Romans 3:31 · Bible study
Romans 3:31 Commentary: Faith That Establishes the Law
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
How does justification by faith establish rather than nullify the law? Paul’s answer and its significance for Christian living.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Justification by faith does not cancel God’s law; it confirms its authority and fulfills its demands through Christ and the believer’s new life.
- Key words: καταργοῦμεν (nullify, render inactive), μὴ γένοιτο (strong denial), ἱστάνομεν (establish, cause to stand), νόμος (law, with debate over moral vs. ceremonial).
- Main debate: Whether “the law” refers primarily to the moral law (Barnes, Calvin) or includes the whole Mosaic system (Clarke). The consensus is that Paul never cancels the law’s moral force.
- Theological theme: The relationship between grace and law, justification by faith frees believers to uphold the law from a grateful heart, not to earn salvation.
- Best use: A key text for teaching the connection between grace and obedience, and for answering the charge that the gospel encourages sin.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the law.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.
KJV King James Version 1769
Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Do we then make the law of none effect through faith? God forbid: nay, we establish the law.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Law then do we make useless through the faith? let it not be! yea, we do establish law.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Do we then make void law by faith? Far be the thought: [no,] but we establish law.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Do we then, destroy the law through faith? God forbid! But we establish the law.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
¿ Luego deshacemos la ley por la fe? En ninguna manera; antes establecemos la ley.
Por acaso anulamos a Lei pela fé? De maneira nenhuma. Pelo contrário, confirmamos a Lei.
Anéantissons-nous donc la loi par la foi? Loin de là! Au contraire, nous confirmons la loi.
Wie? Heben wir denn das Gesetz auf durch den Glauben? Das sei ferne! sondern wir richten das Gesetz auf.
Doen wij dan de wet te niet door het geloof? Dat zij verre; maar wij bevestigen de wet.
Annulliamo noi dunque la legge mediante la fede? Così non sia; anzi, stabiliamo la legge.
To tedy zakon niszczymy przez wiarę? Nie daj tego Boże! i owszem zakon stanowimy.
Итак, мы уничтожаем закон верою? Никак; но закон утверждаем.
這樣，我們因 信 廢了 律法嗎？斷乎不 是！更是 堅固 律法。
Do we, then, through faith make the law of no effect? in no way: but we make it clear that the law is important.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Romans 3:31
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Paul’s question is a defensive response to a serious charge: the doctrine of justification by faith alone encourages people to ignore God’s law. Paul denies this with his strongest Greek negation, μὴ γένοιτο (may it never be). Barnes, Calvin, and the Cambridge Bible all take the “law” here primarily as the moral law, while Adam Clarke includes both the moral and ceremonial aspects of the Mosaic law. Despite this difference, they share a firm conclusion: faith does not cancel the law but establishes it. As Gill puts it, the law is “placed in the best hands, where it will ever remain,” and its requirements are fully met in Christ. Matthew Henry and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown likewise see this verse as the apostle’s pledge that the gospel upholds the law’s authority, purity, and end.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Moral law view: The preceding context contrasts 'faith' with 'works of the law' where 'law' means moral commands (Romans 3:20-21). Barnes, Calvin, and the Cambridge Bible argue this determines 3:31.
- Whole Mosaic law view: The broader argument about justification includes both moral and ceremonial law. Adam Clarke and Gill hold that Christ fulfilled all aspects of the law, and the passage's 'establish' covers both.
- Covenantal view: Some see the law as tied to the old covenant, which is superseded but not abolished; the new covenant writes the law on the heart (Jeremiah 31:33; Lange’s commentary hints at this broader redemptive-historical reading).
