Romans 7:1-25

Continuing to explain the greatness of what God has made available by means of His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul now teaches God's viewpoint by using an illustration to help us understand.  

Romans 7:1-3:

^7:1Or do you not-know brothers, I utter-forth to (the brothers) knowing law, that the law is lord of the man on as-much time as he lives? ^.2For the wife (who is) under-a-husband was bound² by law to (her) living husband, but if-ever the husband may die she was rendered-ineffective² away-from the law of the husband; ^.3therefore consequently, (during the) living of the husband she will do-the-business-of an "adulteress" if-ever she may become to a different adult-male, but if-ever the husband may die she is a free-woman away-from the law (for) her not to be an adulteress having become to a different adult-male.

Don't you know (are you personally un-knowing, ignorant, unaware)…

• brothers (again addressing the holy-people as “brothers” as in Romans 1:13 – but here, Paul specifies which of the brothers he is addressing this illustration to since they ought to understand what he is writing)
  • I speak to you brothers who are knowing law (who are personally knowledgeable of the way that law is set-up, divided-out, and is administered to be customarily and rightly used among people),

…that the law is lord of the man (this Greek word anthropos translated "man" does not specify gender – the law that is in force exercises its dominion and authority over the human-being, it is master of the man) for the length of chronological time that he lives?

The unwritten answer to this question should be “Yes, we know” – and Paul continues to explain exactly what he means in case there is any misunderstanding. Also note regarding the following verses that in Greek, the word aner may be translated into English as: adult, adult-male, husband, grown-man. Similarly, the Greek word gune may be translated into English as: adult-female, wife, grown-woman.

For example: the wife who is under-a-husband (the adult-female who is legally subject to an adult-male, which could refer either to the woman’s betrothed husband or her husband in marriage)…

• was bound and continues bound (tied, fastened) by law to her living husband (while he is still alive),
• but if it should happen at any time that her husband would die
  • she was rendered-ineffective and continues ineffective (caused to be inoperative, inactive, useless)
    • relative to the law of the husband (she is separated from her husband’s law to which she had previously been subject because her husband is dead, and so his legal authority and dominion over her is also dead; she may remember what he told her, she may even have it written-down and can still read what he instructed her to do – but now he is dead, so there is no reason why she should continue to subject herself to his law pertaining to their relationship);

…following-on logically in correspondence to what is written above…

• if it should happen at any time that she would come to pass to be to/with a different adult-male (grown-man)
  • while her husband is alive
    • she will do-the-business-of an "adulteress" (at that time she will be known-as and called an "adulteress" because that kind of behavior would be associated to/with her as-being her business, trade, occupation – just like a smith may become known as "Smith" or “the smith”, and a carpenter may become known as "Carpenter" or “the carpenter”; adultery is the voluntary action of debasing oneself with/by someone or something else that is contaminating or defiling from God's viewpoint, here referring to the wife leaving her husband, and going-to and being-with some other adult-male),
• but if it should happen at any time that her husband would die
  • she is a free-woman away-from the law (she is at liberty from the law of that husband)
    • for her not to be an adulteress when she comes to pass to be to/with a different adult-male (who would then become her husband).

[Reference: Exodus 20:14; Matthew 5:32; I Corinthians 7:39.]

Verses 4-6:

^.4So-that, my brothers, you also were put-to-death to the law by means of the body of Christ with-a-view-for you to become to a different (husband), to the (one) having been raised-up out-from dead-people in order that we may bear-fruit to God; ^.5for when we used-to-be in the flesh, the sufferings of the sins, the (sufferings) by means of the law, used-to-be caused-to-in-work in our limbs with-a-view to bear-fruit to death, ^.6but now we have been rendered-ineffective away-from the law having died in that-which we used-to be-held-down, so-that we serve-as-slaves in newness of spirit and not (in) oldness of writing.

With the consequence and result that, my brothers, emphatically you also were put-to-death to the law (in Greek there is a definite word for “you” plus the verb meaning “you were put to death” giving emphasis – you yourselves were caused to become dead relative to the claims, laws, rules, precepts of the law of Moses that God had given to him to help God’s people behave correctly at that time)…

• by means of the body of Christ (through his physical body which was crucified and died)
  • for the purpose of you becoming to/with a different husband (figuratively in this illustration as coming to pass to be married to a different adult-male, becoming subject-to or under the lawful-authority of a different husband),
    • specifically, to the one who has been raised-up out-from dead-people (Jesus the Christ was caused to rise up alive out from being among the rest of the dead-people; the words “out-from dead-people” are written because he is the only one who has been resurrected and given his new spiritual body, but everyone else who has died still remains dead in the grave)
  • for the purpose and result that we would bear-fruit to/for God (we might actively bring or carry produce, cause fruit to be produced, produce fruit to/for God).

Also we should notice that: having explained how the law worked regarding being in subjection to others, Paul changes to from “you” to “we” – all of us which includes himself and those with him and everyone who has holy spirit-life within them (holy-people, Christians). He continues:

In truth, when we used-to-be (were continuing to be/exist during a past time, historically) …

• in the flesh (within the realm of the physical fleshy body without holy spirit-life)
  • the sufferings of the sins (the experiences, the things that affected us pertaining to the errors, missing the mark of God’s Word to us, swerving from the truth of what God said to/for us),
    • emphatically and specifically the sufferings by means of the law (through the law of Moses),
  • used-to-be caused-to-in-work in our limbs (were continuing to be made to do work within, caused to produce effects by being in work, the sufferings were historically being energized within the members of our physical bodies)
    • for the purpose of bearing fruit to death (to bring or carry produce, cause fruit to be produced, produce fruit to/for death, lack of life),

…but now (emphatically at the present time)…

• we have been rendered-ineffective (caused to be inoperative, inactive, useless)
  • relative to the law (we have been separated from the law of Moses; as verse 2 above)
    • having died in that-which we used-to be-held-down (we have already died in relation to the Mosaic law which is what was continuing to have us fast or firm in the sense of suppressing us, historically we were restrained in/by it),
• with the consequence and result that we presently and actively serve as slaves (we are serving in the position and capacity of being slaves, bound-people carrying-out service to God)
  • in newness of spirit (within the cause and sphere of action of the new quality which proceeds-from and consists-of spirit, referring to the holy spirit-life that we now have within us)
    • and not in oldness of writing (the quality that has existed for a long time which proceeded-from and consisted-of that-which has been written-down, written-letters, referring to the law that was given by God on Mount Sinai to Moses for Israel a long time ago on tablets of stone, physically written-down laws or precepts).

The word "newness" is the same word as we read previously in Romans 6:4 where Paul wrote regarding "newness of life." Here Paul writes regarding "newness of spirit" which emphasizes that it is “spirit.” The "life" and the "spirit" to which Paul is referring is the gift of holy spirit – it is holy spirit-life. This word "newness" means that this spirit is recent, newly-made, and it is different from that-which was previously in effect, new compared to what was there before, new because it replaces the former. This spirit is the spiritual life of the resurrected Christ (refer to Romans 1:4).

We serve-as-slaves in newness of spirit.

[Reference: Exodus 24:12, 31:18, 32:15-19, 34:1-29; Acts 3:15; Romans 2:27 and 29, 3:20, 5:5 and 13, 6:3-11, 14, 21 and 22, 8:2; I Corinthians 10:16, 15:56; II Corinthians 3:3-6, 5:14 and 15, 11:2; Galatians 1:1, 2:19 and 20, 3:13, 14 and 23, 5:22-25; Ephesians 1:19-23, 2:1-10, 5:21-32; Colossians 1:10 and 27, 2:11 and 12; II Timothy 2:8; Hebrews 2:9 and 10, 10:10, 13:20; I Peter 1:3 and 21.]

Verses 7 and 8:

^.7Therefore what will we say? (Is) the law sin? May it not become! – but I did not know the sin except by means of law, for even I had not known the intense-yearning except the law used-to-say, "You will not intensely-yearn," ^.8but the sin having taken a starting-point by means of the commandment rendered every intense-yearning to-work in me, for without law sin (is) dead.

Following-on logically from what is written in verses 1-6 above, what will we say (mindfully tell others regarding the law of Moses)? Is the law sin?

• The answer: No! Paul confirms the negative answer by writing: may it not become! May that not come to pass! May that not happen! The thought of such a thing being so repulsive to Paul is conveyed in his expression of may it not become or come into being that such a thing would occur at any time!

Paul continues for a time in this passage of Scripture to give himself as the example or representative of mankind. He does not write-down that someone else did what he did, although the hearers or readers of this portion of his letter may realize that this may indeed be true of/for themselves also.

