Romans 3:21

Romans 3:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
• New International Version (NIV)But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—
• New King James Version (NKJV)But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

Context of Romans 3:21

19We know that whatever the Scriptures say applies to everyone under their influence, and no one can say a thing. The whole world is brought under the judgment of God. 20Not one person can have God’s approval by any effort to follow the laws in the Scriptures. These laws show what sin is. Now, the way to receive God’s approval has been made plain in a way other than the laws in the Scriptures. Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets tell us this. 22Everyone who believes has God’s approval through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no difference between people. 23Because all people have sinned, they have fallen short of God’s glory.

Romans 3:21 word by word

νυνὶ δὲ χωρὶς νόμου δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ πεφανέρωται μαρτυρουμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• nowνυνίnuni · nowG3570
• the righteousnessδικαιοσύνηdikaiosunē · righteousnessG1343
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• withoutχωρίςchōris · withoutG5565
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• is manifestedφανερόωphaneroō · to revealG5319
• being witnessedμαρτυρέωmartureō · to testifyG3140
• byὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
• the lawὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• the prophetsπροφήτηςprophētēs · prophetG4396

Cross-references for Romans 3:21

• Romans 1:17God’s approval is revealed in this Good News. This approval begins and ends with faith as Scripture says, “The person who has God’s approval will live by faith.”
• Romans 5:19Clearly, through one person’s disobedience humanity became sinful, and through one person’s obedience humanity will receive God’s approval.
• Romans 10:3They don’t understand ⌞how to receive⌟ God’s approval. So they try to set up their own way to get it, and they have not accepted God’s way for receiving his approval.
• Genesis 15:6Then Abram believed the Lord, and that faith was regarded as the basis of Abram’s approval by the Lord.
• Isaiah 45:24It will be said of me, “Certainly, righteousness and strength are found in the Lord alone.” All who are angry with him will come to him and be ashamed.
• Isaiah 46:13I’ll bring my righteousness near; it isn’t far away. My salvation will not be delayed. I’ll provide salvation for Zion and bring my glory to Israel.
• Isaiah 51:8Moths will eat them like clothing. Worms will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, and my salvation will last throughout every generation.
• Isaiah 54:17No weapon that has been made to be used against you will succeed. You will have an answer for anyone who accuses you. This is the inheritance of the Lord’s servants. Their victory comes from me,” declares the Lord.
• Isaiah 61:10I will find joy in the Lord. I will delight in my God. He has dressed me in the clothes of salvation. He has wrapped me in the robe of righteousness like a bridegroom with a priest’s turban, like a bride with her jewels.
• Jeremiah 23:5“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will grow a righteous branch for David. He will be a king who will rule wisely. He will do what is fair and right in the land.
• Jeremiah 33:16In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live securely. Jerusalem will be called The Lord Our Righteousness.
• Daniel 9:24“Seventy sets of seven time periods have been assigned for your people and your holy city. These time periods will serve to bring an end to rebellion, to stop sin, to forgive wrongs, to usher in everlasting righteousness, to put a seal on a prophet’s vision, and to anoint the Most Holy One.
• Acts 15:11We certainly believe that the Lord Jesus saves us the same way that he saves them—through his kindness.”
• 1 Corinthians 1:30You are partners with Christ Jesus because of God. Jesus has become our wisdom sent from God, our approval, our holiness, and our ransom from sin.
• 2 Corinthians 5:21God had Christ, who was sinless, take our sin so that we might receive God’s approval through him.
• Galatians 5:5However, in our spiritual nature, faith causes us to wait eagerly for the confidence that comes with God’s approval.

Commentaries on Romans 3:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21But now the righteousness of God - God's method of saving sinners is now shown, by the Gospel, to be through his own mere mercy, by Christ Jesus; without the law - without any right or claim which might result from obedience to the law; and is evidently that which was intended by God from the beginning; for it is witnessed by the law and the prophets - the rites and ceremonies of the one, and the preachings and predictions of the others, all bearing…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21But now - The apostle, having shown the entire failure of all attempts to be justified by the “Law,” whether among Jews or Gentiles, proceeds to state fully the plan of justification by Jesus Christ in the gospel. To do this, was the main design of the Epistle, Romans 1:17. He makes, therefore, in the close of this chapter, an explicit statement of the nature of the doctrine; and in the following parts of the Epistle he fully proves it, and illustrates…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-26Verses 21-26 Must guilty man remain under wrath? Is the wound for ever incurable? No; blessed be God, there is another way laid open for us. This is the righteousness of God; righteousness of his ordaining, and providing, and accepting. It is by that faith which has Jesus Christ for its object; an anointed Saviour, so Jesus Christ signifies. Justifying faith respects Christ as a Saviour, in all his three anointed offices, as Prophet, Priest, and King…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-22After a long discussion about the power of sin (1:18–3:20), Paul returns to the main idea in 1:17, which is how to be in a right relationship with God (literally the righteousness of God). In 1:17, “the righteousness of God” is the way that God puts people in right relationship with himself. apart from the law: The old covenant looked ahead to God’s righteousness being revealed in his Son, Jesus Christ. Through Christ, God fulfilled the law for us…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 21-2621-23. But now the righteousness of God--(See on Ro 1:17). without the law--that is, a righteousness to which our obedience to the law contributes nothing whatever (Ro 3:28; Ga 2:16). is manifested, being witnessed--attested. by the law and the prophets--the Old Testament Scriptures. Thus this justifying righteousness, though new, as only now fully disclosed, is an old righteousness, predicted and foreshadowed in the Old Testament.Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 3:21

• Bigotry
• Boasting
• Catholicity
• Justification
• Law
• Salvation
• Works

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Boasting
• Conclude
• Destruction
• Establish
• Faith
• Justifier
• Overcome
• Sin

Commentaries on Romans 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings