³¹ Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

Law was paramount for all good Jews. Whatever is true must be in accord with the teachings of Moses. Whatever Christianity teaches, it cannot contradict the Law, for the Law was given by God. If Paul contradicted the Law, then what he taught could not be from the God of Abraham, as it would nullify the teachings of Moses.

The Jews, though, have fallen short of their understanding of the Law. They assumed that this “new” Christian teaching about Jesus Christ and how to be right with God was contradictory to everything they understood about the Law. Paul flat out says to the contrary, that this teaching actually affirms the Law and gives it its ultimate and correct understanding. In fact, Jesus affirmed the Law in no uncertain terms:

“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:18–20)

For Paul to have taught contrary to the Law would have undermined his credibility as a teacher of the way of righteousness. In reality, he affirms the teaching of Jesus that righteousness must “surpass” that of the best Jewish examples of righteousness. In order to do that, there must be a different way of obtaining righteousness. So then, righteousness by or through faith does not undermine the Law; rather it builds on the Law, which establishes that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). He writes later, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom 10:4). The word “end” renders the Greek word, “telos,” which carries the sense of “goal.” Someone has defined it this way: “the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve; upon completion, often terminates the behavior intended to achieve it” (Bible Sense Lexicon).

Faith then is the goal of the Law, the end to which God draws all people in recognizing their sinfulness and their need for a God-centered righteousness.

Lord, help me never to grasp after my own righteousness, but only for Yours.