Why is sin not counted where there is no law according to Romans 5:13? Biblical Text “For sin was in the world before the law was given; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.” (Romans 5:13) Immediate Context: Romans 5:12-21 Paul contrasts two federal heads: Adam, through whom sin and death entered, and Christ, through whom righteousness and life are offered. Verse 13 sits inside Paul’s proof that death’s universality shows the universality of sin, even in the era prior to Sinai. The Greek Verb ἐλλογέω (ellogéō) – “To Charge to One’s Account” Rare in Scripture, ἐλλογέω is a bookkeeping term (cf. Philemon 18). Paul is saying that, in the absence of a codified Law, God did not “post the charge” to the individual’s personal ledger in the same covenantal way He later did with Israel. What Paul Means by “Law” (νόμος, nomos) 1. The Mosaic covenantal legislation given at Sinai (primary sense here). 2. A broader moral “law written on the heart” (Romans 2:14-15). Verse 13 focuses on the first sense: the Sinai code that created an identifiable transgression (Romans 4:15). From Adam to Moses: The Historical Window • Adam receives a direct command (Genesis 2:16-17). • Between Eden and Sinai, no nation yet possessed a divine, written legal corpus. • Yet Genesis records constant moral failure (e.g., the Flood, Babel, Sodom), proving sin’s presence. Archaeologically, tablets from Nuzi, Mari, and the Law of Hammurabi (c. 1750 BC) show human awareness of morality but not the revealed holiness standard Yahweh gave at Sinai. Sin’s Universal Reality Before Sinai Death reigned (Romans 5:14). Anthropology confirms a continuous burial record with ritual grief; Scripture interprets that death as the “wage of sin” (Romans 6:23). Why “Sin Is Not Counted” Without the Law 1. Legal Category: A formal statute is required for a chargeable offense (Romans 4:15). 2. Covenant Jurisdiction: The Mosaic Law constituted Israel as God’s theocratic nation; Gentiles before Moses were never under that covenant’s penalties. 3. Epistemic Clarity: Sinai turned vague conscience into explicit prohibition, magnifying culpability (Romans 7:7-13). 4. Pastoral Point: Paul is not denying guilt but distinguishing between (a) original sin imputed through Adam, and (b) personal transgressions against a codified Law. Death as the Empirical Proof of Sin’s Presence Human mortality, reaching even infants and the mentally disabled, verifies inherited corruption. Modern genetic entropy models document accumulating mutation loads, echoing Genesis 3’s curse. Connection to Romans 2:14-15—Natural Law Still Convicts Gentiles “do instinctively what the Law requires,” showing conscience can still accuse. Hence there remains real liability even when Mosaic statutes are absent, though the accounting is by conscience, not Sinai’s scroll. Original Sin and Federal Headship Adam’s single act is imputed to all (Romans 5:18). Likewise, Christ’s righteousness is imputed to believers. Paul’s contrast demands both imputations operate on the same legal principle. Purpose of the Mosaic Law • To define sin explicitly (Romans 3:20). • To increase trespass (Romans 5:20) so grace might abound. • To tutor Israel to Christ (Galatians 3:24). Early Jewish and Christian Witness • 4QMMT (Dead Sea Scrolls) illustrates Second-Temple concern for precise law-keeping. • Church Fathers (e.g., Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. 3.18) read Romans 5 as grounding universal sin in Adam. Common Questions Addressed • Is God unjust? No; He judges each era by the revelation granted (Acts 17:30-31). • What about infants? Adamic guilt explains death; personal sin is not yet imputed, consistent with David’s hope in 2 Samuel 12:23. • Aren’t Gentiles today without the Law? The Gospel has gone global; rejection of Christ now incurs greater accountability (John 3:18-19). Practical and Pastoral Implications 1. Evangelism: Show that death’s universality points to inherited sin and the need for a Second Adam. 2. Discipleship: Teach believers to rejoice that, though the Law counts every violation, Christ fulfilled it (Matthew 5:17). 3. Worship: Magnify grace—where the Law exposes, Christ covers. Conclusion Romans 5:13 states that, prior to Sinai, God did not post each individual’s sins to a covenantal ledger because no codified Law stood to define and prosecute them. Nonetheless, the reign of death proves sin was present, inherited from Adam. The Mosaic Law later provided the prosecutorial clarity that drives sinners to the only remedy—justification through the risen Christ. |
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