What is clear: Paul definitively denies that justification by faith nullifies the law, and asserts that faith instead establishes it.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'law' in Romans 3:31 | All agree Paul is referring to the Mosaic law given through Moses, containing God's commands. | Barnes, Calvin, and the Cambridge Bible understand it primarily as the moral law (especially the Ten Commandments). Adam Clarke and Gill include both moral and ceremonial aspects, arguing that Christ fulfilled the ceremonial law as well. |
| How faith establishes the law | All agree faith does not make the law void but confirms it. Paul denies antinomianism. | Some emphasize Christ's atonement as showing the law's penalty was fully paid (Barnes, Clarke). Others stress that faith empowers obedience through love (Wesley) or that the law remains a rule of life for believers (Calvin, Gill). |
| The role of faith vs. works in upholding the law | Faith, not works, is the means by which the law is truly honored. | Protestant traditions (Calvin, Luther) focus on the imputed righteousness of Christ as establishing the law's demands. Methodist tradition (Clarke, Wesley) adds that faith produces love, which is the fulfillment of the moral law. Both see obedience as necessary, but differ on whether that obedience is part of justification or flows from it. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Romans 3:31 stands as a brief but forceful conclusion to Paul’s argument that “a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law” (3:28). The objection Paul faces was real: if salvation does not come through obeying the law, does the law still matter? Jewish opponents would have heard Paul’s message as a threat to the covenant and to God’s own commands.
Paul uses the present tense verb καταργοῦμεν (“do we nullify?”) to frame the question. The word means to render inactive or cancel. His reply, μὴ γένοιτο, is an optative of strong rejection, a formula Paul uses elsewhere (Romans 6:2, 7:7) to dismiss an idea as unthinkable. The alternative he offers is ἱστάνομεν, “we establish” or “uphold,” a verb that conveys making something stand firm. This is the same logic Jesus used: “I came not to undo, but to fulfill the law” (Matthew 5:17). Isaiah 42:21 also declares that God “magnified the law and made it honorable.”
The early church faced accusations of antinomianism, the belief that grace leaves believers free from moral obligation. Paul heads off that charge here, postponing his fuller treatment until Romans 6. His point is that the law’s role changes: it no longer condemns those in Christ, but its moral demands remain binding as a guide for holy living. The law is not discarded but established on a new foundation, the life of faith.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Romans 3:31. The Greek text is stable across major manuscripts, and the verse is consistently quoted in early Christian writings without dispute.
Reception History
Romans 3:31 became a pivotal text during the Reformation as Protestants defended justification by faith against the charge of antinomianism. Calvin used it to argue that the moral law retains its authority even while works do not justify. Puritan and Reformed preachers often cited this verse to balance grace with godly living. In Methodist tradition, John Wesley and Adam Clarke stressed that faith not only establishes the law doctrinally but also enables believers to fulfill it through love. The verse has also been used in ecumenical dialogues to show that the New Testament does not discard the Old Testament law but sees it fulfilled in Christ. Across traditions, this verse serves as a guardrail against both legalism and license, reminding Christians that grace and obedience belong together.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Charge: Justification by faith undermines the law. Paul knows this objection and states it bluntly.
- The Denial: “May it never be!” Paul rejects the idea with his strongest Greek negation. Faith and the law are not enemies.
- The Affirmation: Faith establishes the law. Through Christ’s atonement and the Spirit’s work, believers are enabled to honor the law from the heart.
Five-Point Outline
- The Objection Stated: Does faith nullify the law? (v. 31a)
- The Objection Rejected: “May it never be!” (v. 31b)
- The Positive Claim: “We establish the law.” (v. 31c)
- How the Law Is Established: Through Christ’s fulfillment and the believer’s new nature (see Jeremiah 31:33).
- Live Out the Connection: Faith does not leave us lawless; it frees us to obey from love.
Illustration Hooks
- A foundation and a building: Removing the law is like tearing out the foundation of a house. Faith, far from demolition, sets the law on a deeper, more solid base.
- A canceled debt and a changed heart: Imagine someone forgives a huge financial debt you owe. That freedom does not make you want to borrow recklessly again; it makes you grateful and responsible. Faith works the same with the law.
- Rules in a healthy relationship: A marriage is not built on a rulebook, but trust and love actually strengthen commitments, the “rules” of fidelity take on deeper meaning. Faith does not discard God’s commands; it writes them on the heart.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- If we are saved by grace, why should we still try to obey the Ten Commandments?
