Poslanica Rimljanima 3
Božja vjernost
1 Kakva je onda prednost biti Židovom? I kakva je korist od obrezanja?
2 Velika u svakom pogledu. Ponajprije: Židovima su povjerena Božje riječi.
3 Neki su od njih, doduše, bili nevjerni, ali zar će njihova nevjera obeskrijepiti Božju vjernost?
4 Nipošto! Iako je "svaki čovjek lažac", Bog je istinit. Zato u Svetome pismu za njega piše: "Dokazat će se da je istinito sve što kažeš, i dobit ćeš parnicu na sudu."
5 Što pak ako naša nepravednost samo ističe Božju pravednost? Ako je tako, što na to reći? Je li nepravedan Bog koji zbog nje daje maha svojemu gnjevu? To bi, naime, ljudi rekli.6 Nipošto! Jer da Bog nije pravedan, kako bi sudio svijet?7 Ali neki će pitati: "Ako moje nepoštenje samo ističe Božju istinu i donosi Bogu još više slave, kako me Bog može osuditi i kazniti zato što sam grešnik?"
8 Razmišljate li tako, međutim, mogli biste isto tako reći: "Što više griješimo, to bolje!" Koji tako govore, zaslužuju kaznu, a neki me čak kleveću da ja to propovijedam!
Svi su ljudi grešnici
9 Jesmo li mi Židovi, dakle, bolji od drugih? Nismo. Jer upravo smo optužili sve ljude, i Židove i pogane, da su pod vlašću grijeha.
10 Kao što Sveto pismo kaže:
"Nema ni jednoga jedinog pravednika,11 nikoga razumnoga, nikoga tko traži Boga.12 Svi su zastranili, svi se skupa pokvarili,
nema ni jednoga jedinoga da čini dobro."13 "Njihovo je grlo otvoren grob, a jezik im je
prijevaran. Zmijski im je otrov na usnama."14 "Usta su im puna kletve i gorčine."15 "Noge im hitaju na prolijevanje krvi,16 kud prolaze, siju pustoš i bijedu.17 Oni ne poznaju put mira."18 "Nema Božjeg straha pred njihovim očima."19 Zakon se, znamo, odnosi na one kojima je dan jer mu je svrha da svaka usta zanijeme bez isprike i da sav svijet stane pred Božji sud.
20 Jer nitko se ne može u Božjim očima opravdati izvršavanjem zakonskih zapovijedi. Što bolje poznajemo Božji zakon, jasnije nam je da smo mu neposlušni, da smo grešnici.
Krist je na sebe uzeo našu kaznu
21 Ali Bog nam je pokazao drukčiji način da postanemo pravednima u njegovim očima - ne poštovanjem Zakona, već onako kako je to odavno obećao u Svetome pismu.
22 Pred Bogom smo opravdani vjerom u Isusa Krista. Tako se spašavaju svi koji vjeruju, bez razlike.
23 Jer svi smo zgriješili i lišeni smo Božje slave.24 A Bog nam ipak milostivo daruje opravdanje kroz Isusa Krista, koji nas je otkupio uzimajući na sebe naše grijehe.25 Jer Bog je poslao Isusa da svojom krvlju bude Pomirilište po vjeri - da preuzme kaznu za naše grijehe i da ugasi Božji gnjev na nas. Pred Bogom smo opravdani ako vjerujemo da je Isus prolio svoju krv i da je za naše spasenje žrtvovao svoj život. Bog je ranije počinjene grijehe u svojoj strpljivosti ostavio nekažnjenima kako bi pokazao svoju pravednost.
26 On je potpuno pravedan u ovo vrijeme kada grešnike proglašuje nedužnima zbog vjere u Isusa.
27 Možemo li se dakle hvaliti da smo ičim zaradili Božje opravdanje? Ne možemo, jer se ono ne temelji na dobrim djelima, već na našoj vjeri.
28 Pred Bogom smo opravdani vjerom, a ne izvršavanjem Zakona.
29 Zar je Bog samo Bog Židova? Nije li i Bog pogana? Razumije se da jest.30 Samo je jedan Bog i samo je jedan način da nas on prihvati. On nas pred sobom opravdava samo našom vjerom, bili mi Židovi ili pogani.
31 Ukidamo li tako vjerom Božji zakon? Nipošto! Jer tek kad imamo vjeru, zaista ispunjamo Zakon.
Romans 3
1 Therefore what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the value of circumcision?2 Actually, there are many advantages.t First of all,st the Jewst were entrusted with the oracles of God.t3 What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God?
4 Absolutely not! Let God be proven true, and every human beingt shown up as a liar,t just as it is written: “so that you will be justifiedtin your words and will prevail when you are judged.”t
5 But if our unrighteousness demonstratest the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is he?t (I am speaking in human terms.)s6 Absolutely not! For otherwise how could God judge the world?7 For if by my lie the truth of God enhancest his glory, why am I still actually being judged as a sinner?
8 And why not say, “Let us do evil so that good may come of it”? – as some who slander us allege that we say.t (Theirt condemnation is deserved!)
The Condemnation of the World
9 What then? Are we better off? Certainly not, for we have already charged that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin,
10 just as it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one,
11 there is no one who understands,
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
together they have become worthless;
there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.”s
13 “Their throats are open graves,t
they deceive with their tongues,
the poison of asps is under their lips.”s
14 “Their mouths aretfull of cursing and bitterness.”s
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 ruin and misery are in their paths,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”s
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”s
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are undert the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God.20 For no one is declared righteous before hims by the works of the law,t for through the law comest the knowledge of sin.21 But nowt apart from the law the righteousness of God (which is attested by the law and the prophets)t has been disclosed –22 namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christts for all who believe. For there is no distinction,23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.24 But they are justifiedt freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.25 God publicly displayedt himt at his deatht as the mercy seatt accessible through faith.t This was to demonstratet his righteousness, because God in his forbearance had passed over the sins previously committed.t
26 This wast also to demonstratet his righteousness in the present time, so that he would be justt and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus’ faithfulness.t
27 Where, then, is boasting?t It is excluded! By what principle?t Of works? No, but by the principle of faith!28 For we consider that a persont is declared righteous by faith apart from the works of the law.t29 Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles too? Yes, of the Gentiles too!30 Since God is one,t he will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
31 Do we then nullifyt the law through faith? Absolutely not! Insteadt we uphold the law.