Bible epistles
Bible - epistlesIs the Law Good or Evil ?
In the New Testament, the Pauline epistles play an important role in the development of Christianity and the Christian church. Arguably, the most important letters of Paul are that of the ones for the Christians of Rome. The letters to the Romans are slowly revealing the thought process of the apostle. In the letters to the Romans, the apostle discusses God's righteousness and forgiveness to all those who believed, the relationship between human, God, and the church, and "the question of the relation between the Gospel and the Law" (Wand 94).
In Romans 7:1-25, Paul discusses to the Romans about the Law, referring to the Ten Commandments.
What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I should not have known sin. I should not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, wrought in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment
came, sin revived and I died; the very commandment which promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, deceived me
and by it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good (Romans 7:7-12).
Clearly in this passage, Paul is blaming sin on the Law. Paul states that without the Law there would be no sin and that the Law brought about sin. "In other words, it is law that makes us both conscious of, and responsible for, sin" (Knox 59). If there had been no law then there would be no sin because the actions of man have no restrictions. "Sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law" (Romans 5:13). The law gives upon man restrictions that they must follow and obey. If man breaks this holy code, they are, basically, disobeying God. This disobedience is the nature of sin. "Through the law comes the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). Through this reasoning, Paul sees the law God created as evil. "The law then is `the power of sin' and release from
this demonic power is for Paul as certainty an element in our salvation as is release from sin and death" (Knox 59).
Yet, Paul contradicts himself. In Romans 7:12, Paul
says "So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and
just and good. Paul also states that "the...
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