- Doesn’t focusing on grace give people a free pass to sin?
- What does it mean to “establish” the law in our daily walk with Christ?
Leading a Discussion
This short verse captures a tension every Christian faces: the freedom of grace and the call of God’s commands. Paul insists they are not opposites. Explore how faith actually strengthens and confirms the law rather than abolishing it.
Discussion Questions
- Read Romans 3:31 aloud. What is the main objection Paul is answering? Why would someone think faith nullifies the law?
- The Greek verb καταργοῦμεν means “to render inactive or cancel.” How does Paul’s choice of words sharpen the charge?
- What does Paul mean when he says faith “establishes” the law? Look at the verb ἱστάνομεν, it means “to cause to stand.” How does faith make the law stand firm?
- How does the cross of Christ show respect for the law’s demands? (See also Romans 3:25-26 and Isaiah 42:21.)
- In what specific ways can a life of faith actually lead to a deeper obedience to God’s commands than a life of mere rule-keeping?
- This verse says nothing about the Holy Spirit, but how does the Spirit help believers “establish” the law (see Jeremiah 31:33)?
- What is one area where you have felt tension between grace and obedience? How does this verse help you think about that tension differently?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 40:8 | I delight to do your will, my God. Yes, your law is within my heart.” |
| Psalms 119:126 | It is time to act, Yahweh, for they break your law. |
| Isaiah 42:21 | It pleased Yahweh, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the law and make it honorable. |
| Jeremiah 8:8 | “‘How do you say, “We are wise, and Yahweh’s law is with us”? But, behold, the false pen of the scribes has made that a lie. |
| Jeremiah 8:9 | The wise men are disappointed. They are dismayed and trapped. Behold, they have rejected Yahweh’s word. What kind of wisdom is in them? |
| Jeremiah 31:33 | “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says Yahweh: “I will put my law in their inward parts, and I will write it in their heart. I will be their God, and they shall be my people. |
| Jeremiah 31:34 | They will no longer each teach his neighbor, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh;’ for they will all know me, from their least to their greatest,” says Yahweh, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” |
| Matthew 3:15 | But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that faith does not abolish the law but establishes it. The ceremonial law is fulfilled in Christ's sacrifice, while the moral law is upheld because faith works through love, producing obedience. He also insists that Christ's death was a literal atonement, a price paid for human salvation.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that the charge that justification by faith makes the moral law void is wrong. Instead, this doctrine establishes the law by showing God's respect for it through the atonement, by Christ's life and death honoring its demands, and by producing heartfelt obedience in believers.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists that faith does not abolish the law but confirms its authority and proper use. He argues that people wrongly suspect a contradiction between law and gospel, but faith actually upholds the law by sweeping away only the false notion of earning righteousness through works.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools note that this verse stands alone as a brief paragraph, anticipating and strongly rejecting a Jewish objection. They argue "the law" here refers to the moral law, not ceremonial, because the previous context contrasts faith with works of the law. This objection is dismissed here and taken up at length in chapter 6.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The commentator insists that faith in no way cancels or weakens the Law. Instead, faith actually confirms and upholds the Law, making it more secure rather than obsolete.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill strongly denies that faith nullifies the law; instead, it establishes the law by securing all its demands in Christ and upholding its authority as a rule of life for believers, even as believers are freed from its curse and condemnation.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB insists that justification by faith does not abolish the law but strengthens it. The objection is serious, yet Paul only repels it here, saving the full argument for later. The law's eternal authority is truly honored only when the sinner trusts Christ's atoning work rather than his own righteousness.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry presents Paul's conclusion in verse 28 as the logical capstone of the entire argument from chapter 1 onward, treating it as a demonstrated truth rather than a mere assertion. The law itself, he notes, bears witness to this righteousness, so faith does not abolish the law but establishes it.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley clarifies that believers establish the law by defending its authority and purity, pointing to Christ as its ultimate purpose, and showing how the law can be genuinely fulfilled in its purity. For him, the law is not set aside but confirmed through Christ, who is its true end.