" think.)
6 Of|strong="G2316" course not|strong="G3361". If God|strong="G2316" could|strong="G1096" not|strong="G3361" punish us, how|strong="G4459" could|strong="G1096" he|strong="G4459" judge|strong="G2919" the|strong="G3588" world|strong="G2889"?
7 Someone might|strong="G2316" say, “When|strong="G5613" I|strong="G2504" lie|strong="G5582", it|strong="G0846" really gives God|strong="G2316" glory|strong="G1391", because|strong="G1722" my|strong="G1699" lie|strong="G5582" makes his|strong="G0846" truth|strong="G0225" easier to|strong="G1519" see. So|strong="G1161" why|strong="G5101" am|strong="G2919" I|strong="G2504" judged|strong="G2919" a|strong="G5613" sinner|strong="G0268"?”
8 It|strong="G4160" would|strong="G5100" be|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3588" same|strong="G3739" to|strong="G2443" say|strong="G3004", “We|strong="G2249" should|strong="G5100" do|strong="G4160" evil|strong="G2556" so|strong="G2443" that|strong="G3754" good|strong="G0018" will|strong="G1510" come|strong="G2064".” Many people|strong="G1510" criticize us|strong="G3004", saying|strong="G3004" that’s what|strong="G3739" we|strong="G2249" teach. They|strong="G3739" are|strong="G1510" wrong|strong="G2556", and|strong="G2532" they|strong="G3739" should|strong="G5100" be|strong="G1510" condemned|strong="G2917" for|strong="G3754" saying|strong="G3004" that|strong="G3754".
9 So|strong="G3767" are|strong="G1510" we|strong="G2532" Jews|strong="G2453" better|strong="G4284" than|strong="G2532" other people|strong="G3956"? No|strong="G3756", we|strong="G2532" have|strong="G1510" already|strong="G4256" said|strong="G2532" that|strong="G3956" those|strong="G3956" who|strong="G5101" are|strong="G1510" Jews|strong="G2453", as|strong="G2532" well|strong="G2532" as|strong="G2532" those|strong="G3956" who|strong="G5101" are|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" Jews|strong="G2453", are|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3956" same|strong="G2532". They|strong="G3767" are|strong="G1510" all|strong="G3956" guilty of|strong="G3956" sin|strong="G0266".
10 As|strong="G2531" the|strong="G1510" Scriptures say,
11 There|strong="G1510" is|strong="G1510" no|strong="G3756" one|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" understands|strong="G4920".
12 They|strong="G2193" have|strong="G1510" all|strong="G3956" turned|strong="G1578" away|strong="G1578" from|strong="G1510" him|strong="G4160",
13 “Their|strong="G0846" words come from|strong="G5259" mouths that|strong="G0846" are|strong="G3588" like|strong="G0846" open|strong="G0455" graves|strong="G5028".
14 “Their|strong="G2532" mouths|strong="G4750" are|strong="G3739" full|strong="G1073" of|strong="G4750" cursing|strong="G0685" and|strong="G2532" angry words|strong="G4750".” Psalm 10:7
15 “They|strong="G0846" are|strong="G3588" always ready to|strong="G0846" kill someone.
16 Everywhere they|strong="G0846" go they|strong="G0846" cause trouble and|strong="G2532" ruin|strong="G4938".
17 They|strong="G2532" don’t|strong="G3756" know|strong="G1097" how|strong="G1097" to|strong="G2532" live in|strong="G2532" peace|strong="G1515".” Isaiah 59:7-8
18 “They|strong="G0846" have|strong="G1510" no|strong="G3756" fear|strong="G5401" or|strong="G3588" respect|strong="G5401" for|strong="G2316" God|strong="G2316".” Psalm 36:1
19 What|strong="G3588" the|strong="G3956" law|strong="G3551" says|strong="G3004" is|strong="G2316" for|strong="G3754" those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" are|strong="G3956" under|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3956" law|strong="G3551". It|strong="G1161" stops anyone|strong="G3956" from|strong="G2980" making excuses. And|strong="G2532" it|strong="G1161" brings the|strong="G3956" whole|strong="G3956" world|strong="G2889" under|strong="G1722" God’s|strong="G2316" judgment,
20 because|strong="G1223" no|strong="G3756" one|strong="G3956" can be|strong="G3956" made right with|strong="G1537" God|strong="G0846" by|strong="G1223" following the|strong="G3956" law|strong="G3551". The|strong="G3956" law|strong="G3551" only|strong="G3756" shows us|strong="G1537" our|strong="G3956" sin|strong="G0266".
