Romans 3 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

The diatribe — Jewish advantage and God's faithfulness 3:1–8

vv. 1–4 — the advantage of the Jew; God true though every man a liar

What then is the advantage of the Jew,independent — the objector — a verbless question

or what the benefit of circumcision?independent — the question doubled

Much in every way.independent — the answer — elliptical

For first of all: that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.content — the first ground — entrusted with the oracles

For what then?independent — the diatribe turns

If some were unfaithful,conditional — protasis — leans on the question below

will their unfaithfulness nullify the faithfulness of God?independent — apodosis — μή expects 'no'

By no means!independent — the recoil

Rather, let God be true, and every man a liar,independent — imperative — with the second limb elliptical

as it is written:comparative — the warrant from Scripture

'That you may be justified in your words,content — Ps 51:4 (LXX 50:6) — God justified in his words

and prevail when you are judged.'content — Ps 51:4 — and victorious when judged

vv. 5–8 — does our wrong commend God? the slander refuted

But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God,conditional — protasis — leans on the question below

what shall we say?independent — apodosis — the diatribe formula

Is God unrighteous, who inflicts wrath?independent — the question sharpened — μή expects 'no'

(I speak in a human way.)independent — the aside

By no means!independent — the recoil

for otherwise how could God judge the world?cause — ἐπεί — else God could judge no one

But if the truth of God abounded to his glory through my falsehood,conditional — protasis — leans on the question below

why am I still being judged as a sinner?independent — apodosis — the objector presses

And why not (say) — as we are slandered, and as some allege that we say —independent — elliptical — the slander quoted against them

'Let us do evilcontent — the slander's content — hortatory

that good may come'?purpose — the slander's logic — the end justifying the means

Their condemnation is just.relative — on τινες — the slanderers dismissed

The indictment — none righteous 3:9–20

v. 9 — the charge already laid

What then?independent — the diatribe resumes

Are we any better off?independent — the question — sense disputed, 'are we (Jews) ahead?'

Not at all;independent — the answer — elliptical

for we have already chargedindependent — the indictment recalled (chs. 1–2)

that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,content — accusative + infinitive — all under sin

vv. 10–18 — the catena: Scripture's total indictment

as it is written:comparative — the warrant — one word carries ten lines

'There is none righteous, no, not one;content — Ps 14:1–3 (LXX 13) — the thesis

there is none who understands,content — Ps 14:2 — none who understands

there is none who seeks for God.content — Ps 14:2 — none who seeks God

All have turned aside,content — Ps 14:3 — all turned aside

together they have become worthless;content — Ps 14:3 — together worthless

there is none who does good,content — Ps 14:3 — none doing good

there is not even one.content — Ps 14:3 — not even one

Their throat is an open grave;content — Ps 5:9 — the throat an open grave

with their tongues they keep deceiving;content — Ps 5:9 — deceiving tongues

the venom of asps is under their lips;content — Ps 140:3 — venom under the lips

whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;content — Ps 10:7 — a mouth full of cursing

their feet are swift to shed blood;content — Isa 59:7 — feet swift for blood

ruin and misery are in their ways,content — Isa 59:7 — ruin and misery

and the way of peace they have not known.content — Isa 59:8 — the way of peace unknown

There is no fear of God before their eyes.'content — Ps 36:1 — no fear of God: the catena's seal

vv. 19–20 — the law's verdict: every mouth stopped

Now we knowindependent — the application of the catena

that whatever the law says, it speaks to those under the law,content — content — the law addresses its own

so that every mouth may be stoppedpurpose — the design — silence in court

and the whole world may become accountable to God,purpose — the design — the whole world answerable

because by works of the law no flesh will be justified before him,cause — διότι — Ps 143:2: no flesh justified by law-works

for through the law comes knowledge of sin.cause — the reason beneath — law diagnoses, it does not cure

The righteousness of God through faith 3:21–26

But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been manifested,independent — the great main clause — Νυνὶ δέ, the turn of the ages

being witnessed to by the Law and the Prophets —participial — concessive-attendant — apart from law, yet attested by it

the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, for all who believe.phrase modifier — resumptive apposition — the righteousness defined: through faith, for all

For there is no distinction;cause — why 'all' — no distinction

for all have sinnedcause — why no distinction — all sinned

and fall short of the glory of God,cause — the continuing deficit — present tense

being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,participial — on πάντες (v. 23) — the same 'all', justified as a gift

whom God set forth as a propitiation, through faith, in his blood,relative — on Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ — the ἱλαστήριον publicly set forth

for the demonstration of his righteousness,purpose — why the cross — God's righteousness displayed

because of the passing over of the sins previously committedcause — the demonstration needed — sins formerly passed over

in the forbearance of God —phrase modifier — the sphere of the passing over — divine restraint

for the demonstration of his righteousness in the present time,purpose — the demonstration restated (εἰς → πρός) — now, in this καιρός

so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.purpose — the resolution — just AND justifier

Boasting excluded — the one God of Jew and Gentile 3:27–31

Where then is boasting?independent — the diatribe returns — verbless question

It is excluded.independent — one-word verdict — shut out

By what kind of law?independent — the follow-up — elliptical

Of works?independent — elliptical — a two-word probe

No — but by the law of faith.independent — the answer — the 'law' of faith

For we reckonindependent — the thesis verb — the ground of vv. 27

that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law.content — the thesis — justification by faith, without law-works

Or is God the God of Jews only?independent — the monotheism argument opens

Not also of Gentiles?independent — the counter-question

Yes, of Gentiles also,independent — the answer

since indeed God is one,conditional — εἴπερ — the Shema as premise

who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.relative — one God, one basis — ἐκ and διά, the same faith

Do we then nullify the law through faith?independent — the final objection

By no means!independent — the recoil

On the contrary, we uphold the law.independent — the counter-thesis — faith establishes the law

Analysis. Romans 3 is built of three textures, and the colors separate them at a glance. Verses 1–9 (and again 27–31) are diatribe: rapid flush-left purple — the objector's questions (many verbless, dashed) and Paul's clipped answers (μὴ γένοιτο) — with olive conditional protases hanging above the questions they set up; the protasis is the one indented line that leans forward, on the apodosis below it, so it carries no anchor. Verses 10–18 are quotation: a single comparative line καθὼς γέγραπται carries a ten-line blue catena, every line hanging from the one word γέγραπται — the whole race indicted out of Scripture in one suspended column (Pss 14; 5; 140; 10; Isa 59; Ps 36). Verses 21–26 are one flowing sentence: a single purple main clause — δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ πεφανέρωται — from which the gospel's core argument descends step by step (witnessed, for all who believe, no distinction, all sinned, being justified, through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as ἱλαστήριον) to the double demonstration of his righteousness and the final purpose: that he might be just and the justifier of the one of faith in Jesus. Interpretive choices the layout takes a side on: πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (v. 22) and τὸν ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ (v. 26) are read as faith in Jesus (objective genitive); διὰ πίστεως (v. 25) is taken with ἱλαστήριον rather than governing ἐν τῷ αἵματι; διὰ τὴν πάρεσιν (v. 25) as 'because of the passing over' of former sins — the very forbearance that makes the demonstration necessary.