My reply to the objection that there is no advantage in being a Jew or being circumcised is that there is much advantage, especially since God entrusted his promises to us. My reply to the objection that God has not kept his promise is that he certainly has, for his promises are always true. My reply to the objection that it is not right for God to punish us Jews is that it certainly is right for him to punish us, because if God did not judge us Jews he could not judge anyone.

Romans 3:1-8

3 Someone may object to this, saying, “If being circumcised does not cause God to accept us Jews, ◄there is no advantage in being a Jew over being a non-Jew./is there any advantage in being a Jew over being a non-Jew?► [RHQ] Being circumcised does not benefit us Jews at all!” 2 I would reply that being Jews benefits us in many ways [HYP]. First of all, it benefits us because it was to our ancestors that God’s words, words that contain his promises, were given {that God gave his words, words that contain his promises}. 3 Many Jews did not obey God as they promised that they would. So someone might ask, “Does their not being faithful mean that God will not bless us Jews as he promised that he would?” 4 I would reply, “No, it certainly does not mean that! God always does what he has promised, even though people do not. All those who accuse God of not keeping his promises to us Jews are very mistaken.” What King David wrote about God’s justly saying that he would punish him for his sins is also true of those who accuse God of not keeping his promises. What he said to God was, “So everyone must acknowledge that what you (sg) have said about them (OR, their sin) is true, and you will always win the case when you are accused {when people accuse you}.”

5 So if we Jews’ being wicked [PRS] shows that it is right that God does not bless us, what shall we say/conclude? Shall we conclude that it is not right for God to be angry and punish us Jews [MTY]? I should not be saying these things, but I am speaking as ordinary humans speak. 6 We should certainly not conclude that God should not judge us, because if God did not judge us Jews, ◄it would not possibly be right for him to judge anyone in the world [MTY]!/how could he judge anyone in the world?► [MTY, RHQ] 7 But someone might object and say to me, “The fact that God truly keeps his promises becomes very clear/evident because of my not doing what God has commanded. But the result is that people praise God! So ◄God should no longer say that I should be punished {that he should punish me} on account of my having sinned!/why should God still say that I should be punished {that he should punish me} on account of my having sinned?► [RHQ] 8 If what you, Paul, say is true, then ◄we might as well/it is all right for us to► do evil things in order that good things like that will result! For example, then people will praise God!” Some people speak evil about me by their falsely saying that I say such things. God will fairly/justly punish people who say such things about me!