3 1So, do Jews have anything that others don't have? Do they get any benefit from being circumcised? 2Yes, the Jews have many benefits. The most important one is this: God trusted the Jews with his teachings. 3It is true that some Jews were not faithful to God. But will that stop God from doing what he promised? 4No, even if everyone else is a liar, God will always do what he says. As the Scriptures say about him,
7Someone might say, "When I lie, it really gives God gloryb, because my lie makes his truth easier to see. So why am I judged a sinner?" 8It would be the same to say, "We should do evil so that good will come." Many people criticize us, saying that's what we teach. They are wrong, and they should be condemned for saying that.
27So do we have any reason to boast about ourselves? No reason at all. And why not? Because we are depending on the way of faith, not on what we have done in following the law. 28I mean we are made right with God through faith, not through what we have done to follow the law. This is what we believe. 29God is not only the God of the Jews. He is also the God of those who are not Jews. 30There is only one God. He will make Jewso right with him by their faith, and he will also make non-Jewsp right with him through their faith. 31So do we destroy the law by following the way of faith? Not at all! In fact, faith causes us to be what the law actually wants. aPsalm 51:4 bglory A word that refers to the special qualities of God. Often it means brightness, referring to the way he appears to people. Sometimes it means majesty or power, referring to a kind of greatness that cannot be compared to anything in human experience. It can also include the ideas of wealth, honor, fame, or respect, especially in expressions of praise. cScripture Part of the Scriptures or ¡°Holy Writings¡± - the Old Testament. dPsalm 14:1-3 ePsalm 5:9 fPsalm 140:3 gPsalm 10:7 hIsaiah 59:7-8 iPsalm 36:1 jlaw This usually refers to God¡¯s law as it is represented in the Mosaic Law, the rules he gave to the Israelites through Moses (See Ex. 34:29-32). Sometimes it may mean the principle of law rather than a specific law or set of laws. kprophet A person who speaks a message from God. Many of the books in the Old Testament are messages spoken or written by ¡°the prophets,¡± who were some of those God chose to speak for him. God often used dreams or visions to tell or show his prophets what they should say. l3:22 their faith in Or ¡°the faithfulness of.¡± mdivine greatness Literally, ¡°glory,¡± a word that refers to the special qualities of God. See ¡°glory.¡± ngrace The love and kindness that God shows in his complete willingness to give people favors he does not owe them and blessings they don¡¯t deserve. o3:30 Jews Literally, ¡°circumcision.¡± p3:30 non-Jews Literally, ¡°uncircumcision.¡± |