Romans 3:1-8

Rachel Workman: 3 Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? ² Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.^[a]
3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? ⁴ Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, God is faithful when we are not. I've always loved this verse. 
“You will be proved right in what you say,
    and you will win your case in court.”^[b]
5 “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) ⁶ Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? ⁷ “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?” ⁸ And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned. Sin is never good for us. And our sins never bring glory to God. To glorify God is to extol His attributes, His holiness, faithfulness, mercy, grace, love, majesty, sovereignty, power, and omniscience just to name a few. It's worship, it's following God's will. It's loving God with all of our hearts.

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Allen Michaels:  3 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? ² Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God. The Jewish had many advantages. (1) They were entrusted with God’s laws (“the very words of God.”). (2) They were the race through whom the Messiah came to earth. (3) They were the beneficiaries of covenants with God himself. But these privileges did not make them better than anyone else (verse 9 will explain this in detail). In fact, because of them the Jews were even more responsible to live up to God’s requirements.

³ What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? ⁴ Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written:

“So that you may be proved right when you speak
    and prevail when you judge.”

⁵ But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) ⁶ Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? ⁷ Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” ⁸ Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just! A lot of us think that we don’t have to worry about sin because (1) it’s God’s job to forgive; (2) God is so loving that he won’t judge us; (3) sin isn’t so bad—it teaches us valuable lessons. Besides everybody does it, so in comparison, I’m pretty good. Or (4) we need to stay in touch with the culture around us. It is way too easy to take God’s grace for granted. But God cannot, and will not, overlook sin. Sinners, no matter how many excuses we make, will one day have to answer to God for our sins. Regardless of how big or how small the sin; sin is sin.

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Tomorrow’s reading for Romans 3:9-19

⁹ What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. ¹⁰ 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,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one.”^[b]
13 “Their throats are open graves;
    their tongues practice deceit.”^[c]
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”^[d]
14     “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”^[e]
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶     ruin and misery mark their ways,
¹⁷ and the way of peace they do not know.”^[f]
18     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”^[g]
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. ²⁰ Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.