That three-letter word continues to intrigue Paul. He might have turned to reptiles for help. But no. At this point (Romans 6.19) he uses a Greek word ‘anomia’ This means lawlessness, (We get the word ‘anomaly’ from it – and also ‘antinomianism’, meaning having no concern for law or law-keeping. Some early Christian believers were described as this, but that’s another story.)
We have to be careful here. There is a political system that is neighbour to this outlook. It is anarchism. This sees the law as a system of control in which the powerful control the weak. It counters this by exalting the citizen’s right to be himself and to choose his own way in society. At this point we have to define our view of freedom. Paul’s use of the word ‘sin’ is a matter of shutting one’s eyes to what has been defined in the Scriptures as good set against evil.
More straightforward is the word ‘transgression’. Paul uses this word in Romans 2.23 and sees it as stepping over the line, invading forbidden territory. We know that good fences make good neighbours, that white or yellow lines on the highway have specific meanings, that there are some lines we cross at our peril. ‘Sin pays its servants: the wage is death.’ (Roman 6.23 – J.B. Phillips version)
Now, agreed that this all-round picture is devastating and that it comes from one man, Paul, can we take his prescription seriously in the 21st century? At this point we have to accept Paul’s huge influence on western European thought. We also have to ask whether there is any adequate replacement for this traditional understanding.
After receiving a a slap on the wrist about the word and its old-fashioned connotations we can reasonably ask our hearers to give the word a fair chance. After all, we give no less to the tale of Adam and Eve and the snake. There’s a story that makes the word ‘sin’ come alive. To most people reptiles are repellent and dangerous. So is sin.
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