Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Parallel translations
- WEB Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.
- KJV Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
- BSB Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
- NASB Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.
- NLT Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.
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
Love does no harm to a neighbor, so love is the law's fulfillment.
Overview
Paul concludes that genuine love will never wrong a neighbor, and therefore fulfills everything the law requires toward others. Far from licensing lawlessness, gospel-born love positively meets the law's aim. This presents love as the comprehensive shape of Christian obedience.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Rom 13:8Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
- Matt 22:39–40A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
- 1 Cor 13:4–7Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 13:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.