God vs. us

Paul insists that by relativizing physical circumcision he is not denying that the Jewish people carry a certain privilege — but it rests, however, not in themselves but in bearing the Scriptures (τά λόγια [Rom] 3:2)> including the promises (cf. 1:2; 9:6-13). The fact that some have not believed (cf. 11:17-24) by no means negates the faithfulness of God (3:3). In fact (by a logic in which Paul delights, cf. 5:12-21), the greater the failure on the human side, the greater the demonstration of God’s opposite qualities: human unbelief (or faithlessness) evokes divine faithfulness (3:3); human falsity, divine integrity ( 3:4, 7); human unrighteousness, divine righteousness (3:5). The camera pans out here from Israel to every human being (3:4) and to the world (3:6).—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 471–72