Romans 3:19, Under [the] Torah-law … all the world guilty before Elohim. Paul uses the term “under [the] law” (also found in Rom 6:14) twelve times in his writings. What does he mean by this term? There is much confusion among believers on this. The following article will explain the meaning of this term and clear up the confusion.

What Does the Phrase “Under the Law” Mean?

Is Paul Affirming or Abolishing the Torah-Law of Moses?

What is the meaning of the phrase “under the law” as used by Paul in some of his epistles? There is much confusion in the church on this subject. Like a drive-by shooter who has only one bullet in his gun, this phrase is often fired in a disparaging manner against the Torah-law of Moses and its advocates by those who believe “the law” has been “done away with” and “is against us,” and thus is no longer binding on Christians. Sadly, in such exchanges, these spiritual drive-by shooters reveal their ignorance about this phrase’s true Hebraic meaning, not to mention its contextual background.

So what is the truth? 

In this brief work, we’ll examine every place where the phrase “under the law” is found in the Testimony of Yeshua (the New Testament) including the scriptural context in which it is found. We’ll also discover what spiritual heresies Paul is really warning the first century believers about. The truth will prove both surprising and enlightening.

Romans 3:19

Now we know that what things soever the law [Torah] says, it says to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before Elohim.

Simple Explanation: Without delving into the context of the surrounding verses (which we do below) in which Paul uses the phrase “under the law,” let’s just analyze verse 19 by itself. Sometimes the simplest explanations are the best. For Paul, what does this phrase really mean? 

When he says “under the law,” is he referring to the Jews who were legally bound to follow the law of Moses (or the Torah), as the mainstream Christian church teaches? If this is the case, then why does he speak about the whole world becoming guilty before Elohim? The whole world wasn’t Jewish, so how could Paul be referring to the whole world being “under the law” as in being obligated to obey the law of Moses? Furthermore, how is it that the whole world is “guilty before Elohim”? 

The answer is simple. The whole world, including the Jews, is guilty of breaking the laws of Elohim (e.g., idolatry, violating the Sabbath, murder, adultery, stealing, lying, eating unclean meats, failing to keep YHVH’s holidays, witchcraft, etc.). In other words, the whole world has sinned, for sin is the violation of the Torah (1 John 3:4). Paul states this four verses later in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of Elohim.” All men are guilty before Elohim of sinning. What is YHVH’s punishment for sin? Paul answers that question too in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of Elohim is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.” 

Therefore, when Paul uses the phrase “under the law” and applies it all humans becoming guilty before Elohim, he is saying that all are under the Elohim’s death penalty for violating the Torah-law of Moses because all have sinned. He is not saying that the Jews are under obligation to keep the Torah, while the rest of the world (i.e., the Gentiles) are free to disregard the Torah, yet this is what the mainstream churches teach. 

Going Deeper: When Paul uses the term “under the law” is he referring to those who are keepers of the law (like the Jews were)? Is he further implying that if one isn’t “under the law” one is free to break the law? This is a viewpoint many people in the church have been led to believe that Paul is advocating. Let’s analyze what Paul is really saying here and see it if lines up with what the mainstream churches teach.

First, if Paul is saying that those who aren’t under the law (because they’re under grace instead) are no longer under any obligation to adhere to the law’s tenets, then this means that it’s permissible to violate the law in regards to the Sabbath, the biblical dietary laws, the feasts, idolatry, murder, lying, theft, rape, incest, witchcraft, homosexuality and the like. This line of reasoning crumbles when we realize that from the Bible’s viewpoint, the Torah-law of Elohim is indivisible: it stands or falls as a unit. James says that if one violates one commandment he is guilty of breaking them all (Jas 2:8–10).

Second, if “under the law” means that believers are now free to disregard the Torah, then how do we explain all the scriptures that show us that Paul and the other apostles (and even Yeshua himself) upheld the validity of the Torah as a rule for the saint’s life? (See Matt 5:17–19; John 14:15; Rom 3:31; 6:14, 15; 7:12, 14, 22; Acts 21:24; 24:14; 25:8; 1 Cor 7:19; 1 John 2:3–6; 3:4.) It is evident that Paul can’t, at the same time, be both teaching against and advocating Torah-obedience. This would make Paul into a duplicitous liar and hypocrite, and call into question the validity and divine inspiration of the Scriptures as well. The fact is, the problem isn’t with Paul or the Bible, but with man’s interpretation of YHVH’s Scriptures.

So when we strip away the layers of men’s church doctrines and traditions, what is Paul really saying in Romans 3:19?

Paul is exposing the Jews for being over-confident in their special relationship with YHVH because (a) they were Jews and the seed of Abraham, (b) because YHVH had given them the Torah, and (c) because they were circumcised. Yet despite these facts, many Jews had failed to obey the Torah, thus making their outward appearance of righteousness (i.e., their circumcision) an act of hypocrisy. Paul takes the Jews to task for this hypocrisy and declares that whether one is uncircumcised or not is immaterial; rather, what matters to YHVH is one’s heart orientation toward him (i.e., is one circumcised in heart or not, Rom 2–3:4). After all, logic decrees that circumcision can’t be a condition for salvation, since it’s impossible for one half of humanity to be physically circumcised, while, at the same time, the entire population (both men and women) can be circumcised in heart!

Paul was being accused of promoting Torahlessness because of his stand that circumcision was not a salvation requirement, and that a Jew who is circumcised, and yet lives a Torahless life is no better than a Gentile sinner. In fact, an uncircumcised Gentile who follows the basics of the Torah that are written in his consciences will be blessed on the day of judgment (Rom 2:14–16).

