Romans 3:31Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It was in order to make man righteous. But it proved powerless in this, for he says, "All have sinned" (Rom 3:23).

When faith appeared, it succeeded in this, since everyone who believed was thereby justified.

Thus faith established the will of the law and brought to completion that for which it did everything. Therefore it did not abolish the law, but perfected it.

In this way the Apostle proved three things here: that it is possible to be justified without the law, that the law proved powerless in this, and that faith does not oppose the law.

Since the Jews were most troubled by the fact that faith seemed to oppose the law, the Apostle proves more than the Jew desired.

He shows that faith not only does not oppose the law, but even helps and cooperates with it. This is what the Jews especially wished to hear.

After saying, "Do not think that I came to destroy," He added, "I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill."

By these words not only is the shamelessness of the Jews restrained, but the mouths of heretics are also stopped, those who assert that the ancient law came from the devil.

Indeed, if Christ came to destroy the devil's power, how is it that He not only does not destroy it, but even fulfills it?

He did not merely say, "I do not destroy," though that would have been sufficient. He added, "I fulfill," and this shows that He not only did not oppose the law, but even approved it.

But how, you ask, did He not destroy the law? And how did He fulfill the law or the prophets?

He fulfilled the prophets by confirming with His deeds everything they had said about Him. Therefore the Evangelist constantly says, "That what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled" (Mt 2:23).

This was so when He was born, when the children sang Him the wondrous song, and when He sat upon the colt.

In many other cases too He fulfilled prophecies, all of which would have remained unfulfilled if He had not come into the world.

He fulfilled the law not in one respect, but in three. First, He transgressed it in nothing.

To be assured that He fulfilled the whole law, listen to what He says to John: "For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness" (Mt 3:15).

Likewise He said to the Jews, "Which of you convicts Me of sin?" (Jn 8:46). He also said to His disciples, "The ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me" (Jn 14:30).

From ancient times the prophet also foretold of Him that "He committed no sin" (Isa 53:9).

This, then, is the first way in which He fulfilled the law.

Second, He fulfilled the law for us. Truly it is worthy of wonder that He not only fulfilled the law Himself, but also granted us its fulfillment.

Paul explains this when he says that "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes" (Rom 10:4).

He also says that He "condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh" (Rom 8:3-4).

Elsewhere he says, "Do we then destroy the law through faith? By no means; rather, we establish the law" (Rom 3:31).

Since the goal of the law was to make man righteous, and since it could not do this, the Lord Himself satisfied this purpose of the law.

He came down to earth and established the way of justification through faith. What the law could not do by letters, Christ Himself accomplished through faith.

Therefore He says, "I did not come to destroy" the law.

For the law acts as a tutor and leads well to the mystery of Christ (Gal 3:24). What was commanded to the ancients through Moses we call the first principles of the oracles of God (Heb 5:12). If we reject the tutor, who will lead us to the mystery of Christ? If we refuse to learn the first principles of the oracles of God, how, and from where, shall we afterward come to the goal? For according to Scripture, is not Christ the fulfillment of the law and the prophets? (Rom 10:4).

For faith brings grace, by which the law is fulfilled. So too free will is not destroyed, but established by grace. For grace heals the will, by which righteousness is freely loved.

Therefore the law is established by faith. Apart from faith, the law commands and pronounces guilty those who do not fulfill its commands. It does this so that those unable to fulfill the commands of the law may someday be turned to the grace of the Savior.

"And judgment," he says, "shall be no more," which implies the law. "And sacrifice shall be abolished," so that it may be clear that the ancient offerings will be abolished (compare Dan 9:25-27).

The Savior reveals this same meaning: "The Law and the Prophets were until John" (Lk 16:16). The prophet Jeremiah also sang that God would give better ordinances in place of the Law of Moses.

"Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers" (Jer 31:31-32).

Second, the law prefigured Christ and gave promises. Faith pointed us to Jesus Christ Himself and fulfilled the promises of the law.

