The Law and Sin

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, (A)I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if (B)the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, (C)seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. (D)For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment (E)that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, (F)seizing an opportunity through the commandment, (G)deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So (H)the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Read full chapter

The function of the Law

So what are we going to say? That the Law is sin? Absolutely not! But I wouldn’t have known sin except through the Law. I wouldn’t have known the desire for what others have if the Law had not said, Don’t desire to take what others have.[a] But sin seized the opportunity and used this commandment to produce all kinds of desires in me. Sin is dead without the Law. I used to be alive without the Law, but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life, 10 and I died. So the commandment that was intended to give life brought death. 11 Sin seized the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me, and killed me. 12 So the Law itself is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.

Read full chapter