Additionally, Paul is attempting to level the spiritual playing field (or to tear down the middle wall of separation, see Eph 2:14) between Jews and Gentiles by showing that a hypocritical, law-touting, circumcised Jew has no standing in righteousness before YHVH, while conversely an uncircumcised Gentile who knows little about the Torah, yet follows the light of truth that he does have with his whole heart has righteous standing before YHVH.

The bottom line is that all (both Jews and Gentiles) have sinned (i.e., violated the Torah, 1 John 3:4), and all are under sin’s death penalty (Rom 3:9–19).

After declaring that all men are sinners (Rom 3:9–18), Paul brings in the concept of under the law and relates this to man being “guilty before Elohim” (Rom 3:19). That is to say, since each man has sinned (i.e., violated the Torah, 1 John 3:4), each one has come under the penalty that the Torah prescribes for sin; that is, he has come under the law. Paul expresses this same concept elsewhere when he writes, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, ‘Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them’” (Gal 3:10). 

Paul is coming against those who, in his day, put their trust in their own ability to punctiliously obey YHVH’s Torah assuming that this would put them in right standing before Elohim (Rom 3:20). Paul is attempting to correct this spiritual delusion, since no man can keep the law perfectly without sinning, for if he violates but one commandment, he brings upon himself the law’s death penalty and is now under the law. In other words, anyone who sins by breaking one of the least of the Torah’s commandments comes under the curse of the law, which is death, for the Word of Elohim teaches us that the person who sins will die (Ezek 18:4), and the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23).

Therefore, since the Torah defines sin, it cannot at the same time bring man to right standing (or righteousness) before YHVH, since all men are guilty before Elohim of violating the Torah (Rom 3:19–20, 23).

Paul goes on to explain through the remainder of the chapter that we are made righteous (or cleansed from sin or Torahlessness) because of our faith in Yeshua, but that this in no way invalidates (or makes void) the Torah, but rather establishes the Torah (Rom 3:22–31), since the Torah shows us the path of righteous that will keep us from sinning and hence from coming under the laws penalty for sin.

Romans 6:14–15

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace.…What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Elohim forbid!

Simple Explanation: As we did in our simple explanation of Romans 3:19, let’s just look at the words of this verse alone to see if Paul is really saying that “under the law” means “under obligation to obey the law of Moses (or the Torah)” as many in the mainstream church have been led to believe.

As we learned above, “under the law” literally means “under the penalty of the law.” Does the same phrase mean the same thing in this verse too?

Let’s first define the word sin. Sin, according to the Bible, is the violation of the laws of Elohim (or law of Moses or the Torah, 1 John 3:4). So Paul in this verse is instructing us to not let lawlessness have dominion over us. In other words, Paul says, “Don’t sin,” (i.e., violate the laws of Elohim). Then he tells us that we aren’t under the law, but under grace. Think about it. Why would he first tell us to not sin, but then tell us that it’s all right to sin, since we’re no longer under obligation to obey the Torah? That makes no sense. Then he goes on to ask whether we shall sin (or violate the Torah) because we’re now under grace, and not under the law? Let’s define another term. What is grace? One of its definitions is “free and unmerited pardon.” Pardon from what? From our sins. Everyone knows that! So what Paul is really asking is, “Shall we continue to break Elohim’s laws because we’ve received his free and unmerited pardon for breaking Elohim’s laws?” Paul answers with a strong affirmative, “Elohim forbid!” 

As we discovered in Romans 3:19, the phrase “under the law” literally means “under the penalty of the law” which is death, since the wages of sin is death (Rom 3:23).

So once again, the phrase “under the law” isn’t a get-out-of-jail free card giving us license to sin (i.e., to violate the Torah) as the mainstream church erroneously teaches.

Going Deeper: Here Paul is saying that sin (i.e., Torahlessness) shall not have dominion over those who have faith in Yeshua and who have died to their old sinful nature as pictured by the baptism ritual (Rom 6:1–10). The Bible is clear: the wages or sting of sin is death (Rom 6:23; 1 Cor 15:56), for sin is the violation of the Torah (1 John 3:4), and those who are spiritually alive to Elohim through Yeshua (Rom 6:11) not only have had their sins forgiven, but they’re not continuing habitual sin (1 John 3:4–9). They are walking under YHVH’s merciful grace, so that if they sin (i.e., violate the Torah), they can repent and receive his grace (1 John 1:9) instead of death. This is why Paul can say that the redeemed believer is no longer under the (penalty of) the Torah, but is under grace (Rom 6:14).

Because we are under grace and we have been spared by Elohim’s mercy from the penalty for sinning (i.e., violating the Torah), which is death, does this mean that we can continue in sin (i.e., continue violating the Torah, Rom 6:15)? Certainly not, Paul strongly affirms in verse fifteen! Elohim’s grace doesn’t give us a license to sin (i.e., to violate the Torah, 1 John 3:4). If a saint sins, he must repent of his sin and not continue in his sin (1 John 1:9), so that the mercy and grace of Elohim will cover his transgression.