But contrary to the law being sin, I did not know the sin (I did not have a truly active and relative knowing, I was not personally knowledgeable what sin against God was) except by means of law (unless God had told mankind through the law)…

• in truth also I had not known (indeed in connection with that, during a past time with a result that is ended, I did not perceive, I did not see to the end of perceiving and knowing with my mind)
  • the intense-yearning (lust, here used in the bad sense, the strong desire attached or fixed upon a certain object other-than God and the things of God)
• except the law used-to-say (unless the law was continuing to lay out a collection of words in a sentence to communicate something, giving the substance or content of it during a past time, historically),
  • "You (singular, individual, each one of you) will not intensely-yearn" (the future tense was used by God in commands because people were to obey them from the time that they were spoken onwards; it does not mean that they would be forced to do them and had no control over their own lives),
• but the sin, after it had taken a starting-point (received a base of operation, grounds, an apparatus for accomplishing its objective)
  • by means of the commandment (through what God enjoined or commanded)
    • rendered every intense-yearning to work in me (caused to effect, effectively brought-down, achieved all lust within my physical fleshy body),
• for without law (apart from a law spoken by God to/for mankind to adhere to)
  • sin is dead (sin is without life – if there were no law then sin against God would not have a starting-point because there would be nothing to sin against, and therefore it would be dead/lifeless - inactive because it would have nothing to live on).

[Reference: Exodus 20:17; Romans 3:20; II Corinthians 11:12; Galatians 5:13; I Timothy 5:14.]

Verses 9-12:

^.9But I used-to-live without law at-some-time, but (after) the commandment having come the sin lived-again and I died; ^.10and the commandment, the (commandment) into life, this was found to me into death, ^.11for the sin having taken a starting-point by means of the commandment wholly-deceived me and by means of it killed (me); ^.12so-that the law indeed (is) holy and the commandment (is) holy and righteous and good.

Emphatically I was continuing to live (in Greek there is a definite word for “I” plus the verb meaning “I used-to live” giving emphasis – I was alive, living in the physical, flesh category) during some past time, historically) apart from law (the laws/precepts which God gave to Moses)…

• but after the commandment came (for example, "You will not intensely-yearn")  
  • the sin lived-again (it revived, came upwards alive)
    • and/but emphatically I died (again in Greek there is a definite word for “I” plus the verb meaning “I died” giving emphasis – I myself died in relation to the words that God made known in the commandment);
• and the commandment,
  • emphatically and specifically the commandment into life (with a view to, directed to living life now and in the future to/for God),
    • this was found to me into death (the commandment itself was found to/by me to be with a view to, directed to death),
• in truth, the sin having taken a starting-point (as verse 8 above)
  • by means of (through) the commandment
    • wholly-deceived me (fully-deluded me, thoroughly-beguiled me with false/lying statements)
  • and by means of it (through the commandment)
    • killed me (because I did not do what the commandment stipulated);
• with the consequence and result that
  • the law (which contains all of the precepts, commandments, laws which God gave to Moses) indeed is  
    • holy (sanctified, set-apart from the state of being common, defiled or unclean against God, the law corresponds to the essence of God)
  • and the commandment (which is part of the law that God gave to Moses) is
    • holy (sanctified – as the law is holy)
    • and righteous (just, it is right, justified from God’s viewpoint)
    • and good (good from God’s viewpoint; God is the One Who issues His goodness and He sets the standard of/for what is good to be conformed to by others).

Sin is like a parasite – it lives off of someone/something else's life, and by doing that it causes the death of its "host" – sin caused the death of the flesh of mankind. The commandment was not causing death in Paul, but the consequences of not believing and doing what God says is death – both spiritually and physically. The full completion of this death will take-place when the final judgment is made by God on all of mankind.  

In fact, the initial sin of Adam was not believing and doing what God told him (Genesis 2:16 and 17), giving the devil access to mankind in order to kill him and thereby attempt to thwart the purposes of the only true God relative to mankind; refer to Romans 5:12-21, 6:1-23, the study of Appendix to Romans and I Corinthians 15:56.

[Reference: Genesis 2:17 and chapter 3; Romans 10:5; I Corinthians 15:56; II Corinthians 11:3; II Thessalonians 2:3; Hebrews 3:12 and 13; James 1:15; Revelation 20:10-15; and my study of Appendix to Romans.]

Verses 13-20:

^.13Therefore (does) the good-thing become death to me? May it not become! – but the sin – in order that sin rendering death to-work to me may be brought-to-light by means of the good-thing, in order that the sin may become sinful according to a super-throw by means of the commandment.

^.14For we knew² that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshy having been sold² under the sin, ^.15for that-which I render-to-work I do not know, for that-which I do not intend this I practice but that-which I hate this I do; ^.16but if that-which I do not intend this I do, I say-together with the law that (it is) beautiful.

