The Law as a Discernment of Sin

"I did not do it except through the law," he said, but he did not know, so that the law is the cause not of doing, but of discerning sin. Therefore the law is a pedagogue, not forgiving through ignorance so as to fall into the nature of the irrational. However, that must be sought: how having said this here, he did not know the sin except through the law, while in other places he shows that we have within ourselves the faculty of discernment, in which he says: for when the nations, not having the law, do by nature the things of the law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves. Through these things he establishes that even without law, the necessary things were being observed. But let it be considered, that even if they were, it was not all things. In this same way even now there are years among other nations where one lives as good and lawful, among others as lawless and being treated badly. Therefore the giving of the law is necessary, defining for us both the practical things and the non-practical, and dividing for us and illuminating the life of the righteous.

It seems the devil says "sin" (Rom 7:8). Just as the Scripture calls the Savior "life" and calls him the cause of life and righteousness, so also he calls the opposite power, through its own energy, sometimes sin, sometimes falsehood, sometimes death; so also having said the following: "sin lived," he names the devil sin. Taking its starting point through the commandment. How then did the devil take a starting point through the commandment? Because having made the commands of the law like a certain material for his own art, he turned the man toward the opposite of the commandments. And it is clear that through himself the apostle indicates the common man.

He says, "But when the commandment came, sin lived, and I died" (Rom 7:9–11). If it lived, it is clear that it once lived and also lived while dying. When then did it live? When having received the commandment, Adam was deceived by the perilous transgression and the devil accused him. Likewise when also it was Cain—for he himself sinned in knowledge, having been commanded not to murder his brother—was it through "you sinned"? Be silent. Since therefore there was neither a commandment nor a law in between, sin struck against the ignorance of those sinning; for the most part they were ignorant while stumbling, so that they were not even judged by the conscience.

What then is the result of these things? It is not that the law was given to prevent sin, but rather that those about to do right were being disciplined. Yet it is absurd for the slothful and pleasure-loving to undermine the hypothesis of salvation which belongs to the diligent and earnest.

Regarding Romans 7:13, he says the law is an indictment of the devil's wickedness; but he said the law was good. Thus the evil one appears to be a skilled evil-doer when, through the good which was given, he has brought death to those receiving the good law. Regarding 'sin is sinful', he says; now it has most clearly shown that he was calling the devil sin, and now has named him a sinner; for the one who makes sin is a sinner.

Regarding Romans 7:14, 'likewise it is said the law is spiritual'; for the commandments contained therein, having been kept, made the man spiritual, or also because, he says, it was legislated by the energy of the Holy Spirit, so that those obeying it might be able to be receptive to the Holy Spirit, having been purified by the pedagogy of the law. Regarding 'having been enslaved by sin'; not having been enslaved by anyone else, but he himself is reproaching himself for the commandments.

Regarding Romans 7:15, he says, 'not that I am unaware that sin is sin, but instead I do not perceive how I do it and how I am being stolen away,' such as often, judging I would prevail, I was defeated by myself. It is necessary, however, to know that he is not accusing himself, but is inscribing the common condition of men within himself, declining to place the burden on another; for he shows that we desire virtue, but are defeated by pleasure, all of us who are under law, but certainly not those who are under grace, who even outside of sin have become righteous through grace. Regarding Romans 7:21, 'I find the law, there remains the thing that is difficult to do right'; for he says that from which things, even when willing to do something good, I am not able, but I am turned toward the worse. 'I find the law difficult to do right, desiring to do the good'; for the things that are more ready, the evils, are permitted to me for the purpose of doing them. And through this 'are permitted', he shows that it is not idle to abandon evil. Regarding Romans 7:22–23, he describes the common man in these things; for the common man is one who sees the necessary things with the mind but does not always do right, whereas the one having believed into Christ does the things with the mind through the assistance of the Spirit; therefore such a one is also called spiritual. And he shows that...