Paul then goes to say (Rom 6:16–23) that since we are no longer slaves to sin because of our relationship with Elohim through Yeshua, we now have become slaves to righteousness (i.e., Torah obedience, see Ps 119:172 where righteousness is defined as Torah-obedience). The Torah not only defines what sin is, but also shows us how not to sin. It is the grace of Elohim that not only gives us grace or unmerited pardon for violating the Torah (i.e., sin), but the same grace divinely enables us to live in obedience to the Torah, so that we will not come under the (penalty of) the Torah through sinfulness. This is why Paul can go on to declare that the Torah is holy, and the commandment holy, just and good (Rom 7:12). It reveals to us the path of righteousness and how not to sin by showing us how to love Elohim and our neighbor.

1 Corinthians 9:20–22

And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to Elohim, but under the law to Messiah,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

Simple Explanation: Paul uses the phrase “under the law” four times in this passage. Three of the four times, the phrase means the same thing, while his fourth usage is a completely different word in the Greek, even though it is translated as “under the law” in most English Bibles. 

This passage explains four different categories of people each of which have different, unbiblical views of the Torah. We will explain what these views are in more detail below. In Paul’s final usage of the term “under the law” he adds to it the phrase “to Christ [or Messiah].” The phrase “under the law [Gr. ennomos] to Christ” more accurately should read “in the law to Christ,” which is how several English translations render it (e.g., the Geneva Bible, the Wycliffe Bible, Young’s) or “subject to the law of Christ” (Mounce, Lexham) or “within Christ’s law” (Holman). Ennomos literally means “within law, lawful, legal or obedient to a law” (Mounce), “bound to the law, bound by the law” (Thayer), “legal or lawful” (Ardnt-Gringrich). 

So what did Paul mean when he said that he was “in the law to Christ,” or “subject to the law of Christ” or “within Christ’s law”? Let’s let Paul answer his own question. In 1 Corinthians 11:1 he urges us to imitate the Messiah as he imitated him. Messiah Yeshua obeyed the Torah-law of Moses. If not, he was a sinner and not our Savior! Yeshua instructed his followers to love him by keeping his Torah commandments (John 14:15). Elsewhere, Paul upholds Torah-obedience, urges others to obey the Torah, and even states that he faithfully obeys the Torah himself (Rom 3:31; 7:12, 22, 25; 1 Cor 7:19; Acts 21:24; 24:14; 25:8). What Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 9:21 is that he obeys the Torah by following Yeshua’s example of Torah-obedience, out of love for the Messiah, through the power and strength of the Messiah’s Holy Spirit who has written Elohim’s laws on our hearts, and through the divine empowerment of Elohim’s grace at work in us. This passage in no way indicates that Paul is professing the abrogation of the Torah!

Going Deeper: It is evident that when Paul uses the phrase, “under the law” in his writings, he at times infuses different connotations into this phrase. Only by studying the context of the surrounding passages in which this phrase is imbedded can we understand the exact connotation that Paul is attaching to the term “under the law.”

In this passage, the phrase “under the law” is found four times, and doesn’t connote “under the penalty of the law,” (as is the case with Paul’s usage of the term in Romans). The first three times this phrase is found here it means “in subjection to a legalistic perversion of the Torah” (as David Stern translates it in his Complete Jewish Bible and then explains reasons behind this translation in his Jewish New Testament Commentary). Here Paul identifies several groups of people, each of which had its own view of the Torah. These groups were (a) ethnic Jews, (b) those (ethnic Jews or otherwise) who had come under a legalistic view of the Torah in that they believed, for example, that circumcision was a precondition for salvation (certain Pharisees believed this [see Acts 15:1], and Paul was dealing with this doctrinal perversion in the first several chapters of the Epistle to the Romans), (c) those (presumably Gentiles) who had no knowledge of the Torah, and (d) those new believers who were still weak and unstable in their faith.

In Paul’s final usage of this phrase at the end of verse 21, he adds to the phrase under the law” [Gr. ennomos meaning “in the law”] the two words “in Christ.” This changes the whole meaning of the term under the law. As we have noted above, “under the law,” as Paul uses it can mean “under the [penalty of] the Torah,” or “under a legalistic perversion of the Torah,” but here Paul is referring to Torah obedience in the context of a faith in Yeshua. Is Paul referring here to Christians who keep the Torah? Yes! This is what the first century redeemed believers were, and what Paul confesses here about himself (1 Cor 9:21). Paul’s pro-Torah stance is totally consistent with other apologetic statements he makes concerning the Torah along with his confession to being totally Torah-obedient himself (e.g., Rom 3:31; 7:12, 22, 25; 1 Cor 7:19; Acts 21:24; 24:14; 25:8). Torah obedience was also to be a normative attribute of the life of the redeemed believer then and now (e.g., Acts 21:20; 22:12; Rev 12:17; 14:12; 22:14).

So what specifically does the phrase “not being without the Torah toward Elohim, but “under or in the law toward Messiah” mean? Simply this. There is a keeping of the Torah that is done through men’s legalistic efforts that is devoid of trusting faith toward Elohim, whereby one hopes to earn Elohim’s grace or merciful kindness through human effort. This approach Paul proves in Romans 3 and 4 was never how Elohim intended men to come into a spiritual relationship with him, since it is impossible for men to keep the righteous requirements of the Torah perfectly without ever sinning. Thankfully, salvation is by the grace of Elohim through faith in Yeshua (Eph 2:8–10). It is through Elohim working through his Holy Spirit through our relationship with Yeshua that we can do the good works (Eph 2:10) of loving Yeshua by keeping his Torah commandments (John 14:15; 1 John 2:3–6; 3:24; 5:2–3). When Yeshua and his apostles use the term commandments in their writings, how do we know that they’re referring to the Torah-commandments? In Luke 18:19–20, Yeshua answers this question when he connects the word commandments (Gr. entole) with the laws of Torah (in this case, the Ten Commandments, which is the cornerstone of or the basis for all the other 600 plus commandments in the Torah).

