Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible














What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Certainly not. On the contrary I should not have become acquainted with sin had it not been for the Law; for except the Law had repeatedly said, "Thou shalt not lust," I should never have known the sin of lust. But when sin had gained a vantage-ground, by means of the commandment, it stirred up within me all manner of lust; for where there is no law, sin is dead. Once I lived apart from the Law, myself; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died; read more.
and the very commandment which should have meant life, this I found to mean death. For sin, when it had gained a vantage-ground through the commandment, beguiled me, and through it slew me. So then the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Did then that which was good become for me death? Never! but sin did; that it might be manifest as sin, by that the unutterable malignity of sin might become plain through the commandment. For we know that the Law is spiritual; but as for me, I am a creature of flesh, bought and sold under the dominion of sin. For what I perform I know not; what I practise is not what I intend to do, but what I detest, that I habitually do. If then I habitually do what I do not intend to do, I am consenting to the Law, that it is right.

To what purpose, then, was the Law? It was imposed later for the sake of transgressions, until the "Offspring" should come to whom the promise had been made. It was arranged through angels by the hand of a mediator. (Now a mediator implies more than one person, but God is only one.) Is the Law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not; for if a law had been given which could make alive, then righteousness would actually have come from law; read more.
but the Scripture has shut up the whole world in prison together under sin, in order that the promise due to faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who have faith. Before the Faith came we were perpetual prisoners under the Law, in preparation for the destined faith about to be revealed. So the Law has been our tutor-slave our pedagogue to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith; but now that the Faith is come, we are no longer under a tutor-slave. You are all sons of God through your faith in Jesus Christ. For all of you who were baptized into Christ, have clothed yourselves with Christ. In him there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are the descendants of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.