Romans 4:15 kjv
Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
Romans 4:15 nkjv
because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
Romans 4:15 niv
because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
Romans 4:15 esv
For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
Romans 4:15 nlt
For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)
Romans 4 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rom 3:20 | For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, for through the law comes knowledge of sin. | Law reveals sin |
| Gal 3:10 | For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” | Law brings curse |
| Gal 3:19 | Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come... | Law highlights transgressions |
| 1 John 3:4 | Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. | Sin is deviation from law |
| Rom 5:13 | for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. | Sin exists without law, but not counted as transgression |
| Rom 5:20 | Now the law came in to increase the trespass, so that as sin increased, grace abounded all the more. | Law intensifies sin's revelation |
| Rom 7:7 | ...I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” | Law makes sin known |
| Rom 7:13 | Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. | Law makes sin "exceedingly sinful" |
| Jas 2:9-10 | But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors... | Law exposes transgression |
| Deut 27:26 | ‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’... | Law's covenant curse for disobedience |
| Rom 1:18 | For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men... | God's righteous wrath |
| Rom 2:12 | For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. | Law defines judgment standard |
| Rom 3:21 | But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law... | Righteousness apart from Law |
| Rom 3:28 | For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. | Justification by faith, not law works |
| Rom 4:3 | For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” | Abraham justified by faith |
| Rom 4:13 | For the promise to Abraham...did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. | Promise independent of Law |
| Rom 6:14 | For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. | Under grace, not law |
| Gal 2:16 | ...we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ... | Justified by Christ's faith |
| Phil 3:9 | and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ... | Righteousness from faith, not law |
| Eph 2:8-9 | For by grace you have been saved through faith... not a result of works... | Salvation by grace through faith |
| Heb 10:4 | For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. | Law's sacrifices insufficient |
| Heb 7:19 | (for the law made nothing perfect)...a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. | Law's imperfection, Christ's perfection |
Romans 4 verses
Romans 4 15 Meaning
Romans 4:15 succinctly declares that the Mosaic Law's primary effect on sinful humanity is to evoke God's wrath. It specifies that where no explicit divine law has been given, a precise "transgression"—the act of stepping over a clearly defined boundary or violating a specific command—cannot technically occur. This highlights the Law's function as a revealer of sin, transforming general sinfulness into overt acts of rebellion that incur divine judgment.
Romans 4 15 Context
Romans 4:15 is an integral part of Paul's larger argument in Romans that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not by adherence to the Mosaic Law. Paul is demonstrating that Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation and a paragon of faith, was declared righteous by God (Gen 15:6) long before the Law was given to Moses and before circumcision was instituted (Rom 4:10). This verse serves to underscore that the Law's role was never to bring about righteousness or salvation, but rather the opposite: to expose sin and, by doing so, highlight humanity's desperate need for God's merciful intervention. It establishes a necessary counterpoint to any misunderstanding that might suggest the Law is a pathway to divine approval, firmly placing it instead as an instrument that reveals sin's pervasive presence and the consequent inevitability of wrath.
Romans 4 15 Word analysis
- For (γάρ, gar): A conjunction introducing the reason or explanation for the preceding statement, continuing Paul's theological development concerning the relationship between Law, sin, and righteousness.
- the law (ὁ νόμος, ho nomos): Primarily refers to the Mosaic Law given at Sinai, encompassing the commandments and ordinances revealed to Israel. In a broader sense within Paul's letters, it can also refer to any divinely revealed standard of conduct, though here it directly relates to the covenant given to Israel. Its purpose, Paul argues, is distinct from salvation.
- brings (κατεργάζεται, katergazetai): A strong verb meaning "produces," "effects," "works out," or "brings about." It implies an active, unavoidable outcome. The Law is not merely a passive informant about wrath; it is intrinsically designed to precipitate it within a fallen humanity unable to perfectly obey its demands.
- wrath (ὀργή, orgē): Signifies God's settled, holy, and just indignation against sin. It is not an erratic emotional outburst but a consistent attribute of God's character, His righteous reaction to unrighteousness and disobedience to His commands. The Law reveals humanity's failure, thereby exposing it to this righteous wrath.
- but (δέ, de): A transitional conjunction, introducing a contrast or clarification to the initial clause. It highlights the consequence of the Law's presence or absence.
- where there is no law (οὗ δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν νόμος, hou de ouk estin nomos): Indicates a state or period where a specific, explicit divine command or moral code has not been revealed or made known. It addresses humanity's condition before such clear boundaries were formally instituted. This does not mean sin was absent (Rom 5:12, 14 clarify that "sin was in the world before the law"), but rather the specific form of transgression described next.
- there is no transgression (οὐδὲ παράβασις, oude parabasis): Literally "not even transgression."
- transgression (παράβασις, parabasis): A distinct term from general "sin" (ἁμαρτία, hamartia, which means "missing the mark"). Parabasis specifically means "stepping across," "overstepping a known boundary," or "violating a clear, defined commandment."
- Significance of the word-group "no law, no transgression": This phrase elucidates the crucial role of the Law: it precisely defines sin as an act of rebellion against a specific command. Before a specific commandment is given, an action may be sinful (hamartia) by nature (missing God's ideal), but it cannot be a "transgression" (parabasis) in the sense of a direct violation of a known prohibitory command. The Law converts implicit sin into explicit, undeniable "transgression," thereby solidifying humanity's guilt and exposure to wrath.
Romans 4 15 Bonus section
The distinction between hamartia (sin, missing the mark) and parabasis (transgression, stepping over a boundary/law) is crucial for understanding Romans, particularly chapters 5 and 7. Before the Law was given, humanity sinned (hamartia) and death reigned (Rom 5:14), indicating sin's pervasive nature, yet these sins were not "counted" as parabasis because there was no specific commandment to transgress. The Mosaic Law transformed general sin into overt, identifiable transgressions, thereby "increasing the trespass" (Rom 5:20) and making sin "exceedingly sinful" (Rom 7:13). This revelatory function of the Law ensures that no one can claim ignorance of their guilt. It paves the way for understanding why only an alien righteousness, received through faith, can truly justify humanity before God.
Romans 4 15 Commentary
Romans 4:15 functions as a pivot in Paul's argument regarding justification. Far from being a pathway to righteousness, the Law actively unveils humanity's inability to please God and instead precipitates His wrath. This is because the Law exposes sin as explicit "transgression"—a deliberate crossing of divine lines—rather than merely an undefined flaw. By defining boundaries, the Law makes sin objectively measurable and undeniable. Without the Law, humanity certainly still commits "sins" (missing the mark of God's glory, Rom 3:23), but these are not technically "transgressions" because a specific command has not been explicitly violated. Thus, the Law serves a critical purpose: it brings the full extent of humanity's culpability into sharp focus, making clear that salvation cannot possibly come through obedience to it, but only through God's unmerited favor through faith. This reality underscores the necessity of justification by grace, completely apart from human effort or legal adherence, as beautifully exemplified in Abraham.