Yes—people before the Law knew right from wrong through the God-given conscience.
Romans 2 shows that even Gentiles without the Law of Moses did by nature what the Law required, with the work of the Law written on their hearts and their consciences bearing witness. Les Feldick teaches that from Adam to the Flood there was no written law; right and wrong were simply on the conscience. This inward moral awareness made people accountable even without written commandments.
Romans 2:14-15 — This passage directly explains that people without the written Law still know right and wrong because the work of the Law is written in their hearts and their conscience bears witness.
Romans 5:13 — This verse clarifies that sin existed before the Law, even though sin was not imputed as lawbreaking when there was no law.
Romans 2:14-15 declares that the Gentiles who do not have the law still do by nature the things contained in the law, showing themselves to be a law unto themselves. The apostle Paul writes: 'Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.' The Scripture therefore grounds moral knowledge in an inward witness of conscience rather than in an external command. Romans 5:13 adds: 'For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.' Before the written Law appeared, sin was still present in the world, but individual violations were not formally counted as breaking a specific law. The Bible never says that the absence of the Law meant people were morally innocent—rather, it points to conscience as the witness of right and wrong.
Les Feldick stresses that the Bible does not leave pre-Law humanity without moral knowledge. He points out that for roughly the first 1,600 years of human history—from Adam to the Flood—there was no written law. Instead, as Les says, 'man simply had it on his conscience of what was right and wrong.' He connects this to Romans 2, where the apostle Paul says that Gentiles who did not have the Law nevertheless did by nature the things contained in the Law, showing the work of the Law written in their hearts. Les also teaches that conscience was part of God's original design. At creation God put conscience in Adam's breast, and it was meant to prompt confession—that is what moved Abel to bring the required sacrifice. Yet Les warns that human nature can spurn conscience, and a person can sear it until it becomes inactive. He uses missionary reports from Amazon tribes to illustrate that even uncivilized peoples with no written law or Scripture have strong moral codes within their communities; those codes come from conscience. With the coming of the written Law around 1500 B.C., however, all doubt was removed—man was now breaking a specific, written command.
Les explains that before the written Law came, God did not impute every act of disobedience as a violation of a specific command. But that did not make people innocent. Even though they were only going contrary to conscience, they were still just as responsible. As Romans 5:13 says, sin is not imputed when there is no law; nevertheless, death still reigned from Adam to Moses.
Les teaches that conscience was placed in Adam to precipitate confession, and it is what prompted Abel to bring the required sacrifice. But it is within human nature to spurn conscience; a person can 'burn it' and get it to the place where it is no longer active. Conscience is still there, however, and cannot be completely ignored.
Les says the Law entered around 1500 B.C. when Moses came down from the mountain and introduced it to Israel. The purpose was that the offence might abound—so that sin would be seen for what it really is. Until the written Law arrived, man could only go by conscience; once the written Law came, there was no doubt that everything man did, even after searing his conscience, was breaking God's Law.
Les cites missionary friends who came from the jungles of the Amazon, where Indians still use loincloths, blowguns, and spears and think nothing of murdering people. Yet within their own tribal community, they have a moral code that Les says would 'put America to shame.' Where do they get it? Les says it comes from conscience—the work of the law written on their hearts, with their thoughts accusing or excusing them.
Understanding Cain and Abel: Faith, Sin, and Civilization Explained
Now the Bereans were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that after they had heard Paul teach, they went home and they searched the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. And oh, that's a good admonition for us. If you don't agree with me, don't come and argue with me. Search the Scriptures. Search the book.
Conscience as the Law Written on Hearts
Les uses Romans 2 to show that even Gentiles who did not have the Law of Moses had a moral system based on conscience—the work of the law written on their hearts.
No Written Law for 1,600 Years
Les says that from Adam to the Flood there was no written law and no formal system of worship; man simply had right and wrong on his conscience.
Accountability Without the Written Law
Les teaches that before the Law was given, God did not impute individual acts as lawbreaking, yet going contrary to conscience still made people responsible, and death reigned.
Conscience in Adam and Its Suppression
Les says God put conscience in Adam's breast to move him to confession, Abel responded to it, but people can spurn or sear conscience until it is inactive.
Why the Written Law Was Given
Les explains that the Law entered around 1500 B.C. so that sin might be seen for what it really is; before that, man could only go by conscience.
Moral Codes of Amazon Tribes
Les points to uncivilized Amazon tribes that, despite violence, maintain a strong tribal moral code derived from conscience.
Conscience in Uncivilized Peoples
Les repeats that uncivilized tribes often have moral codes that make America look sick, citing Paul's statement about the law written on hearts and conscience accusing or excusing.
Romans 2:14: For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Shows that even Gentiles without the Law of Moses could do by nature what the Law required.
Romans 2:15: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
This verse grounds moral knowledge in the conscience rather than in an external written code.
Romans 5:13: For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Clarifies that sin existed before the Law but was not formally charged as lawbreaking.
Romans 5:20: Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Explains why God gave the written Law after the age of conscience—to make sin visible.
No. Les Feldick teaches that for the first 1,600 years or so—from Adam to the Flood—there was no written law. Right and wrong were known through the conscience, not through written commandments.
Les explains that although individual acts were not imputed as specific lawbreaking, going contrary to conscience was still sin. People were just as responsible, and death still reigned before the Law was given.
Les says it is within human nature to spurn conscience. A person can sear it or 'burn it' until it is no longer active, but conscience is there and cannot be completely ignored.
Yes. Les cites missionary reports from Amazon tribes who, despite their primitive lifestyle, have strong moral codes within their communities. He attributes these moral codes to the conscience—the work of the law written on their hearts.
Watch the Teaching: Understanding Cain and Abel: Faith, Sin, and Civilization Explained