Sin Before the Law in Romans Five
The Apostle Paul's statement in Romans 5:13, "For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed where there is no law," addresses the nature of sin and its relationship to divine legislation. This passage indicates that sin was present and active in the world even before the Mosaic Law was given [3].
The phrase "until the law" refers to the period from Adam's transgression up to the giving of the Law of Moses [3]. During this time, humanity committed various actual sins, and the general corruption of nature was evident [2]. The sin of Adam, and the guilt associated with it, was already in the world and affected all people, leading to condemnation [2, 4].
The assertion that "sin is not imputed where there is no law" does not mean that sin was absent or that God did not hold people accountable. Rather, it implies that a form of law must have existed during this period for sin to be imputed [3]. The presence of sin necessitates the existence of some form of divine standard or command against which it is measured. As Augustine notes, the "letter which forbids sin fails to give man life, but rather 'killeth,' by increasing concupiscence, and aggravating sinfulness by transgression" [6].
John Calvin explains that the law serves as a mirror, revealing the stains of sin that might otherwise remain hidden. He cites the Apostle's statement, "I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet," to illustrate how the law brings hidden vices to light [5]. Even if sin's dominion is destroyed in believers, its remains survive, serving to humble them [7].
Therefore, while the Mosaic Law later provided a specific and detailed codification of God's will, sin existed prior to it as a transgression against an inherent or earlier revealed divine standard. The Law's arrival, as Romans 5:20 states, caused "the fault [to] abound," highlighting the extent of human sinfulness [1].
Sources
- Romans “Romans 5:20 (Rotherham) — Law, however, gained admission, in order that the fault might abound, but, where the sin abounded, the favour greatly superabounded:”
- Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 5:13: For until the law, sin was in the world,.... This is a proof of sin's having entered into the world, by one man's transgression of the positive law of God, which forbid him the eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; since it was in the world before the law of Moses was given: the sin of Adam and the guilt of that were in the world before, and came upon all men to condemnation; the general corruption of nature appeared before; and actual sins, and transgressions of all sorts were committed before; as by the immediate posterity of Adam, by the me”
- Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 5:13: For until the law sin was in the world--that is during all the period from Adam "until the law" of Moses was given, God continued to treat men as sinners. but sin is not imputed where there is no law--"There must therefore have been a law during that period, because sin was then imputed"; as is now to be shown.”
- Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 5:12: Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world,.... The design of these words, and of the following, is to show how men came to be in the condition before described, as "ungodly", Rom 5:6, "sinners", Rom 5:8, and "enemies", Rom 5:10; and to express the love of Christ in the redemption of them; and the largeness of God's grace to all sorts of men: the connection of them is with Rom 5:11, by which it appears that the saints have not only an expiation of sin by the blood of Christ, but a perfect righteousness, by which they are justified in the sight of God; and the ”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 43: he teems with innumerable vices of which he formerly seemed free. The recesses in which concupiscence lies hid are so deep and tortuous that they easily elude our view; and hence the Apostle had good reason for saying, “I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” For, if it be not brought forth from its lurkingplaces, it miserably destroys in secret before its fatal sting is discerned. 7. Thus the Law is a kind of mirror. As in a mirror we discover any stains upon our face, so in the Law we behold, first, ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 25. -- THE PASSAGE IN ROMANS. (part 1): Now carefully consider this entire passage, and see whether it says anything about circumcision, or the Sabbath, or anything else pertaining to a foreshadowing sacrament. Does not its whole scope amount to this, that the letter which forbids sin fails to give man life, but rather "killeth," by increasing concupiscence, and aggravating sinfulness by transgression, unless indeed grace liberates us by the law of faith, which is in Christ Jesus, when His love is "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, whic”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 58: of sin. In regenerating his people God indeed accomplishes this much for them; he destroys the dominion of sin, 312 312 Latin, “Reatus.”—the imputation of sin. by supplying the agency of the Spirit, which enables them to come off victorious from the contest. Sin, however, though it ceases to reign, ceases not to dwell in them. Accordingly, though we say that the old man is crucified, and the law of sin is abolished in the children of God ( Rom. 6:6 ), the remains of sin survive, not to have dominion, but to humble them under a cons”