TRV
Romans 3:31
Bible Versions
Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Does it follow that we abolish Torah by this trusting? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, we confirm Torah.
Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the law.
Do we then make the law of none effect through faith? God forbid: nay, we establish the law.
-
Galatians 2:21
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. -
Matthew 5:17
¶ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. -
Romans 13:8
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. -
Romans 13:10
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love [is] the fulfilling of the law. -
1 Corinthians 9:21
To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. -
Romans 8:4
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. -
Romans 10:4
For Christ [is] the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Romans 3:31 (KJV): "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."
Context
This verse concludes a significant section in Paul's letter to the Romans (chapters 1-3) where he meticulously argues that all people, both Jews and Gentiles, are sinners and stand condemned before God. He introduces the concept of justification by faith in Jesus Christ, apart from works of the law (Romans 3:21-30). Romans 3:31 is a rhetorical question Paul poses to anticipate a potential objection: Does this emphasis on faith nullify or abolish God's law, particularly the Mosaic Law? His emphatic answer is "God forbid" (a strong Greek idiom meaning "absolutely not") and asserts the opposite: faith actually establishes the law.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The phrase "make void" translates the Greek word katargeō, which means to abolish, nullify, or make ineffective. Paul uses this word emphatically to deny that faith has this effect on the law. The word "establish" is from the Greek histēmi, meaning to cause to stand, uphold, or confirm. This highlights that faith gives the law its proper place and significance, rather than discarding it.
Related Scriptures
Paul's argument here counters the idea that grace leads to license, a theme he addresses elsewhere (e.g., Romans 6:1-2). The law itself points to the need for a Savior because it reveals sin (Romans 7:7) and acts like a "schoolmaster" leading us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). Furthermore, true faith expresses itself through love (Galatians 5:6), which is considered the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10).
Practical Application
For believers today, Romans 3:31 is a crucial reminder that receiving God's grace through faith does not mean we are free to disregard God's moral standards. Instead, our faith should motivate us to live in accordance with the spirit and principles of God's law, not as a means of earning salvation, but as a response to the salvation we have received. Justification by faith empowers true obedience and establishes the law in our lives as a guide for righteous living.