Romans 3:4 - An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

⁴ But let God be truthful, [even if] everyone [else] is a liar. For it is written [Psa. 51:4], “[God], you should be proven right when you speak, and win [your case] when put on trial.”

More versions

King James Version (Oxford) 1769

⁴ God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, And mightest overcome when thou art judged.

Amplified Bible - Classic Edition

⁴ By no means! Let God be found true though every human being is false and a liar, as it is written, That You may be justified and shown to be upright in what You say, and prevail when You are judged [by sinful men]. [Ps. 51:4.]

American Standard Version (1901)

⁴ God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment.

Common English Bible

⁴ Absolutely not! God must be true, even if every human being is a liar, as it is written: “So that it can show that you are right in your words; ” “and you will triumph when you are judged.”

Catholic Public Domain Version

⁴ For God is truthful, but every man is deceitful; just as it was written: "Therefore, you are justified in your words, and you will prevail when you give judgment."

Romans 3:4 Cross References

Matthew 11:19

[Then] the Son of man came eating and drinking [at festive occasions] and they said, ‘Look, He is a glutton and a drunkard and a friend of tax collectors and worldly people.’ It proves that [God’s] wise counsel is right by the way things turn out.”

Luke 20:16

He will come and kill those tenant farmers and will give the vineyard to other people.” And when the people heard [Him say] this, they said, “May that never happen.”

John 3:33

The person who has accepted Jesus’ testimony has confirmed this [fact], that God is truthful.

Romans 11:1

Then I ask, “Did God reject His [own] people [i.e., the Jews]?” Certainly not! For I am an Israelite too, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

Romans 11:11

I say then, did the Jews trip [over Jesus] just so they could fall [away from God]? Certainly not! [There was another reason]: Instead, it was by means of their sin that salvation was made available to the Gentiles, so that the Jews might become jealous of them [i.e., causing them to want what the Gentiles now had].

Romans 3:31

Do we then [intend to] destroy law [observance] because faith [in Christ is now required]? Certainly not! But [instead], we uphold [the validity of] law.

Romans 6:15

[So], what then? Should we sin because we are not governed by law but by God’s unearned favor? Certainly not!

Romans 6:2

Certainly not! How can we, who died to sin [i.e., stopped living under its power], go on living in it [i.e., practicing it] any longer?

Romans 7:13

Was this [commandment] then, which was intended for my good, [actually] responsible for my [spiritual] death? Certainly not! But so that sin could be seen as [truly] sinful, it produced [spiritual] death in me through something that was good [i.e., the commandment against sinning]. This was so that, by means of the commandment [against sinning], sin could be seen as extremely sinful.

Romans 7:7

What shall we say then? Is the Law of Moses sinful? Certainly not! For I would not have known what sin was if it had not been for the law. For [example]; I would not have known [what it meant] to covet [i.e., have a strong desire for what belongs to someone else] except that the law said [Ex. 20:17], “You must not covet.”

Romans 9:14

What shall we say then? Is God guilty of wrongdoing? Certainly not!

1 Corinthians 6:15

Do you not know that your [physical] bodies are parts of [the spiritual body of] Christ? So, shall I take away parts of Christ’s [spiritual] body and join them to a prostitute’s body? Certainly not!

2 Corinthians 1:18

But just as certainly as God is dependable, our message to you is not [both] “yes” and “no” [at the same time].

Galatians 2:17

But, if while we were trying to be made right with God through a relationship with Christ, we were discovered to still be sinners [by acting like unsaved Gentiles], does that mean Christ is responsible for our sin? Of course not.

Galatians 2:21

[In doing this] I am not trying to disregard God’s unearned favor, for if a person could become right with God by [perfect obedience to the requirements of] the Law of Moses, then Christ died for nothing.

Galatians 6:14

But the last thing I want to do is brag [about such things]. For [if I had any bragging to do at all], it would be about [salvation through] the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is through Him that this [sinful] world has been crucified [i.e., died] as far as I am concerned and I have been crucified [i.e., died] as far as it is concerned.

1 Timothy 3:16

And without question the revealed secret of godly living is great. [It is this]: He [i.e., Christ, or God], who appeared in a fleshly body [was] vindicated [of false charges] by the Holy Spirit; [He was] seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed in throughout the world [and finally] was taken up into glory [i.e., heaven].

Titus 1:2

[and provides] hope for never ending life. God, who cannot lie, promised this [life] before the beginning of time,

Hebrews 6:18

He did this so that by two unchangeable things [i.e., His promise and His oath], (and it is impossible for God to lie), we, who have fled [to God] for refuge, could be greatly encouraged to take hold of the hope set before us [i.e., the hope of never ending life].

1 John 5:10

The person who [sincerely] believes in God’s Son has the evidence [of it] within his heart, [confirming God’s testimony]. The person who does not believe God [i.e., what He says about Jesus], accuses Him of lying, because he has not accepted the [irrefutable] testimony of God concerning [the identity and mission of] His Son.

1 John 5:20

And [in addition], we know that the Son of God has come [in a physical body, See 4:2] and has given us understanding, so that we can know the True One [i.e., God], and that we are in [fellowship with] the True One, even His Son Jesus Christ. This Son is the true God and eternal life.

Revelation 3:7

“And write [this] to the angel of the church at Philadelphia: These are the words of Him who is holy and true, [and] who possesses the key [i.e., the power and authority] of King David, [and] who opens [a door] which no one will close, and who closes one that no one will open: