"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead." - Romans 7:7-8
[i]...sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence[/i]
I remember speaking once with a small group of men about the Law and the Gospel and taking them through some of the commandments. When we had looked at the 7th commandment and how that you can break it by looking upon someone to lust, one of them said something to the effect of 'you watch, now that you've brought this up, I'm going to be doing it all the time.'
You know, in his own words, I think he had described what Paul was talking about here.
Look at how some other translations render this verse
-- American Standard Romans 7:8 but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin is dead.
-- Living Bible Romans 7:8 But sin used this law against evil desires by reminding me that such desires are wrong and arousing all kinds of forbidden desires within me! Only if there were no laws to break would there be no sinning.
-- Revised Standard Romans 7:8 But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, wrought in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead.
-- Simple English Romans 7:8 Sin took the chance to use the command to make me want all kinds of things which didn't belong to me, because without law, sin is dead.
- Young's Bible Romans 7:8 'Thou shalt not covet;' and the sin having received an opportunity, through the command, did work in me all covetousness - for apart from law sin is dead.
-- Darby's Bible Romans 7:8 but sin, getting a point of attack by the commandment, wrought in me every lust; for without law sin was dead.
-- Weymouth's New Testament Romans 7:8 Sin took advantage of this, and by means of the Commandment stirred up within me every kind of coveting; for apart from Law sin would be dead.
-- Webster's Bible Romans 7:8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin [was] dead.
Amazing. Tell us what we cannot do and we lust to do it.
And so the Apostle says
[i]...the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.[/i]
and elsewhere he says
[i]...if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.[/i]
Amazing. _________________ Christopher Joel Dandrow
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