Readings for Lent and Easter

The Function of the Law.^{[a] 7} What then should we say? That the Law is sinful? Absolutely not! Yet if it had not been for the Law, I would not have known what sin was. I would not have known what covet is if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” ⁸ But sin seized the opportunity offered by the commandment and produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the Law, sin is dead.

⁹ I lived apart from the Law, but when the commandment came, sin came to life, ¹⁰ and I died. The commandment that was for life proved to be death for me. ¹¹ For sin, seizing an opportunity offered by the commandment, deceived me,^[b] and through it killed me. ¹² And so the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good.

¹³ Did what is good, then, cause my death? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as such, it brought about my death through what is good, and therefore through the commandment sin became completely sinful.

¹⁴ Sin and Death. We clearly understand that the Law is spiritual, but I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin.