⁴ So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law^(A) through the body of Christ,^(B) that you might belong to another,^(C) to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. ⁵ For when we were in the realm of the flesh,^[a](D) the sinful passions aroused by the law^(E) were at work in us,^(F) so that we bore fruit for death.^(G)

The Law and Sin

⁷ What shall we say, then?^(A) Is the law sinful? Certainly not!^(B) Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.^(C) For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”^{[a](D) 8} But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,^(E) produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.^(F)