Proverbs are succinct, memorable phrases of wisdom, and often carry weight beyond their few words. The ancient Hebrew scriptures took proverbs and turned them into an art form by themselves. They are almost always double-barreled, containing parallel or contrasting thoughts. Especially in the Old Testament book of Proverbs, they serve as spiritual compasses, guiding behavior and belief.
I’m sure you know and have probably have used the phrase “Pride goes before a fall.” But the full proverb, found in Proverbs 16:18, says, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall” (NLT). The repetition emphasizes the cause and consequence: pride leads directly to downfall. The book of Psalms often uses this same double repetition formula of cause and consequence to express the Psalmist’s thoughts: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” Psalm 23:1 (KJV). “I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there?” Psalm 1211:1 (NLT)
The New Testament also contains its own set of double repetition proverbs. Paul, when writing to the churches oftens draws on this Jewish literary heritage. For example, in his letter to the Romans he writes, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Romans 3:23 (NLT); and, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NLT)
These verses form a kind of “double double,” offering two twin truths: first, humanity’s universal guilt and spiritual failure; second, the consequence of sin and the radical generosity of God’s solution.
To “fall short” implies there is a mark, a target, a standard against which we can be measured. According to Paul, that standard is the glory of God. But how is that glory measured? What metric reveals how far we’ve fallen? The answer is found in the law—specifically, the Ten Commandments. In Romans 7:7, Paul writes, “It was the law that showed me my sin.”(NLT) Those Commandments, given in Exodus 20, define righteousness in terms of human behavior: “You must not steal. You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not covet…” These commands are not arbitrary; they reflect God’s own holy character.
When we measure ourselves against these divine standards, we inevitably fall short. James 2:10 adds weight to this: “For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.”(NLT)
God’s standard is perfection—His own glory. Even the most moral among us cannot hope to meet it by our own effort.
So Romans 3:23 is not so much a condemnation as it is a diagnosis: There are no double standards with God; He is consistent and impartial. All have sinned—no exceptions, no favoritism.
But the second part of Paul’s “double double” offers hope beyond measure: “But the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, NLT). If sin earns death, then life is given freely—not earned, but granted. So what does this “gift” look like? What is the standard for this divine life?
Here, Paul offers a different measurement—not of law, but of transformation. In Galatians 5:22–23, he describes the fruit of the Spirit: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”(NLT) These are not legal requirements, but living evidence of God’s presence. While the Ten Commandments diagnose sin, the fruit of the Spirit testifies to salvation and transformation that brings us closer to expressing the glory of God.
The contrast is striking. The law condemns, but the Spirit produces life. The law is external, carved in stone. The Spirit is internal, written on hearts. In 2 Corinthians 3:6, Paul writes, “He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.” (NLT)
Paul’s double-double proverbs are two sides of the same coin. The law reveals the justice of God; the Spirit reveals the grace of God. One measures our failure, the other empowers our transformation.
It’s fitting, then, that Paul concludes Romans 8:1–2 with this assurance: “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”(NLT)
We were once judged by the standard of law, but now we are guided by the gracious standard of life in the Spirit.
The double-barreled proverbs of Scripture serve not only to teach, but to invite. They reveal both problem and promise, failure and faith. And ultimately, they point us not to our own goodness, but to God’s unchanging righteousness and redeeming love.
Blessings on you and yours, Jim Black
P.S. if you’d like to read previous ruminations of mine they can be found at https://www.salvationarmyconcordca.org/chronicle/?category=Bible%20Study