Therefore, when Paul says “not being without the Torah toward Elohim, but under [or, in] the law toward Messiah,” he is referring to Torah obedience within the paradigmatic context of Elohim’s grace toward us (which covers our past sins and delivers us from the penalty for violating the law, which is death), and to Yeshua living in the redeemed believer’s life through his Set-Apart Spirit, which enables one to love Yeshua by obeying his Torah-commandments (John 14:15).

Galatians 3:23

But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. (KJV)

Some other Bible translations of this verse read as follows:

But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. (NKJV)

But before the coming of faith, we were guarded under law, having been locked up to the faith being about to be revealed. (J.P. Green)

Now before faith came, we were held in custody under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. (Mounce)

Explanation: Here, Paul attaches yet another nuanced connotation to the term under the law. To help us to understand his meaning, let’s go back to verse 19, where he refers to the Torah as being added because of sin. What was added, and to what was it added? We know that the Torah pre-existed Mount Sinai. Many laws contained in the Torah were specified from the time of creation onward (e.g., the Sabbath, Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the dietary laws, and prohibitions against adultery, rape, murder, lying, etc.), as was the entirety of Torah with its various subsections (Gen 26:5 and 18:19). So obviously, Paul wasn’t referring to the Torah as known to men prior to its being given to Israel at Mount Sinai. What was then added to the Torah? The children of Israel were given the Torah as a legal system with penalties enforcing its violation. Israel was also given a Levitical priesthood system with an elaborate sacrificial system including numerous purification rites, all of which prefigured the sin-atoning death of Yeshua the Messiah on the cross.

The sacrificial system and Levitical system was added to the Torah until the Seed (of Abraham, i.e., Yeshua) should come to whom the promises were made (Gal 3:19). The Torah in its codified form became the national law or legal and judicial system of Israel when it became a nation at Mount Sinai. The Torah as expanded at Mount Sinai defined sin, prescribed the penalties for its violation, which involved an elaborate sacrificial system and purifications rites as administered by the Levitical priesthood. The purpose of this system was to show man what sin is, what he had do when he sinned to make atonement for his sin, and, as Paul shows us, this system pointed the way to Messiah who would once and for all pay the price for all of man’s sins by his atoning death on the cross. The Torah with its added systems, kept Israel walking (more or less) in righteousness (at least compared to the surrounding heathen nations), and preserved them so that there would be a nation from which the Messiah would eventually emerge in fulfillment of YHVH’s promises to Abraham about a Seed coming.

When the Messiah came, the part of the Torah that was added because of sin ceased to be needed; namely, the system of legal penalties, along with the sacrificial and Levitical systems — something the writer of Hebrews makes abundantly clear in Hebrews chapters seven through ten. Was the original Torah which delineates how one is to walk in righteousness in relationship to Elohim and one’s fellow man abolished? We’ll let Paul answer this question. He asks the question, “Do we make void the Torah through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the Torah” (Rom 3:31). Also, he declares, “Shall we sin [or violate the Torah] because we are not under [the penalty] of the law but under grace? Certainly not!” (Rom 6:15). We’ll also give Yeshua the opportunity to address the purpose of his mission. Was it to abolish the Torah? Absolutely not! In his omniscience, Yeshua foresaw those who would erroneously think this when he declared:

Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Torah till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:17–19)

Galatians 4:4–5

But when the fullness of the time was come, Elohim sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the Torah-law, to redeem them that were under the Torah-law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Explanation: In this passage, uses the term “under the law” twice — first in reference to Yeshua, the second in reference to believers. 

Earlier Paul says that before one comes to Messiah, he was like child enslaved to the elements (or principles) of this world (v. 3). He was in bondage to sin (i.e., to going contrary to the standards of righteousness as revealed in YHVH’s instructions in righteousness, his Word, the Torah, for sin is the violation of the Torah, 1 John 3:4). At that time, he naturally went with the flow of this world, which is in rebellion to YHVH and his ways. 

However, the Torah with its laws showing one how to walk in righteousness along with its penalties for violating those laws not only revealed one’s spiritual deficiency, but pointed one to Yeshua, who, in the fullness of time, was born of a woman under the penalty of the law. 

Was Yeshua born under the penalty of the law because he broke the Torah-law of Elohim? Not at all, for the Bible teaches that Yeshua was sinless. However, he put himself under the penalty of the law for humans’ sake that he might bear upon himself the wages of our sin, which is death. He literally became a sin offering to redeem sinful men from the penalty of the law by becoming an offering for sin (Isa 53:5–6, 10–12). By taking upon himself the penalty for our breaking the law, he redeemed us or took upon himself that death penalty (Gal 4:4–5) and thus redeemed us from the penalty of the law. This act of selfless love on Yeshua’s part paved the way not only for our redemption or salvation, but for us to become spiritual sons of Elohim and heirs of future glory in Elohim’s heavenly kingdom (Gal 4:6–7).

Galatians 4:21

Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

Explanation: The Jews in Paul’s day who glorified the Old Covenant with its stringent penalties imposed on humans when they violated the Torah were sadly misguided. The New Covenant that Yeshua initiated through his death on the cross frees those who place their faith in Yeshua from the Torah’s rigorous penalties as a result of sin. 

