UTN uW Translation Notes:

Romans 3 Chapter Introduction

Structure and Formatting

3. All mankind is condemned because of sin (1:18–3:20)
   • All non-Jews have sinned (1:18–32)
   • All Jews have sinned (2:1–3:8)
   • Everyone has sinned (3:9–20)
4. Righteousness is received through Jesus Christ by trusting in him (3:21–5:21)
   • God’s righteousness is received through faith (3:21–26)
   • No one can boast in works (3:27–31)

Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with verses 10–18 of this chapter, which are quotations from the Old Testament.

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Rhetorical Questions

In 3:1–9 and 27–31 Paul frequently uses rhetorical questions in this chapter in order to answer objections that Jews might make about what he is saying. You may need to indicate that Paul is asking these questions as if he were a non-Christian Jew responding to these arguments. When Paul asks the rhetorical questions, he is speaking as if he were a non-Christian Jew arguing against Paul. When Paul answers those questions, he is speaking as himself. It may be helpful to your readers to indicate this change in speakers with quotation marks or with whatever other punctuation or convention your language uses to indicate quotations, as in the UST. (See: figs-rquestion and figs-quotemarks)