Definition: Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Explanation: Okay, let's break down this really important passage from Romans 5:20. It’s a pretty profound statement about how God works through Jesus Christ! Here's what it means in simpler terms: The Basic Idea: This verse is saying that before Jesus Christ came to live on Earth, sin – that’s wrong behavior, wrongdoing, and brokenness – was incredibly common. But because of Jesus, things have changed dramatically. Instead of just a little bit of badness, there's now a HUGE amount of good and loving goodness! Let’s unpack it piece by piece: “Moreover the law entered…” - The law is basically all the rules and guidelines given to us by God – things like “don't steal,” "treat others with respect," "be honest." It was a system established before Jesus. Think of it as a set of rules that were always in place. “…that the offence might abound.” - This is the key part. "Offense" means something wrong, something that goes against God's will and goodness. The law created a situation where people often did bad things – they lied, cheated, hurt others, etc. It was like a bubbling pot of wrongdoing. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” - This is the surprising part! Because the law was so prevalent, there was so much more good happening than ever before. It’s like when you have a massive flood – even in a small area, it creates a huge amount of water and land. In this case, God's love and forgiveness are overflowing to counteract the badness created by the law. So, what does this mean practically? It means that through Jesus Christ, we don’t just have some good, but a tremendous amount of good. We're given a new way of being – a way of living that is based on love, forgiveness, and compassion – which allows us to experience God’s goodness even more fully. In short: The law created a problem, but Jesus Christ solves the problem by offering us forgiveness and making us part of God’s family. Does this make sense? Would you like me to explain any of these parts in more detail or perhaps explore a related idea (like how Jesus overcomes sin)?