“The End of the Law”

Today’s verse is a beautiful expression of divine truth. But it is not an easy verse to interpret. Specifically, what does Paul mean when he says that Christ is “the end of the law”?

We can best unlock this verse by working from the end to the beginning. Notice that Paul speaks of a “righteousness to everyone who believes.” We can interpret these words in light of what Paul has said earlier in Romans. First, Paul here links righteousness to belief. He did this earlier: “ . . . the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe” (3:22). Second, Paul speaks of righteousness as a gift. This is no new teaching, either: “ . . . those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Therefore, . . . through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life” (5:17b–18). In each instance, Paul is speaking of the righteousness of God that is necessary for justification. Therefore, it would seem that he is speaking of justification in 10:4, and the context of chapter 10 supports that conclusion.

Now we can consider how Christ’s role in our justification makes Him “the end of the law.” Dr. James M. Boice, writing in his Romans commentary, points out several possible meanings of end. First, it may mean just that—“end.” According to this understanding, Jesus brought an end to the law as a system for attaining righteousness. Of course, the law was never intended for such a purpose, but the fact of Jesus’ atonement made that crystal clear. Second, end may mean “goal” or “purpose.” If this is Paul’s intention, he is echoing his teaching in Galatians 3:24 that the law points to Christ and drives us to Him. Third, end may mean “fulfillment.” Scripture certainly backs this view, for it declares that Jesus kept the law perfectly. And that is a key truth, for His sinless life both qualified Him to be the Lamb of God, the one who would pay for our sins, and provided a record of total righteousness for us. As we have seen, when God justifies us, He credits our sins to Christ and His righteousness to us. Thus, Paul here is reminding the Romans that Jesus kept the law perfectly as no other man ever has, not even the most meticulous of the Jews. He is the source of the righteousness that saves, and we must trust Him.