The Exegetical Foundations of the Sixteenth Century Reformed Doctrine of Concupiscence

The doctrine of concupiscence was a major area of theological controversy during the sixteenth century. Protestants generally maintained that concupiscence – the involuntary desire to sin – is properly called sin, even in the regenerate, a view explicitly condemned by the Roman Catholic Church. This article examines how Reformed theologians derived their distinctive doctrine of concupiscence from the Bible. The Ten Commandments and Romans 7 are shown to be central biblical foundations. Close analysis of commentaries on these texts shows that an expansive reading of God’s law by Reformed commentators produced a broad definition of sin that extended to sinful desire. Attention to the exegesis of these texts clarifies our understanding of the character and motivation of the Reformed position by offering a robust rationale for otherwise unexplained features of its doctrine of concupiscence.