21 But|strong="G1161" God|strong="G2316" has|strong="G2316" a|strong="G5259" way to|strong="G2532" make|strong="G5319" people|strong="G3588" right|strong="G1343", and|strong="G2532" it|strong="G1161" has|strong="G2316" nothing to|strong="G2532" do|strong="G2532" with|strong="G2316" the|strong="G3588" law|strong="G3551". He|strong="G2532" has|strong="G2316" now|strong="G1161" shown|strong="G5319" us that|strong="G3140" new way, which|strong="G3588" the|strong="G3588" law|strong="G3551" and|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" prophets|strong="G4396" told us about|strong="G3588".
22 God|strong="G2316" makes people|strong="G3956" right|strong="G1519" through|strong="G1223" their|strong="G3956" faith|strong="G4102" in|strong="G1519" Jesus|strong="G2424" Christ|strong="G5547". He|strong="G1161" does|strong="G1510" this|strong="G3588" for|strong="G1063" all|strong="G3956" who|strong="G3588" believe|strong="G4100" in|strong="G1519" Christ|strong="G5547". Everyone|strong="G3956" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3956" same.
23 All|strong="G3956" have|strong="G2532" sinned|strong="G0264" and|strong="G2532" are|strong="G3956" not|strong="G2532" good enough to|strong="G2532" share God’s|strong="G2316" divine greatness.
24 They|strong="G0846" are|strong="G3588" made right with|strong="G1722" God|strong="G0846" by|strong="G1722" his|strong="G0846" grace|strong="G5485". This|strong="G3588" is|strong="G3588" a|strong="G1722" free gift|strong="G5485". They|strong="G0846" are|strong="G3588" made right with|strong="G1722" God|strong="G0846" by|strong="G1722" being made free from|strong="G1722" sin through|strong="G1223" Jesus|strong="G2424" Christ|strong="G5547".
27 So|strong="G3767" do|strong="G2041" we|strong="G3767" have|strong="G3588" any|strong="G4169" reason|strong="G1223" to|strong="G3551" boast about|strong="G3588" ourselves? No|strong="G3780" reason|strong="G1223" at|strong="G3588" all|strong="G3588". And|strong="G4102" why|strong="G1223" not|strong="G3780"? Because|strong="G1223" we|strong="G3767" are|strong="G3588" depending on|strong="G3767" the|strong="G3588" way|strong="G1223" of|strong="G1223" faith|strong="G4102", not|strong="G3780" on|strong="G3767" what|strong="G4169" we|strong="G3767" have|strong="G3588" done|strong="G2041" in|strong="G4102" following the|strong="G3588" law|strong="G3551".
28 I|strong="G1063" mean we|strong="G4102" are|strong="G0444" made right with|strong="G3049" God through faith|strong="G4102", not|strong="G5565" through what|strong="G1063" we|strong="G4102" have|strong="G0444" done|strong="G2041" to|strong="G0444" follow the|strong="G1344" law|strong="G3551". This is|strong="G0444" what|strong="G1063" we|strong="G4102" believe.
29 God|strong="G2316" is|strong="G2316" not|strong="G3780" only|strong="G3440" the|strong="G3588" God|strong="G2316" of|strong="G2316" the|strong="G3588" Jews|strong="G2453". He|strong="G2532" is|strong="G2316" also|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" God|strong="G2316" of|strong="G2316" those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" are|strong="G3588" not|strong="G3780" Jews|strong="G2453".
30 There|strong="G3739" is|strong="G2316" only|strong="G2532" one|strong="G1520" God|strong="G2316". He|strong="G2532" will|strong="G2316" make Jews right with|strong="G1537" him|strong="G3739" by|strong="G1223" their|strong="G2532" faith|strong="G4102", and|strong="G2532" he|strong="G2532" will|strong="G2316" also|strong="G2532" make non-Jews right with|strong="G1537" him|strong="G3739" through|strong="G1223" their|strong="G2532" faith|strong="G4102".
31 So|strong="G3767" do|strong="G1096" we|strong="G3767" destroy the|strong="G3588" law|strong="G3551" by|strong="G1223" following the|strong="G3588" way|strong="G1223" of|strong="G1223" faith|strong="G4102"? Not|strong="G3361" at|strong="G3588" all|strong="G3588"! In|strong="G4102" fact|strong="G0235", faith|strong="G4102" causes us to|strong="G1096" be|strong="G1096" what|strong="G3588" the|strong="G3588" law|strong="G3551" actually wants.