Romans 3Church Fathers' Commentary on Every Verse

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

Their feet swift to shed blood:

Destruction and misery in their ways:

And the way of peace they have not known.

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

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.

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

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

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.

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

Paul removes any advantage of Jew over Gentile: all have sinned. John Chrysostom and Theophylact of Bulgaria explain that the Jew learned from the Law only how to recognize sin, not how to avoid it; he too offended God and lacks glory. This is not meant to cause despair, for all are justified freely by God's grace.

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

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,

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

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

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

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

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

Do we then, destroy the law through faith? God forbid! But we establish the law.