What is the significance of "where there is no law, there is no transgression" in Romans 4:15? Text of Romans 4:15 “because the Law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.” Immediate Literary Context Paul is demonstrating that Abraham was counted righteous by faith apart from works of the Mosaic Law (Romans 4:1-25). Verse 15 functions as the hinge: it explains why inheritance must rest on faith (v. 16). If blessing depended on the Law, only wrath would result, for the Law exposes and condemns violations. Key Terms: “Law” (νόμος) and “Transgression” (παράβασις) νόμος refers here to the codified Mosaic legislation, though by extension it represents any explicit divine statute. παράβασις is a willful overstepping of a known boundary. Paul distinguishes it from ἁμαρτία (sin in the broad sense). Sin may exist without a codified statute (cf. Romans 5:13); transgression, by definition, cannot. Principle Stated: Definition Produces Liability Law does three things: 1. Identifies a moral boundary. 2. Turns implicit wrongdoing into explicit rebellion. 3. Publicly quantifies guilt, invoking judicial wrath. Without such definition, sin is still present (Romans 5:12-14), but it is not prosecutable as παράβασις. The Law converts latent guilt into actionable offense. Old Testament Groundwork • Genesis precedes Sinai; yet Cain, the Flood generation, Sodom, and Pharaoh are judged—indicating universal moral accountability. • Psalm 32:1-2 (quoted in Romans 4:7-8) foretells forgiveness apart from works, foreshadowing Abraham’s experience. • Hosea 6:7 notes Israel “transgressed the covenant,” proving that covenant stipulations create a category of παράβασις. Abraham’s Pre-Mosaic Justification Abraham believed God (Genesis 15:6); he was declared righteous centuries before Sinai. Therefore salvation cannot depend on the later Law, or Abraham himself would be excluded. Romans 4:15 seals Paul’s argument: inheritance by Law would nullify the promise because every recipient would inevitably fall under wrath. Gentiles, Conscience, and Universal Sin Romans 2:14-15 teaches that Gentiles “who do not have the Law” nonetheless “show that the work of the Law is written on their hearts.” They may sin without committing παράβασις against Sinai, yet conscience testifies against them. Thus “no law” does not equal innocence; it merely alters the legal category of guilt. Purpose of the Law: Wrath That Drives to Grace Galatians 3:19: “Why then was the Law given? It was added because of transgressions.” The Law: • Magnifies sin (Romans 7:13). • Closes every mouth (Romans 3:19). • Leads us to Christ so that we may be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24). Where there is no law, wrath is not judicially activated; once law arrives, wrath is revealed (Romans 1:18) and demands a remedy—substitutionary atonement in Christ. Christ as Fulfillment and Curse-Bearer Christ kept the Law perfectly (Matthew 5:17) and became “a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13), absorbing the wrath that the Law rightly aroused. The resurrection (Romans 4:25) validates that the debt is paid. Therefore believers stand in grace, not under Law (Romans 6:14). Application for Believers Today • Reject self-righteousness: inherited sin makes law-keeping impossible. • Embrace grace: faith alone secures the promise. • Use the Law evangelistically: like a mirror, it exposes need and drives hearers to Christ. • Rest in assurance: wrath has been satisfied; where grace reigns, transgression is no longer counted (Romans 4:8). Conclusion “Where there is no law, there is no transgression” sharpens the gospel contrast between Law-based wrath and faith-based righteousness. The statement vindicates God’s promise to Abraham, explains the Law’s actual function, and magnifies the finished work of Christ, who transforms condemned transgressors into forgiven heirs. |
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