Devine Scripture

Romans 3:31

What does Romans 3:31 mean?

A plain-English look at Romans 3:31 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Romans 3:31 means

Does justification by faith make the law void? Paul rejects the thought: faith establishes the law. How? Faith receives the righteousness the law pointed to, honors its verdict of guilt, and fulfills its witness to Christ. It also produces the obedience that flows from a renewed heart, the very obedience the law demanded but could not create. Far from sidelining the law, the Gospel gives it its rightful place—as tutor to lead us to Christ and as a standard fulfilled in love by the Spirit. Thus, grace does not breed lawlessness; it brings the law’s true aim to completion in Christ and his people.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

Do we then make the law of none effect through faith? God forbid: nay, we establish the law.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

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.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

Do we, then, through faith make the law of no effect? in no way: but we make it clear that the law is important.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

Law then do we make useless through the faith? let it not be! yea, we do establish law.

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

Do we then, destroy the law through faith? God forbid! But we establish the law.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

Do we then make void law by faith? Far be the thought: [no,] but we establish law.

Context

After affirming one God who justifies Jew and Gentile through faith (verses 29–30), Paul anticipates an objection: does this cancel the law? He answers with a strong denial, insisting that faith upholds the law. This conclusion wraps the chapter’s arc—from Jewish privilege (verses 1–2), through universal guilt (verses 9–20), to God’s righteousness in Christ (verses 21–26), and its implications (verses 27–31). The next chapter will illustrate this claim with Abraham, showing that justification by faith is not a novelty but the pattern embedded in Scripture, thereby demonstrating the deep unity of God’s saving plan throughout redemptive history.

v.30if so be that God is one, and he shall justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith.

v.31This passage

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Matthew 15:6

    he shall not honor his father. And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition.

  • Romans 7:22

    For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

  • Jeremiah 8:8

    How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of Jehovah is with us? But, behold, the false pen of the scribes hath wrought falsely.

  • Galatians 2:19

    For I through the law died unto the law, that I might live unto God.

  • Matthew 5:17

    Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.

  • Romans 7:25

    I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

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