Romans 3:31
Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Paul isn't just saying faith doesn't abolish the law; he's asserting that faith actually confirms it. By showing that true righteousness comes from God's grace through faith in Christ, not from human effort, Paul underscores the law's perfect standard and its inability to save, thereby establishing its true value as a guide and a revealer of sin.
Paul has just explained that justification—being made right with God—comes through faith in Jesus, not by following the Jewish law. He anticipates a potential objection: does this mean the law is now useless or even wrong? Paul emphatically rejects this idea, insisting that faith actually upholds and confirms the very purpose of the law.
Some might think that if we're saved by faith, then God's law becomes useless. But Paul says the opposite is true!
Paul is responding to a major concern: if justification comes through faith in Christ and not by obeying the law, does that mean the law is now irrelevant? Paul's answer is a resounding 'No!'
The Law's Design
He clarifies that the law's primary purpose wasn't to be a means of salvation through perfect obedience (which is impossible for us). Instead, the law serves to reveal our sin and our need for a Savior. It highlights our inability to meet God's perfect standard.
Faith's Fulfillment
Faith in Jesus, however, fulfills the law's ultimate purpose. Christ, through His perfect life and atoning death, satisfied all the law's demands. When we believe in Him, His perfect righteousness is credited to us. This doesn't discard the law; it actually vindicates it by showing how its demands can be met through God's gracious provision in Christ.
If we're not saved by works, why bother with good deeds? Paul explains faith actually fuels obedience.
The idea that faith negates the need for obedience is a dangerous misunderstanding. Paul is clear: genuine faith doesn't lead to lawlessness; it leads to a deeper, more meaningful form of obedience.
Faith as a New Foundation
When we are justified by faith, we are united with Christ. This union changes our hearts. Our obedience is no longer motivated by a desire to earn salvation (which we've already received as a gift) but by love and gratitude for what Christ has done for us.
The Law as a Guide
The law, far from being set aside, becomes a guide for the believer's life. It shows us how to live in a way that honors God and reflects the new life we have in Christ. This isn't about earning favor, but about living out the reality of our salvation.
Understand the original words
nomos · Greek Noun
In a biblical context, law (torah) refers to the divine instruction and moral standards revealed by God to His people, encompassing both the Mosaic Covenant and the broader principle of divine requirements for righteousness. It functions to reveal human sinfulness and the holiness of God.
pistis · Greek Noun
Faith in a biblical sense is not merely intellectual assent but a personal, active trust and reliance upon God and His promises, specifically centered on the finished work of Jesus Christ for salvation. It is the instrument through which justification is received, standing in contrast to works-based righteousness.
histanomen · Greek Verb
To uphold or establish means to confirm, validate, or cause to stand firm. In this context, it signifies that the gospel of grace does not negate the moral authority or the witness of God’s law, but rather fulfills its purpose and intent.
Paul is addressing a common misconception: that because salvation comes through faith in Christ and not by obeying the Law, the Law becomes irrelevant. He strongly refutes this, explaining that faith actually upholds the Law by fulfilling its ultimate purpose and demands through Christ's perfect obedience and sacrifice.
c. 20 BC - c. 5 BC
Herod the Great's Reign
King Herod the Great ruled Judea, a time marked by significant building projects but also political instability and tension between Jewish and Roman authorities.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Ministry and Crucifixion
The public ministry of Jesus, culminating in his crucifixion in Jerusalem, forms the foundational event for the Christian faith and the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith.
c. AD 30-33
Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus
Following his crucifixion, Jesus is believed to have resurrected and ascended, empowering his followers through the Holy Spirit to spread his message.
c. AD 33-48
Early Church Growth and Expansion
The gospel message spread rapidly from Jerusalem throughout the Roman Empire, with the early apostles establishing communities of believers.
Jesus states, 'Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.' This directly echoes Paul's assertion that faith upholds, rather than overthrows, the Law.
Galatians 3:21This passage questions if the law is against the promises of God, concluding, 'For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed by by the law.' This highlights the limitation of the Law for justification, which Paul contrasts with faith's ability to establish it.
Romans 8:4Paul writes that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in believers 'who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.' This shows how living by faith, empowered by the Spirit, leads to upholding the law's true intent.
James 2:17-18James emphasizes that 'faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead,' and that he will show his faith by his works. This provides a practical demonstration of how genuine faith, far from nullifying the law, results in obedient actions that establish it.
henryRomans 3:27-31: "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith."
3:27-31 God will have the great work of the justification and salvation of sinners carried on from first to last, so as to shut out boasting. Now, if we were saved by our own works, boasting would not be excluded. But the way of justification by faith for ever shuts out boasting. Yet believers are not left to be lawless; faith is a law, it is a working grace, wherever it is in truth. B…
clarkeRomans 3:31: "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."
Do we then make void the law through faith? - 1. By law here we may understand the whole of the Mosaic law, in its rites and ceremonies; of which Jesus Christ was the subject and the end. All that law had respect to him; and the doctrine of faith in Christ Jesus, which the Christian religion proclaimed, established the very claims and demands of that law, by showing that all was accomplished in the…
Paul isn't just saying faith doesn't abolish the law; he's asserting that faith actually confirms it. By showing that true righteousness comes from God's grace through faith in Christ, not from human effort, Paul underscores the law's perfect standard and its inability to save, thereby establishing its true value as a guide and a revealer of sin.
Paul has just explained that justification—being made right with God—comes through faith in Jesus, not by following the Jewish law. He anticipates a potential objection: does this mean the law is now useless or even wrong? Paul emphatically rejects this idea, insisting that faith actually upholds and confirms the very purpose of the law.
Paul has just explained that justification—being made right with God—comes through faith in Jesus, not by following the Jewish law. He anticipates a potential objection: does this mean the law is now useless or even wrong? Paul emphatically rejects this idea, insisting that faith actually upholds and confirms the very purpose of the law.
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c. AD 48-50
Council of Jerusalem
A pivotal council addressed whether Gentile converts needed to follow Mosaic law, affirming that salvation comes through faith in Christ, not adherence to Jewish ceremonial laws.
c. AD 50-55
Paul's Missionary Journeys and Letters
The Apostle Paul undertook extensive missionary journeys, establishing churches and addressing theological questions through his epistles, including those to the Romans.
c. AD 55-57— this verse
Writing of the Epistle to the Romans
Paul writes his letter to the church in Rome, likely from Corinth, to explain the gospel of God's righteousness and how it is received through faith, addressing potential misunderstandings about the role of the Law.
"Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law." — Paul isn't just saying faith doesn't abolish the law; he's asserting that faith actually confirms it. By showing that true righteousness comes from God's grace through faith in Christ, not from h…
