Romans 7:6 - But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET."
8 But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. (Rom. 7:6-8 NAU)
The language in Romans 7:7 seems to indicate that the only possible way to know a human act is sin is if that act is condemned in Mosaic law. However, some think from Romans 2:15 that sin can also be known through the conscience.
Given what he says in 7:7, though, I find it difficult to believe Paul would make such a statement if he didn't intend it to be taken in its full absolute literal sense. Why would he say he couldn't have known coveting was sin without the Law condemning it, if he believed there WAS a way, apart from the Law, to know that coveting was a sin? I cannot find any commentaries on Romans that suggest Paul's language here was anything other than the absolute maxim it looks like.
Does Romans 7:7, really not leave open any logically possible room for us to have any other way to know a human act is sin, except that the act is condemned in Mosaic law?