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3:1  So what advantage does a Jew have? [L Or] Is there ·anything special [any benefit/advantage] about being circumcised?
3:2  Yes, there are great benefits in ·every way [or all different ways]. ·The most important thing is this [L First]: God ·trusted [entrusted] the Jews with his ·teachings [revelation; oracles].
3:3  ·If [L What if] some Jews were not faithful to him, will their unfaithfulness ·stop God from doing what he promised [L nullify God’s faithfulness]?
3:4  ·No [Absolutely not; May it never be]! ·God will continue to be true even when every person is false [L Let God be true and every person a liar]. As the Scriptures say: “So you will be ·shown to be right [justified] ·when you speak [L in your words], and you will ·win your case in court [L prevail when you are judged; or prevail when you judge (sin); Ps. 51:4].”
3:5  But if ·what we do wrong [our unrighteousness] ·shows more clearly [highlights] ·that God is right [God’s righteousness], ·how can we say [L what shall we say?] that God is ·wrong [unrighteous; unjust] to ·punish [L inflict wrath on] us? (I am talking ·as people might talk [or in limited human terms].)
3:6  ·No [Absolutely not; May it never be; v. 4]! If God could not punish us, ·he could not [L how could he…?] judge the world.
3:7  A person might say, “When I lie, it really ·gives him [L increases his] glory, because my lie shows God’s truth. So why am I ·judged [condemned as] a sinner?”
3:8  It would be the same to say, “We should do evil so that good will come.” Some people ·find fault with [slander] us and say we teach this, but ·they are wrong and deserve the punishment they will receive [L their condemnation is just].
3:9  ·So [L What then?] ·are we Jews [or are we Christians; L are we] ·better than others [or making excuses for ourselves]? ·No [L Not at all]! We have already ·said [charged; made the accusation] that Jews and Gentiles alike are all ·guilty of [or under the power of; L under] sin.
3:10  As the Scriptures say: “There is no one who ·always does what is right [L is righteous], not even one.
3:11  There is no one who understands. There is no one who ·looks to God for help [L seeks God].
3:12  All have turned away. Together, everyone has become ·useless [worthless]. There is no one who ·does anything good [or shows kindness]; there is not even one [Ps. 14:1–3].”
3:13  “Their throats are like open graves [C either their words are like rotting corpses, or their speech is murderous]; they use their tongues ·for telling lies [to deceive; Ps. 5:9].” “·Their words are like snake poison [L Asp/Viper venom is on their lips; Ps. 140:3].”
3:14  “Their mouths are full of cursing and ·hate [bitterness; Ps. 10:7].”
3:15  “·They [L Their feet] are ·always ready [eager; quick] to ·kill people [L shed blood].
3:16  ·Everywhere they go [L Along their paths/ways] they cause ·ruin [destruction; havoc] and misery.
3:17  They don’t know ·how to live in [L the way of] peace [Is. 59:7–8].”
3:18  “They have no fear of God [Ps. 36:1].”
3:19  We know that ·the law’s commands [L what the law says] are for those who ·have [are under/subject to; L are in] the law. This ·stops all excuses [L silences every mouth] and brings the whole world under God’s judgment,
3:20  because no one can be ·made right [justfied; declared righteous] with God [Ps. 143:2] ·by following [L through the works of] the law. [L For] The law only ·shows us our [brings awareness of] sin.
3:21  But now ·God’s way to make people right with him [L the righteousness of God] ·without [apart from] the law has been ·shown to us [revealed; made known], a way ·told to us [testified to; attested] by the law and the prophets.
3:22  ·God makes people right with himself [L This righteousness comes] through ·their faith in [or the faithfulness of] Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, because ·all people are the same [there is no distinction/difference; C between Jews and Gentiles]:
3:23  [L For; Because] Everyone has sinned and ·fallen short [or is not worthy] of God’s ·glorious standard [or glorious presence; L glory],
3:24  and all need to be ·made right with God [justfied; declared righteous] as a free gift by his grace, ·by being set free from sin [L through the redemption that is] ·through [or in] Jesus Christ.
3:25  God ·sent [or appointed; or presented] him ·to die in our place to take away our sins [as a sacrifice of atonement; or as the mercy seat; T as a propitiation; C the Greek term could mean the place where sacrificial blood was dripped (the mercy seat) or the sacrifice itself; it implies an atoning sacrifice that turns away divine wrath]. We receive forgiveness through faith in ·the blood of Jesus’ death [L his blood]. This showed ·that God always does what is right and fair [L his righteousness], as in the past when he was patient and ·did not punish people for their sins [L passed over/delayed punishment for previously committed sins].
3:26  And God gave Jesus to show ·today [or at this present time (of salvation)] ·that he does what is right [L his righteousness/justice]. God did this so he could ·judge rightly [or be shown to be just/righteous] and so he could ·make right [declare righteous; justify] any person ·who has faith in Jesus [or on the basis of Jesus’ faithfulness; see v. 22]. [C Christ’s sacrificial death shows that God is both just (sin is justly punished) and merciful (God saves undeserving sinners).]
3:27  ·So do we have a reason to brag about ourselves? No! [L Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded.] ·And why not [L By what law/principle]? It is the ·way [law; principle] of faith that stops all ·bragging [boasting], not the ·way [law; principle] of ·trying to obey the law [L works].
3:28  For we ·conclude [maintain; assert] a person is ·made right with God [justified; declared righteous] through faith, not through ·obeying [L the works of] the law.
3:29  [L Or] Is God only the God of the Jews? Is he not also the God of the Gentiles?
3:30  Of course he is, because ·there is only one God [or God is one; Deut. 6:4]. He will ·make Jews right with him [L justify/make righteous the circumcised] by their faith, and he will also ·make Gentiles right with him [L justify/declare righteous the uncircumcised] through their faith.
3:31  So do we ·destroy [nullify; annul] the law by ·following the way of faith [L faith]? ·No [Absolutely not; May it never be; v. 6]! ·Faith causes us to be what the law truly wants [L We uphold/establish/support the law; C living by faith captures the true spirit and purpose of the law; the law pointed out sin and the need for grace, thereby pointing to Christ].