Study Desk

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh,

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper,

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law instinctively perform the requirements of the Law, these, though not having the Law, are a law to themselves,

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely upon the Law and boast in God,

and are confident that you yourself are a guide to people who are blind, a light to those in darkness,

a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, possessing in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth—

For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a violator of the Law, your circumcision has turned into uncircumcision.

And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a violator of the Law?

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.

But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from people, but from God.

Far from it! Rather, God must prove to be true, though every person be found a liar, as it is written: "SO THAT YOU ARE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED."

But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking from a human viewpoint.)

But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?

being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,

whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in God's merciful restraint He let the sins previously committed go unpunished;

Where then is boasting? It has been excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

Now to the one who works, the wages are not credited as a favor, but as what is due.

and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,