Does the apostle Paul teach that the Ten Commandments did not exist until Sinai?

December 29, 2022

Read Time: 2 min

Some teach that the phrase “until the law” here means that the law did not exist between Adam and the time of Moses. But the balance of the text, coupled with Romans 4:15, proves just the opposite: “Because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.” If there was no law when Cain killed his brother, it wouldn’t have been a sin. Yet Genesis 4:7 speaks of sin lying at the door.

It’s interesting to see references to God’s laws before the Ten Commandments were given on Mt. Sinai. Note how God rebuked His people: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?” (Exodus 16:28). Evidently, there was a basic understanding of God’s law already. People were punished for breaking any one of the commandments before Sinai, indicating that the law existed and sin was imputed. God also honored Abraham, who kept His commandments, statutes, and laws (Genesis 26:5).

The law did not exist in written form prior to Sinai. I believe, with the incredible minds God gave people before the Flood, there was no need to write down the law. As the Lord walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, He taught them His law. When sin came and they were removed from Eden, the Lord further explained the sacrificial system. Our first parents simply passed along these truths verbally. The Ten Commandments before Sinai:

Dear Lord, thank you for giving us your law, a picture of your righteous character.