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.
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.
- KJV 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.
- 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.
- 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 don’t reject the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!”
- Rom 9:31but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness.
- Rom 3:20–22Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
- Gal 2:19For I, through the law, died to the law, that I might live to God.
- Rom 10:3–6For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
- Rom 7:7–13What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting, unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”
- Rom 3:31Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law.
- Gal 2:17But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a servant of sin? Certainly not!
- Rom 3:4May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written, “That you might be justified in your words, and might prevail when you come into judgment.”
- Matt 5:17–20“Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.
- Phil 3:6–9concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.
- Rom 3:6May it never be! For then how will God judge the world?
- Heb 11:7By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to 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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Original language
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