Purpose of the Law

¹⁹ What purpose then does the law serve? ^(A)It was added because of transgressions, till the ^(B)Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ^(C)appointed through angels by the hand ^(D)of a mediator.

Sin’s Advantage in the Law

⁷ What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, ^(A)I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, ^(B)“You shall not covet.” ⁸ But ^(C)sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For ^(D)apart from the law sin was dead. ⁹ I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. ¹⁰ And the commandment, ^(E)which was to bring life, I found to bring death. ¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. ¹² Therefore ^(F)the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

Law Cannot Save from Sin

¹³ Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.

^53 (A)who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”

¹⁶ Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of ^(A)one, ^(B)“And to your Seed,” who is ^(C)Christ.

² For if the word ^(A)spoken through angels proved steadfast, and ^(B)every transgression and disobedience received a just ^[a]reward,