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"Sin was in the world..."

Text: Romans 5:13

TRACING THE PATH OF SIN

Paul traced the path of sin as it made its way into the world. He acknowledged that sin came through Adam. Let us ponder the next statement about sin.

“For until the law sin was in the world,
but sin is not imputed when there is no law.”

Romans 5:13

1. Did sin exist before the promulgation of the law?

The simple and straightforward answer is “yes!”

a) Sin existed from the time of Adam.

b) Sin continued to exist in the world after Adam.

c) Death is the symbolic confirmation of the penalty of sin (Cf. Genesis 2:17).

2. How do we understand the phrase “until the law”?

a) Paul first introduced the subject of sin through Adam (Cf. Romans 5:12).

b) This period of time was before the law was given.

c) This phrase is rendered “until the law came”.

d) The emphasis is made only because Paul wanted to draw attention to the law.

3. The period when no codified law was given

a) There was such a period of time.

b) This period of time lasted from Adam to Moses.

4. Sin is not imputed when there is no law

a) This is a logical statement of fact.

b) Sin could not be clearly classified before the law was given.

c) Sin was still sin though and sin still resulted in death.

d) The idea of “not imputing” is that of God not reckoning with man the full weight of his sin, since the particular nature of that sin had not been articulated and codified.