According to Romans 5:20, the law entered so that the offense might abound — to expose the depth of human sin, not to control it or to save sinners.
Les Feldick explains that the law did not make people sin more; rather, it made people understand how sinful they were, since "we are not sinners because we've broken the law; we break the law because we're sinners" (Clip 2). Because humanity inherited its sin nature from Adam, all the law could do was show man how sinful he really was (Clip 3). The written law arrived when Moses brought it to Israel in 1500 B.C., after which everything man did was unmistakably seen as breaking God's law (Clip 1).
Romans 5:20 — This is the verse that directly asks and answers why the law entered — "that the offence might abound."
Romans 3:20 — Paul states the law's purpose in parallel terms: "by the law is the knowledge of sin," showing the law reveals sin rather than saving.
Romans 5:20 directly answers this question: "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." The offense in view is the fall of Adam — the disobedience that made all men sinners — and the law entered in relation to that offense so that it might be seen plainly for what it is. In Romans 3:19-20 Paul gives the same purpose: "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." The law stops every mouth and brings guilt; it justifies no one. What it produces is the knowledge of sin. Romans 5:13 also explains the time before Moses: "(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.)" Sin was already present from Adam onward, but before the written law it was not imputed — it was not formally charged against men.
Les explains Romans 5:20 in its historical setting: the law entered in 1500 B.C., when Moses came down off the mountain and introduced the written law to the nation of Israel. The law entered so "that the offense might abound" — not to make things worse, but so that man's sin might be seen for what it really is. Until the written law appeared, man could only go by conscience, but once the law came there was no doubt that everything man was doing was breaking God's law (Clip 1). Les is emphatic that the law did not make people sin more; it made people understand how sinful they were. He summarizes it with his familiar phrase: "We are not sinners because we've broken the law. We break the law because we're sinners" (Clip 2). Because the whole human race inherited a sinful nature from Adam, the law could only show man how sinful he really was (Clip 3). The Ten Commandments simply revealed how the old Adam operates — his bent to take God's name in vain, worship idols, be envious, and thieve (Clip 4). Consequently, Les teaches that the law had one purpose: to condemn mankind and make the whole world guilty before God. "By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified" — the law had nothing in it to save; it gave only the knowledge of sin (Clips 5, 6). He also notes from Romans 5:13 that for about 2,500 years from Adam to Moses, sin was in the world, but it was not imputed when there was no law (Clip 7). Where sin abounded, however, grace did much more abound (Clip 3).
Les places the entrance of the law historically: it entered in 1500 B.C., when Moses came down off the mountain and introduced the law to the nation of Israel (Clip 1). He also notes the parenthesis in Romans 5:13 — from Adam to Moses was about 2,500 years, during which the old sin nature was already in the world, though sin was not imputed when there was no law (Clip 7).
No. Les addresses this directly: "Not that the law caused people to sin more, but the law caused people to understand how sinful they were" (Clip 2). The offense abounded in the sense that it was exposed and magnified for what it truly was. Since we break the law because we are sinners — not the other way around — the law's arrival only demonstrated how thoroughly the old Adam sin nature was bent against God (Clips 3, 4).
Scripture is explicit: "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). Les teaches that the law had nothing in it to save — its only purpose was to condemn, to show man that he was a lawbreaker guilty before God and not fit for God's heaven (Clip 6). The law stops every mouth and makes the whole world guilty (Romans 3:19), but it cannot justify anyone (Clips 5, 6).
Why Grace Always Wins Over Sin — Romans 5:15-20 Explained
life, and we are constantly aware from the moment we awake until we go to sleep at night, that we are a justified person, that's going to affect our behavior. And if it doesn't, then there's something wrong. But when you understand that you are declared a justified person by an act of God, it has to have an effect on your behavior. All right? And then verse 19, "...
The Law Entered with Moses in 1500 B.C.
Les sets Romans 5:20 in history: the law entered when Moses brought the written law to Israel in 1500 B.C., so that man's sin might be seen for what it really is — no longer a matter of conscience alone, but an unmistakable breaking of God's law.
The Offense Abounding Means Understanding Sin
Les clarifies that "the offense might abound" does not mean the law made people sin more — it means the law made people understand how sinful they were, because we break the law only because we are already sinners.
The Law Could Only Show Man's Sinfulness
Since the human race inherited its sin nature from Adam, all the law could do was show man how sinful he really was — and where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
The Law's One Purpose Is Knowledge of Sin
The Ten Commandments merely showed the old Adam how he really operated — bent toward blasphemy, idolatry, envy, and theft — which is all the law was intended to do.
The Law Makes All the World Guilty
Les connects Romans 3:19-20 to the law's purpose: it makes every mouth stop and the whole world guilty before God, and by the law is the knowledge of sin — not justification.
The Law Was Given to Condemn, Not Save
Les emphasizes that the law could do nothing but condemn — it declared man a lawbreaker who was not fit for God's heaven, and it contained nothing that could save.
2,500 Years from Adam to Moses
Les explains Romans 5:13's parenthesis: from Adam to Moses sin (the Adamic nature) was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Romans 5:20: Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
The key verse that directly states why the law entered — so the offense might abound.
Romans 3:19: Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Shows the law's purpose of making the whole world guilty before God.
Romans 3:20: Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
The law provides knowledge of sin and does not justify anyone.
Romans 5:13: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.)
Sin existed in the world from Adam to Moses, but it was not imputed without the written law.
Romans 5:20 says the law entered "that the offence might abound," meaning sin would be seen for what it really is. Les teaches it did not make people sin more — it made them understand how sinful they were, because we break the law only because we are already sinners (Clips 1–2).
No. Les explains that the law caused people to understand how sinful they were. As he puts it, "We are not sinners because we've broken the law; we break the law because we're sinners" (Clip 2).
No. Romans 3:20 declares that "by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified." Les teaches the law had nothing in it to save; its only purpose was to condemn and give the knowledge of sin (Clips 5–6).
The law entered in 1500 B.C., when Moses came down from the mountain and introduced the written law to Israel — about 2,500 years after Adam (Clips 1, 7).
Watch the Teaching: Why Grace Always Wins Over Sin — Romans 5:15-20 Explained