Romans 4:15 Meaning and Explanation
“Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The law brings wrath by exposing sin; where there is no law, there is no transgression to be charged.
What Does Romans 4:15 Mean?
Paul explains why the inheritance cannot rest on the law. The law, holy as it is, produces wrath, because it sets a standard that sinful people break, and breaking it brings judgment. The law names sin and holds it up to the light.
His added phrase clarifies the mechanism: where there is no law, there is no transgression, no formal crossing of a boundary that has been drawn. The law draws the line clearly, and so makes our crossing of it unmistakable. This is not the law's fault but its honest work. It cannot give the inheritance because it can only diagnose, never heal. That is why grace must come another way, through the promise received by faith, which the next verses celebrate.
Romans 4:15 in the Original Language
parabasis (παράβασις), 'transgression' -- a stepping over, the violation of a known boundary.
Frequently Asked Questions About Romans 4:15
What does Romans 4:15 mean?
The law brings wrath by exposing sin; where there is no law, there is no transgression to be charged.