Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
Parallel translations
- WEB Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law.
- BSB Is the law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law.
- NKJV Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.
- NASB Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? Far from it! For if a law had been given that was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.
- NLT Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The law is not against God's promises, but it could not give life. If any law could impart life, righteousness would indeed come by it, but none can.
Overview
Paul guards against the idea that law and promise conflict; both are God's gifts with different purposes. The law cannot make alive or produce righteousness, because it has no power to overcome sin. Only the promise, fulfilled in Christ, brings the life the law could never give.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Gal 2:21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
- Rom 9:31But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
- Rom 3:20–22Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
- Gal 2:19For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
- Rom 10:3–6For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
- Rom 7:7–13What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
- Rom 3:31Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
- Gal 2:17But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
- Rom 3:4God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
- Matt 5:17–20Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
- Phil 3:6–9Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
- Rom 3:6God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
- Heb 11:7By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
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Christ became a curse for us to redeem us from the law's curse, that we might receive the Spirit and be sons — justified by faith in him, not by works.
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