Romans 3:12

3:12 All have turned away,

together they have become worthless;

there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.” ¹ 

Romans 3:1

3:1 Therefore what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the value of circumcision?

Romans 2:29

2:29 but someone is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart ²  by the Spirit ³  and not by the written code. ⁴  This person’s ⁵  praise is not from people but from God.

Romans 2:3

2:3 And do you think, ⁶  whoever you are, when you judge ⁷  those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, ⁸  that you will escape God’s judgment?

Romans 1:11

1:11 For I long to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift ⁹  to strengthen you,

[3:12]  ¹ sn Verses 10-12 are a quotation from Ps 14:1-3.

[2:29]  ² sn On circumcision is of the heart see Lev 26:41; Deut 10:16; Jer 4:4; Ezek 44:9.

[2:29]  ³ tn Some have taken the phrase ἐν πνεύματι (en pneumati, “by/in [the] S/spirit”) not as a reference to the Holy Spirit, but referring to circumcision as “spiritual and not literal” (RSV).

[2:29]  ⁴ tn Grk “letter.”

[2:29]  ⁵ tn Grk “whose.” The relative pronoun has been replaced by the phrase “this person’s” and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation.

[2:3]  ⁶ tn Grk “do you think this,” referring to the clause in v. 3b.

[2:3]  ⁷ tn Grk “O man, the one who judges.”

[2:3]  ⁸ tn Grk “and do them.” The other words are supplied to bring out the contrast implied in this clause.

[1:11]  ⁹ sn Paul does not mean here that he is going to bestow upon the Roman believers what is commonly known as a “spiritual gift,” that is, a special enabling for service given to believers by the Holy Spirit. Instead, this is either a metonymy of cause for effect (Paul will use his own spiritual gifts to edify the Romans), or it simply means something akin to a blessing or benefit in the spiritual realm. It is possible that Paul uses this phrase to connote specifically the broader purpose of his letter, which is for the Romans to understand his gospel, but this seems less likely.