1. THEN WHAT advantage remains to the Jew? [How is he favored?] Or what is the value or benefit of circumcision?
2. Much in every way. To begin with, to the Jews were entrusted the oracles (the brief communications, the intentions, the utterances) of God. [Ps. 147:19.]
3. What if some did not believe and were without faith? Does their lack of faith and their faithlessness nullify and make ineffective and void the faithfulness of God and His fidelity [to His Word]?
4. By no means! Let God be found true though every human being is false and a liar, as it is written, That You may be justified and shown to be upright in what You say, and prevail when You are judged [by sinful men]. [Ps. 51:4.]
5. But if our unrighteousness thus establishes and exhibits the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust and wrong to inflict His wrath upon us [Jews]? I speak in a [purely] human way.
6. By no means! Otherwise, how could God judge the world?
7. But [you say] if through my falsehood God's integrity is magnified and advertised and abounds to His glory, why am I still being judged as a sinner?
8. And why should we not do evil that good may come?–as some slanderously charge us with teaching. Such [false teaching] is justly condemned by them.
9. Well then, are we [Jews] superior and better off than they? No, not at all. We have already charged that all men, both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles), are under sin [held down by and subject to its power and control].
10. As it is written, None is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one. [Ps. 14:3.]
11. No one understands [no one intelligently discerns or comprehends]; no one seeks out God. [Ps. 14:2.]
12. All have turned aside; together they have gone wrong and have become unprofitable and worthless; no one does right, not even one!