Romans 7:7

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit,. had not known sin, except through the law: for. had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet: "What shall we say then?" -Another objection is anticipated. 'Then what shall we conclude' (Gspd)

"Is the law sin?" 'Is the Law itself. sinful thing?' (Wey)-Paul has already pointed out that both Jews and Gentiles needed to be released from the demands of "law" (i.e. flawlessness) in order to find favor with God. And that the commands of God had stirred people up to violate them (Romans 7:5). In Chapter Six Paul had taught that the Christian is to be "dead" to sin, and in Chapter Seven, "dead to the Law", that seems to link "sin" and "law" awfully close together. The question that would naturally arise, 'then is Law. bad thing?'

"Some people today oppose all inhibitions and prohibitions because they stimulate violations (i.e. the push to legalize such things as drugs and prostitution). That is half-baked thinking.

"I had not know sin, expect through the law.." -"There are those who believe we know what is right and wrong by an inbuilt knowledge.. think this passage plainly refutes that notion...there are those who believe we can determine right and wrong from. rational view of the amoral universe. That is, they believe we can tell what the will of God is on specific questions without special revelation.. don't believe that and. think that this passage establishes that the notion is wrong." "I think what was true for. Jew was true for. Gentile and that neither of them could say what God's moral requirements were without special revelation to someone." (Isaiah 2:8; Jeremiah 2:23)

"except the law had said" -the Law isn't evil, Paul insists rather that it is because of his contact with the Law that he found out what is sin, that's. good thing!

"Thou shalt not covet" -the primary 'Law' in the context, then is the Mosaic Law, including the Ten Commandments.