In essence, Paul is asking the question, why would anyone want to go back under the Old Covenant with its severe penalties, when one can be under the provisions of the New Covenant, and have one’s sins paid for by Yeshua, and be free of the bondage or weight of the Torah’s death penalty, which is like a sword hanging over one’s head by a thread (Gal 5:1)? 

Paul goes on to say that those who claim that circumcision (i.e., Torah-obedience) is a mandatory pre-requisite for salvation (Gal 5:3–5 cp. Acts 15:1), are, in essence, going back under the Old Covenant with its severe penalties, and are trusting in their own good works to save them instead of the grace of Elohim. Because of this mistaken belief, they have fallen from grace (Gal 5:3–5).

Galatians 5:18

But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Explanation: To understand this passage, let’s back up to verse 16 where Paul instructs the Galatians to walk in the Spirit of Elohim, and not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh. What are the lusts of the flesh? Doing that which comes naturally to the carnal, sinful man such as lust, adultery, lying, stealing, worshipping false gods, coveting, and so on. All these things are a violation of YHVH’s Torah-commands. 

In verse 18, Paul says that if one walks in accordance with YHVH’s Holy Spirit, then one won’t be sinning or violating the Torah, and thus coming under the penalty of the law when one violates it. One, instead, will be fulfilling the Torah by loving one’s neighbor as oneself, which is the fulfillment of the Torah (v. 14). Then in verses 19 through 21, Paul goes on to list the works of the flesh, all of which are violations of the Ten Commandments and the rest of YHVH’s Torah’s laws. He then lists the fruit of the Spirit (vv. 22–25), which are the summation and result of Torah-obedience (cp. Rom 13:8–10; John 14:15; 1 John 2:3–6).

So now what about verse 18? Very simply this. If we walk in accordance with the Spirit of Elohim that convicts us of sin (i.e., Torahlessness, John 16:9 cp. 1 John 3:4) and leads us away from sin (John 16:8) and into the truth of Yeshua who is the Living Torah-word and truth of Elohim (John 14:6; John 1:1, 14), we will be walking in YHVH’s Torah-truth (Ps 119:142, 151), and under YHVH’s grace if and when we sin. If we either don’t place our faith in Yeshua, or try to earn our own salvation by our good works, then we have failed to receive YHVH’s grace and have placed ourselves under the penalty of the law, which ultimately is death. This is a summation and the bottom line of Paul’s message in the Epistle to the Galatians!

Overview of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans—The Gospel, the Torah, & the Israelite Nation Reunited

The following overview of Romans is a radical departure from what the mainstream church teaches. Read it and see if what follows doesn’t unite the truth of the Bible from beginning to end, instead of pitting one section of the Bible against the other, which is approach the church typically takes when presenting the teachings of Paul.

The Main Themes of Romans

This is perhaps the only book in the Bible that is organized systematically like a theological textbook from beginning to end with each point leading to the next. This is not how biblical books are typically arranged.

In this epistle, there are several main themes.

• Pre-eminently, Elohim is the Just Judge of the universe to whom all are accountable (both Jews and Gentiles). This concept alone is huge, since most humans don’t want to believe they’re accountable to anyone except their own egos.

• The Torah is Elohim’s standard of righteousness by which he will judge the deeds of all men (both Jews and Gentiles) fairly. If people can accept the fact that there is a supreme Being to whom they’re accountable for their actions, then it’s a short next logical step to accept that such a Being (Elohim) has laws that man must follow if he’s not to run afoul of that Being.
• Next, Paul counters a religious system that purported to explain who that Being was and what he required of sinful man. This was Judaism. The problem is that Judaism had perverted the truth of Elohim into a racially exclusive, legalistic, works-based salvational system. Paul attempts to correct this error, and restore this religion to its original truth.
• Paul then presents the gospel message of salvation by grace through faith in Yeshua the Messiah is at the center of YHVH’s process to redeem sinful man.
• Before Elohim, the Creator of the universe, there is no racial inequality between Jews and Gentiles. Elohim isn’t a racist. All are equal before him. All are sinners, and all need Yeshua. 

Paul’s Epistle to the Romans keeps Yeshua and the gospel message front and center, yet at the same time Paul weaves together the good news of Yeshua with that of the righteous lifestyle of Torah-obedience. Together, these two messages form a beautiful tapestry-like picture encompassing the message of the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation — a message of the salvation of man resulting in his being reconciled to Elohim, and his becoming elevated to the spiritual status as a child of Elohim. This process occurs through man’s relationship with Yeshua the Messiah who is both the Written Torah incarnate.

Part 1 — Introduction: The Cornerstone of the Gospel Message

At the very beginning of his epistle, Paul carefully and boldly sets in place the cornerstone for what is to follow. He declares the preeminence of the gospel message and his submission to the lordship of Yeshua the Messiah and his unflinching mission to preach this truth.

1:1–17, The theme of Yeshua and the gospel message are front and center.

Part 2 — Putting Man in His Place

In this section, Paul climbs into the seat of his spiritual bulldozer and begins leveling the playing field between opposing groups of people by putting man in his rightful place before Elohim, who is the Just Judge of the universe. He first attacks the godless heathen for their refusal to submit to Elohim, even though the evidence pointing to the Creator is all around them. YHVH is justly angry that man is so spiritually blind.

1:18–32, Paul presents YHVH Elohim as the Just Judge of the universe. Even though men have been given the witness of the creation that clearly points them to Elohim the Creator (v. 20), men have rejected him and his truth giving themselves over to the sins of idolatry, sexual lewdness, and moral debauchery. The end results of such sin is the death penalty at the hands of a righteous and just Elohim (v. 32). 