Third, the moral law was surrounded by many ritual ordinances. As adapted to the condition and needs of one people, it appeared imperfect and insufficient.

Faith is given for all. With its appearance, ritual externality lost its significance. Yet the moral law reached fullness and perfection, so that it became suitable for all nations and for all times.

How then does he say, "We do not overthrow it," and so decisively, "May it never be," with the opposite assertion, "but we establish the law"?

Yet this is entirely true. The Apostle does not explain it here in detail, leaving us to draw the explanatory inferences ourselves.

The law had two sides. The outer side consisted of all visible institutions. The inner side consisted of what it guided toward, what it foreshadowed, and what it promised for the future.

The latter constituted its soul, the former its body. The outer aspect of the law was indeed destroyed.

The inner aspect was freed from under the outer, brought into the open, and placed before the eyes of all through the Lord's coming, the Gospel, and faith in Him.

Drawing thought away from what was destroyed, and fixing attention on what has been manifested and set before all eyes, the Apostle could say: we do not overthrow, but establish.

The same thing happened here as when a sown seed sprouts. In appearance, it spoils and softens, which is the same as being destroyed.

Meanwhile the living power hidden in it, having received freedom, through this very process first produces a stalk, then an ear, and afterward grain.

Looking at the softened grain, anyone would say: what is this? Is nature destroying the seed?

According to appearances, it seems so. But according to the essence of the matter one must say: no, it is not destroying, but building.

Here are the particular points that follow from this general one.

The institutions under the law prefigured Christ the Lord with the whole work of salvation accomplished by Him. The prophecies described all this beforehand.

When the Lord came, arranged salvation, and began to call all to faith through the apostolic Gospel, faith thus received dominion. It fulfilled what constituted the content of the law, or established the law.

Second, the law was given so that people would fulfill it and, by fulfilling it, become righteous.

But because it did not give strength, it remained unfulfilled because of our weakness, and its goal was not attained.

The only fruit from it was the knowledge of sin. Yet through this, conscience was only burdened and the desire for a better arrangement of the path to righteousness was kindled.

And behold, faith came like rain upon thirsty ground. It washes away sins in the blood of Christ, and in grace gives strength to everyone to become holy and pure.

Therefore faith gives what the law had in view, but what could not be attained under its guidance alone. In this way it establishes the law and sets it in its proper rank.

All our commentators reason in this way.

Blessed Theodoret writes: "From ancient times both the law and the Prophets foretold faith. Therefore, by receiving faith, we establish the law."

Ambrosiaster completes this by citing the Lord's words: "The Lord Himself said, 'I did not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill'" (cf. Mt 5:17).

Saint Chrysostom explains everything more fully: "Here Saint Paul proves that faith not only does not harm the law, but even helps it, just as the law prepares the way for faith.

"As the law, anticipating faith, bore witness to it, for Paul calls it witnessed by the law and the Prophets, so faith restored the weakened law.

"How did it restore it, you ask? Look at the goal of the law. Toward what did all its actions tend? Toward making man righteous.

"The law could not attain this. For it is said, 'All have sinned.' But when faith appeared, it succeeded in this.

"Thus faith restored the desire of the law and brought to fulfillment that for which the law labored. Therefore faith did not destroy, but completed the law.

"Since the Jews were most troubled by the fact that faith seemed to oppose the law, the Apostle proves more than the Jew could have desired.

"He shows that faith not only does not oppose the law, but even aids and cooperates with it. This is precisely what the Jews especially wished to hear."

Therefore faith saves not only by washing the sins of the repentant in the blood of Christ, but especially by attracting grace and giving strength to fulfill the law.

The indispensable condition of salvation is the fulfillment of the law. The whole New Testament divine economy is directed toward this.

Having received the gracious means, become and remain clean and pure, and you will be saved. For nothing unclean will enter the Kingdom of God.

The door into it is purity, not imputed purity, but real purity. It is purity passing through the whole nature of man, penetrating both body and soul, and characterizing them.