ROMEINE 3

Die oordeel van God is nie in stryd met die voorreg van die Jode nie

1 Het dit dan enige voordeel om 'n Jood te wees, en het die besnydenis enige nut? 2 Ja, baie, in allerlei opsigte. Die belangrikste is dat God sy woorde aan die Jode toevertrou het. 3 Maar wat nou as sommige nie getrou gebly het nie? Sal hulle ontrou die trou van God laat ophou? 4 Beslis nie. Dit staan vas dat God betroubaar is en elke mens 'n leuenaar, soos daar geskrywe staan: “U is regverdig wanneer U uitspraak doen en U wen u saak wanneer U aangekla word.”t

5 Ons verkeerde dade laat dus blyk dat God regverdig is. Wat sal ons daarvan sê? Ek redeneer soos mense gewoonlik redeneer. Is God dan nie onregverdig as Hy ons straf nie? 6 Beslis nie. Hoe sou God anders oor die wêreld kan oordeel? 7 Maar as my leuenagtigheid die betroubaarheid van God duideliker aan die lig gebring het en so dien tot eer van God, waarom word ek dan nog as sondaar veroordeel? 8 Beteken dit dat ons sê: Laat ons die verkeerde doen sodat die goeie daaruit kan voortkom? Daar is mense wat ons dit wel lasterlik in die mond lê, maar hulle kry die oordeel wat hulle verdien.

Niemand is regverdig nie

9 Waarop kom dit neer? Is ons as Jode dan beter as die ander? Glad nie, want ons het al bewys dat Jode en nie-Jode almal in die mag van die sonde is. 10 Daar staan immers geskrywe: “Daar is nie een wat regverdig is nie, selfs nie een nie,t

11 daar is nie een wat verstandig is nie;t daar is nie een wat na die wil van God vra nie.t

12 “Almal het afgedwaal, almal het ontaard.t Daar is nie een wat goed doen nie, selfs nie een nie.t

13 “Hulle keel is 'n oop graf, met hulle tonge bedrieg hulle.t Oor hulle lippe kom woorde so giftig soos slange,t

14 hulle mond is vol vervloeking en bitterheid.t

15 “Hulle voete is vinnig om bloed te vergiet.

16 Hulle laat 'n spoor van verwoesting en ellende agter.t

17 Die pad van vrede het hulle nie leer ken nie,t

18 ontsag vir God het hulle nie.t”

19 Dit weet ons: alles wat Moses se wet sê, sê hy vir dié wat die wet het. Niemand sal hom dus kan verweer nie, en die hele wêreld is strafwaardig voor God. 20 Daarom sal geen mens op grond van wetsonderhouding deur God vrygespreek word nie; inteendeel, deur die wet leer 'n mens wat sonde is.

God verlos die mens

27 Het ons nou iets uit onsself om op te roem? Nee, dit is uitgesluit. Deur watter wet? Dié van die werke? Nee, deur dié van die geloof. 28 Ons betoog is tog dat 'n mens vrygespreek word omdat hy glo, nie omdat hy die wet onderhou nie. 29 Of is God net God van die Jode, nie ook van die heidennasies nie? Ja, ook van die heidennasies, 30 want daar is net een God. Hy sal die besnedenes deur die geloof en die onbesnedenes deur dieselfde geloof vryspreek. 31 Hef ons dan deur die geloof die wet op? Beslis nie. Ons laat die wet juis tot sy reg kom.

Romans 3

1 WHAT advantage then hath the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?2 Much every way. First indeed, because the words of God were committed to them.3 For what if some of them have not believed? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid.4 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.5 But if our injustice commend the justice of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust, who executeth wrath?6 (I speak according to man.) God forbid: otherwise how shall God judge this world?7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie, unto his glory, why am I also yet judged as a sinner?8 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.9 What then? Do we excel them? No, not so. For we have charged both Jews, and Greeks, that they are all under sin.10 As it is written: There is not any man just.11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.12 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.13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have dealt deceitfully. The venom of asps is under their lips.14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:15 Their feet swift to shed blood:16 Destruction and misery in their ways:17 And the way of peace they have not known:18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.19 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.20 Because by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before him. For by the law is the knowledge of sin.21 But now without the law the justice of God is made manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.22 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:23 For all have sinned, and do need the glory of God.24 Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption, that is in Christ Jesus,25 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,26 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.27 Where is then thy boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.28 For we account a man to be justified by faith, without the works of the law.29 Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also.30 For it is one God, that justifieth circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.31 Do we, then, destroy the law through faith? God forbid: but we establish the law.