Part 3 — The Torah Is Introduced

Before Paul can preach the message of the gospel with fruitful results, he next lowers the blade of his spiritual bulldozer against religious pride and hypocrisy. He begins to clear away some of the religious misconceptions that had arisen in his day that were hindering the spreading of the gospel. Men’s unbiblical traditions rooted in human pride and egotism were at the root of these problems.

Paul introduces the Torah-law as the standard by which YHVH as the Just Judge of the universe will judge all men.

2:1– 16, The righteousness of Elohim’s judgments are expanded upon. The Torah-law as the righteous standard by which Elohim will judge both the ungodly and the righteous is introduced (vv. 2, 8, 12–24). The goodness and mercy of Elohim is revealed (v. 4), but a day of judgment is still coming when all men will be held accountable for their sinful actions (v. 16). 

Part 4 — The Arrogance of Religious Men Is Brought Down

Now Paul zeroes in on the Jewish religious hypocrites and takes them to task for their arrogance in claiming to follow YHVH’s righteous Torah standards, when in reality they don’t. 

2:17–29, Paul then reprimands those Jews who proudly claimed to follow the Torah-law but didn’t practice it. Similarly, Paul criticizes the Jews who were proud of their self-righteousness because they were physically circumcised, but he declares that if they’re not circumcised in heart, it avails them nothing (vv. 25–29).

3:1–8, Although the Jews are a privileged people because Elohim gave them his Torah, they too will be judged if they fail to obey the Torah (vv. 1–8). Their disobedience doesn’t change Elohim’s righteous standard by which he will judge all men.

3:9–18, All men are sinners (violators of the Torah), both Jews and non-Jews (i.e. Greeks).

3:19–23, Paul then introduces the concept that sin is the violation of the Torah, and that by the deeds of the law no man is justified (made right) in the sight of Elohim.

Part 5 — Salvation Is by Grace Through Faith

Salvation by faith has always been YHVH’s path of redemption for men, as Paul proves by citing historical precedence from the book of Genesis. Abraham was saved by grace through faith, and not by his righteous works, when he came into a right spiritual relationship with YHVH.

3:24–31, Next, Paul introduces the concept of being justified freely by Elohim’s grace through the redemption that occurred via the shed blood of Yeshua in which men must have faith. Man is not saved from his sins (and YHVH’s judgment against sin—as Paul outlines in chapters one and two) by the good deeds of Torah-obedience. Even though we aren’t saved from the penalty of sin by the good deeds of Torah-obedience but rather by faith in Yeshua, man still needs to follow the righteous standards of the Torah (v. 31).

4:1–23, Abraham believed in Elohim and it was accounted to him for righteousness long before there is any mention of his being circumcised or keeping the Torah.

Part 6 — Summary Up to This Point

Next Paul summarizes the main points of the gospel message that he has made thus far. 

5:1–11, Having established, up to this point…

• that Elohim is the Just Judge,
• that man is sinful,
• that Torah is the standard which defines sin and righteousness,
• that Torah obedience can’t atone for man’s sin,
• that redemption from the penalty of sin occurs only by YHVH’s grace and through faith in Yeshua whose shed blood atones for man’s sin,

Paul goes on to explain that since man’s sinfulness has been legally dealt with, man can now enter into a spiritual relationship with Elohim (called reconciliation, v. 11). Through this process, the love of Elohim is revealed to men (vv. 5–8).

Part 7 — The Second Adam

The salvation of man from his sin has been part of YHVH’s plan of redemption of sinful man from the very beginning.

5:12–21, Paul now presents the concept of Yeshua being the Second Adam. As the first Adam led men into sin and separation from Elohim, Yeshua lived a sin-free life and through faith in him, men can be reconciled back into a loving relationship with Elohim. Furthermore, one reason that YHVH gave man his Torah is so that man’s sinfulness would be clearly delineated, thus paving the way for eternal life through Yeshua.

Part 8 — Grace Isn’t Torahlessness as Pictured by Baptism

Next Paul counters the concept that somehow grace can be misconstrued as license to sin (i.e.to violate the Torah).

6:1–14, Just because those who have placed their faith in Yeshua have been forgiven of their sins doesn’t mean that they can continue to sin (i.e. violate the Torah, vv. 1–2). Sin must be a thing of the past for those who have faith in Yeshua and who are now united with him spiritually. Paul shows how the ritual of baptism for the remission of sins is a picture of man’s uniting with Yeshua’s death, burial and resurrection. As such, the baptized individual is now to view his old sinful man as having died in the watery grave, and now has been “resurrected” out of that watery “grave.” The baptized person is to view himself as having a new spiritual life in Yeshua as he endeavors to become like him (vv. 3–11). As such, he’s to turn from his former sinful lifestyle, and follow YHVH’s standards of righteous (as outlined in the Torah, vv. 12–14). 

6:15–23, Paul next asks a question. Even though redeemed men have been set free from (or are no longer under) the penalty of lawlessness, which is death, by the grace of Elohim, shall he continue in sin (lawlessness)? “Elohim forbid!” is Paul’s emphatic response to his own question (v. 15). This is the second time he has made this important point in this chapter (see vv. 1–2). If we sin, he asks, doesn’t this make us a slave to sin? How can this be if we have been set free from sinfulness and the penalty of sin, which is death (vv. 18, 23)? Become instead, Paul urges us, a slave to righteousness (i.e. Torah-obedience, v. 19), which leads to eternal life (v. 23).

