The purpose of the law is to bring the knowledge of sin and make all the world guilty before God—not to justify anyone.
Romans 3:19–20 states that the law speaks to those under it so that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God, and that by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Les Feldick emphasizes that the law was never intended to save even the Jew; its only purpose was to condemn and reveal man's sinful nature.
Romans 3:19 — The law stops every mouth and makes all the world guilty before God—this is the law's designed effect.
Romans 3:20 — It gives the purpose explicitly: by the law is the knowledge of sin, and no flesh is justified by deeds of the law.
Romans 3:19 says, 'Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.' The next verse states the conclusion: 'Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.' These verses frame the law not as a way to be made right with God, but as the instrument that reveals sin and leaves the whole world guilty. Romans 5:20 adds that the law entered 'that the offence might abound,' and Romans 7:12 clarifies that 'the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.' The law's own nature is good; it exposes what is wrong in man.
Les Feldick teaches that the law in Romans—especially Romans 3—refers at its core to the Ten Commandments, although it also includes the whole system of civil, ceremonial, and moral law given to Israel. The law's only purpose in Scripture, as Les states repeatedly, is to give the knowledge of sin. The Ten Commandments show 'old Adam' what he really is: bent to idolatry, blasphemy, envy, thievery, and every sinful habit the law prohibits. Les stresses that the law was never intended to save anyone—it could not even save a Jew. Its role is to condemn the whole world, stop every mouth, and bring every person in as guilty before God. Les even calls the law 'a ministration of death.' At the same time, he acknowledges that the Ten Commandments themselves are holy, just, and good, and that their purpose is to convict—not to justify.
Les says the answer to who was under the law is the Jew—the nation of Israel. God gave Israel the law printed on tables of stone, along with the whole system of religious, ritual, civil, and ceremonial law, with the Ten Commandments at the heart. Yet the moral law did not stop with Israel. Romans 3:19 says the law speaks so 'that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.' Les emphasizes that the law reaches every human being, but always to condemn, never to save.
Les explains that when Paul says 'by the deeds of the law,' the phrase refers to the keeping of the Ten Commandments. No flesh—Jew or Gentile—will be justified in God's sight by that. The reason is simple: the law has nothing in it to save. Its purpose is the knowledge of sin.
Les says most people think the law entered so that God could get control of sinful men or so men could control their own habits and desires. He says that is not the case. Romans 5:20 says the law entered 'that the offence might abound.' The law's entrance made the offence visible and abundant, consistent with its purpose of revealing sin.
No. Les points to Romans 7:12: 'Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.' The law is not what is evil; what the law reveals about man's sinful nature is the problem. Les says old Adam had blinded Saul to the true purpose of the law, which was to convict him. The law's role is to give the knowledge of sin, yet the law itself is good.
The Law's Scope and the Heart of the Ten Commandments
Les identifies the Jew as the one under the law and clarifies that the whole law included civil, ceremonial, and moral systems, with the Ten Commandments at its heart.
The Law's Only Purpose: Knowledge of Sin
Les says the law's only purpose is the knowledge of sin; the Ten Commandments simply showed 'old Adam' how he actually operates—bent toward every thing the law forbids.
The Deeds of the Law and the Ten Commandments
Les explains that Paul's phrase 'by the deeds of the law' in Romans 3:20 means the keeping of the Ten Commandments, and by that no flesh is justified before God.
The Law Was Given to Condemn, Not Save
Les states that the only purpose of the law was to make all the world guilty and show man that he is a sinner; the law had nothing in it to save.
Every Mouth Stopped and All the World Guilty
Les says that although the law speaks to Israel, its power stops every mouth and makes the whole world guilty before God; by deeds of law no flesh is justified, and the law was a ministration of death.
The Law Reaches Everyone to Condemn, Not Save
Les teaches that the moral law reached every human being, but it was never intended to save even a Jew—its role was to show guilt and condemn.
The Law Entered That the Offence Might Abound
Les challenges the common assumption that the law was given to control sin; instead he points to Romans 5:20 that the law entered so the offence might abound.
The Law's True Purpose Is to Convict
Les says the true purpose of the law was to convict, because the law gives the knowledge of sin—even as he affirms the law itself is holy, just, and good.
Romans 3:19: Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
This verse shows the law's aim: every mouth stopped and all the world guilty before God.
Romans 3:20: Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
This is the central answer: the law gives knowledge of sin and cannot justify.
Romans 5:20: Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
It explains why the law came in historically—to multiply the offence, not to provide a way of self-improvement.
Romans 7:12: Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
It preserves the law's good character while its purpose remains to expose sin.
Romans 3:19-20 says the law stops every mouth, makes all the world guilty, and gives the knowledge of sin. Les Feldick emphasizes that the law has only this purpose—it condemns; it does not save.
The law was given to Israel, but Romans 3:19 says all the world becomes guilty before God. Les says the moral law, especially the Ten Commandments, reaches every human being to show guilt and condemn, never to save.
Because the law only gives the knowledge of sin; it cannot remove sin. Les says the law has nothing in it to save—it was never intended to justify even a Jew.
Romans 7:12 says the law is holy, just, and good. The law is good, but its role is to reveal man's sin. As Les teaches, the law shows 'old Adam' what he is really like, and that cannot justify anyone.
Watch the Teaching: Why the Law Can't Save You — Romans 3:19-20 Explained