Part 9 — Yeshua Set Us Free from the Penalty of Sin, Not from Torah–Obedience

Paul continues to make the point that just because one is set free from sin, one isn’t free to continue sinning; that is, we cannot go on flaunting the Torah.

7:1–6, To illustrate his point, Paul then presents an allegory from the Torah. When a husband dies, his wife is free to remarry, for she is no longer legally bound to her husband. If she remarries, she’s not guilty of the sin of adultery. When we sinned, we were like that adulterous woman, but since Yeshua died in our place, taking upon himself the death penalty for our spiritual adultery, and through him our old man is dead and we’ve become a new creation, we’re now free to remarry without incurring the wages of sin (Torahlessness), which is death.

7:7–25, Just because the law pointed out our sin doesn’t mean that the law is itself evil, affirms Paul. Similarly, just because we are sinful by nature doesn’t make the Torah evil because it defines sin. What is evil is our sin nature that dwells in us, which constantly fights against our spirit that wants to do right by obeying YHVH’s Torah (vv. 13–21), and not the Torah, which is good and spiritual (or eternal, vv. 12, 14).

Part 10 — The Reality and Victory of Walking in Spiritual Freedom

Paul turns a corner in this chapter and begins to show what the victorious walk of the redeemed believer should look like.

8:1–39, Now that he has dealt with the justice of Elohim, the sinfulness of man, the righteous standards of the Torah, the grace of Elohim, the new spiritual life in Yeshua, and the difficulty one faces in struggling against sin, he opens up before us a new world of spiritual possibilities through Yeshua the Messiah. In this chapter, he talks about walking in the Spirit and being free form the law of sin and death through Yeshua (vv. 1–11). Through the power of the Set–Apart Spirit, the believer can walk in victory over sin, and enter into the deepest relationship as spiritual sons of Elohim leading to eternal life (vv. 14–26). It is the Set–Apart Spirit that helps us in all aspects of our spiritual walk including…

• helping us to overcome the weaknesses of our sinful flesh nature (v. 26),
• helping us how to pray (v. 26),
• interceding for us (vv. 26–27).

The child of Elohim can rest assured knowing that he is in Elohim’s protective care as he is preparing him for ultimate glorified sonship in the family of Elohim by conforming him into the image of Yeshua (vv. 28–30). With these factors in the believer’s favor, how can the child of Elohim lose in the battle against the world, the flesh and devil? After all, he has…

• YHVH’s Set–Apart Spirit helping him (vv. 26–27),

• YHVH directing his life making all things work out for him (v. 28),
• YHVH conforming him to the image of Yeshua his Son (v. 29),
• the divine calling of Elohim (vv. 28, 30),
• YHVH’s free gift of salvation (vv. 30, 32, 33),
• the love of Elohim (v.v 31, 37),
• the resurrection power of Yeshua (v. 34),
• and Yeshua at the right hand of Elohim interceding for him (v. 34).

It is for this reason that Paul can make the victorious declarations that if Elohim is for us, who can be against us, and that we are more than conquerors through Elohim who loves us (vv. 31, 37)! Therefore what could possibly separate the believer from the love of Yeshua the Messiah (vv. 38–39)?

Part 11 — There Is No Racial Inequality or Prejudice in YHVH’s Plan of Salvation

Paul begins to bring down the middle wall of partition that was still separating the Jews and Gentiles. Only by the removal of this man-imposed barrier can the elimination of strife or division within the family of the redeemed of YHVH occur. 

9:1–29, Now that Paul has laid out the gospel message of salvation through Yeshua the Messiah, he turns another corner and focuses on his desire to share this message with his fellow Jews who have yet to accept Yeshua (vv. 1–5). 

However, the Jews’ rejection of the gospel has paved the way for this message to go to the Gentiles (vv. 6–24) until the fullness of the Gentiles (see Rom 11:12, 25 cp. Gen 48:19) comes to faith in the Messiah (vv. 25–29). Interestingly, Paul goes on to equate the Gentiles with the lost sheep of the house of Israel when he quotes Hosea’s and Isaiah’s prophecies (vv. 25–29). 

9:30–33, Paul then begins to chip away at the racial prejudice and disparity that existed between the Jews and Gentiles in that the former made the latter feel like second-class citizens, since they weren’t “the chosen people.” He shows that the Gentiles can have righteousness (through faith in Yeshua), even though they didn’t obtain it through a knowledge of and obedience to the Torah (v. 30). 

At the same time, the Jews didn’t attain righteousness through the works of the law (as he has already explained in chapters three and four, v. 32). 

Paul is, in effect, further leveling the playing field between the Jews and the Gentiles, so that they will unite in love through faith in Yeshua the Messiah and become the one new man (Eph 2:11–19) where there is neither Jew or Greek (i.e. Gentile, Rom 10:12; Gal 3:28; Col 3:11).

Part 12 — Yeshua and the Torah: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Paul next shows how the concept of Yeshua, salvation and the Torah are inter-related and indivisible concepts that work together in the life of the saint.

10:1–21, With a pleading heart, Paul again reiterates his desire for the Jews to come to know Yeshua the Messiah (vv. 1–3). 

He then goes on to show how the Torah points to Yeshua who, in bodily form, is the ultimate expression and end goal of the Torah (v. 10). 

Paul than quotes Deuteronomy 30:12–14 with regard to the Torah, but, in the place where Moses uses the word Torah, Paul substitutes the word Messiah. In Paul’s mind, the Written Torah and Yeshua the Living Torah are synonymous (vv. 5–8). After all, John in his Gospel states that Yeshua is the Word of Elohim that was made flesh (John 1:1, 14), and what Paul writes simply confirms what John states. 

Paul then goes on to write the phrases that the mainstream modern church often has new converts recite (almost like a mantra) “to receive salvation” (vv. 9–10). However, far from being a formula for “getting saved,” Paul seems to be saying that if you have faith in and pursue the Written Torah, then it will lead one automatically to faith and belief in Yeshua the Living Torah-Word of Elohim to which the Torah of Moses pointed, and of which Yeshua is the full expression and the end-goal or target (v. 10). To believe in Yeshua not only leads to salvation, but it also involves in believing (and obeying) his word (see John 14:15) resulting in salvation for both Jews and Gentiles (vv. 12–13). It is for this reason that the gospel message must be preached (vv. 15–18) even though the Jews have largely rejected it (v. 16). 

At this point, Paul again quotes a prophecy from the Tanakh pertaining to the house of Israel (the northern kingdom or northern ten tribes of Israel) and unequivocally equates those ancient Israelites to the Gentiles of his day (vv. 19–21).

Part 13 — The Fullness of the Gentiles Grafted In

YHVH’s plan of salvation is all-inclusive and is open to all the nations of the world (i.e. the Gentiles).

11:1–36, Even though in chapters nine and ten Paul expresses his deep sadness that more Jews hadn’t come to faith in Yeshua, he explains that the Jews’ rejection of the gospel wasn’t final. This is all part of YHVH’s plan of salvation that includes many more people than just the Jews. Through their spiritual blindness (v. 25), salvation has come to the Gentiles (v. 11) who, as a result, will be grafted into the olive tree, which represents the nation of Israel (vv. 16–24), so that the fullness of the Gentiles will come to faith in the Elohim of Abraham as promised under the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen 48:19). In this sense, the gospel message has become like a huge fishnet,which as been cast into the sea of humanity to catch many spiritual fish among the nations. These “fish” will become grafted into the nation of Israel, and become sons of Abraham (Gal 3:28), and children of Elohim (John 1:12), as well, through Yeshua the Messiah. Again, Paul borrows prophetic terms from the prophet Hosea when prophesying about the northern kingdom of Israel (e.g. “obtained mercy” etc. vv. 30–32 cp. Hos 1:6 and 2:1), and Paul applies these terms to his Gentile audience.

Part 14 — The Believer’s Spiritual Walk: What It Should Look Like

Paul begins to show how the righteous redeemed should walk out their faith.

12:1–21, Walking out our faith within the body of Yeshua. Now that Paul has presented the gospel message and leveled the playing field between Jews and non-Jews, he moves to the next stage of spiritual development for the redeemed believers: relationship among fellow believers. What should be some fundamental aspects of spiritual life within the community of believers in Yeshua? What does the walk of righteousness look like? The most important thing is to become like Yeshua by laying one’s life down in sacrificial service to one’s brother (vv. 1–2). After that, be a vessel through which the gifts of the Set-Apart Spirit can flow as we serve one another (vv. 3–8). Walk in love for one another including one’s enemies (vv. 9–21).

13:1–7, Obedience to civil authorities. In this chapter, Paul continues the theme of the righteous walk when he states that believers should submit to the civil authorities (vv. 1–7). 

13:8–10, Love is the fulfilling of the Torah-law. Paul continues admonishing us to love our neighbor by fulfilling YHVH’s Torah-commands, and he specifically lists the last five of the Ten Commandments as examples of how to do this (vv. 8–10). 

Next, Paul summarizes what he believes should be the walk of the redeemed righteous by offering a general admonition to believers to awake spiritually, come out of the spiritual darkness of this world, and to put off the sinful works of darkness and to follow Yeshua (vv. 11–14).

Next Paul concludes his epistle by showing how the saints should treat each other. The love of the brethren, as Yeshua taught, will be the identifying mark of the true saints.

14:1–15:3, Walking out our faith toward weaker spiritual brothers. Paul next addresses potential problems that might arise within the fellowship of believers that could cause strife, division and offense. He shows how to deal with weaker brothers, offenses, and how to walk in forbearance and love one for another (vv. 1–18). He then offers a general admonition for believers to walk in peace, edify each other, and do nothing that will cause one’s brother to become offended or to stumble spiritually (vv. 19–23).

The first six verses of chapter 15 are a continuation of the thoughts of the previous chapter. Here Paul admonishes those who are strong (or mature) spiritually to support and even to lay down their lives in love for those who are weak spiritually after the example of Yeshua (vv. 1–3). 

15:4–13, Finally, he urges believers to be like-minded and to walk together in unity in worship of Elohim and Yeshua (vv. 4–6). In doing this, Elohim will be glorified (v. 7), and the Gentiles will come to faith resulting in their glorifying Elohim as well (vv. 9–13).

Part 15 —Conclusion: Final Admonitions, Warnings and Salutations

15:14–16:27, In this final chapter, Paul closes his letter by discussing his ministry of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles (vv. 14–21), and his desire to visit Rome (vv. 22–33).

Paul offers greetings to various individuals along with some final admonitions. He warns against those who cause division and strife and gives some brief instructions on what to do with them (vv. 17–18). He closes this chapter and the book with a prayer of blessing (vv. 25–27).