^.17But now I no-longer render it to-work but the sin dwelling in me, ^.18for I knew² that there does not dwell in me, that is in my flesh, a good-thing, for to intend lies-beside me but to render the beautiful-thing to-work (does) not, ^.19for not that good-thing which I intend I do, but that bad-thing which I do not intend this I practice, ^.20and if that-which I do not intend this I do, I no-longer render it to-work but the sin dwelling in me.

Following-on logically from verses 9-12 above, does the good-thing (that-which is good in God's viewpoint) come to pass to be death to/for me?

• The answer: No! Paul confirms the negative answer by writing: may it not become! May that not come to pass! May that not happen! The thought of such a thing being so repulsive to Paul is conveyed in his expression of may it not become or come into being that such a thing would occur at any time!

But contrary to the good-thing becoming death to me (Paul) – it is the sin that became death to/for me…

• for the purpose and result that sin which is presently rendering death to work to me (causing to effect, effectively bringing down, achieving death to/for me)
  • would be brought-to-light (light would be caused to shine on sin causing the sin to become evident, clearly seen that it is sin)
    • by means of the good-thing (through that-which is good),
• for the purpose and result that the sin (referring to any specific sinful action, missing the mark of God’s Word, aberration from what God says, in the walk/behavior category)
  • would come to pass to be sinful in accordance with a super-throw (extremely sinful, in the proportion of surpassing to a greater-degree, as if throwing or casting sinfulness for an extreme distance or measure beyond the limits of what the sin previously attained in its consistency)
    • by means of the commandment (through the relevant portion of the law that God gave to Moses).

In truth, we knew and continue to know (all of us perceive, see) that the law is spiritual (it belongs-to, is determined-by, influenced-by and proceeding-from God Who is Spirit)…

• but emphatically I am fleshy (in Greek there is a definite word for “I” plus the verb meaning “I am” giving emphasis – I myself am made of flesh, consist of flesh, pertain to flesh, which is the essence of the physical body with its soul/breath life – this excludes holy spirit-life)
  • having been sold and continuing sold under the sin (my flesh has already been trafficked legally in submission or subjection to the sin),
• for that-which I render to work (what I cause to effect, effectively bring-down, achieve)
  • I do not know (I do not have a truly active and relative knowing, I am not personally knowledgeable of it),
• for that-which I do not intend (what I do not will, what I do not want to do with active volition and desire)
  • this I practice (this unintended action is what I am habitually, repeatedly doing, in the process of accomplishing with the flesh)
• but on the contrary, that-which I hate (what I have active ill-will towards)
  • this I do (this is what I perform);

…but if/since that-which I do not intend, this I do – I say together (bring to light in conjunction) with the law that the law is beautiful (the law that proceeds from God Who is Holy Spirit has a manifested decorous, harmonious and acceptable goodness; the beautiful law was issued by God to tell mankind how to behave in the flesh category and thereby mankind would be kept safe by God relative to the spirit category).

But emphatically at the present time (which is after I have received the gift of holy spirit by means of the Lord Jesus Christ)…

• emphatically I no longer render it to work (again in Greek there is a definite word for “I” plus the verb meaning “I render to work” giving emphasis – I myself do not any more cause to effect, effectively bring-down, achieve that-which is bad)
  • but on the contrary, the sin dwelling in me (the sin housing, inhabiting within me, my flesh, is what renders the bad-thing to work because it has been sold under sin; refer to verse 14 above),

…for I knew and continue to know (perceive, see) that…

• there does not dwell in me,
  • that is in my flesh (specifically I am referring to my physical body with its soul/breath life – this is not referring to holy spirit-life),
    • a good-thing (that-which is good, an action that is in accordance with what the only true God says does not dwell in my flesh),
• in fact, to intend lies-beside me (to actively will, to have the active volition, the intending, the willingness to do the good-thing is at-hand for me to use, it is present with me to do)  
  • but to render the beautiful-thing (what the law says) to work does not lie-beside me (my flesh),
• for not that good-thing which I intend I do (I don’t do the good-thing that I will/want to do),
  • but on the contrary, that bad-thing (that-which does not issue from God) which I do not intend this I practice,

…and if/since that-which I do not intend this I do…

• emphatically I no-longer render it to work (again in Greek there is a definite word for “I” plus the verb meaning “I render to work” giving emphasis – I myself do not anymore cause to effect, effectively bring-down, achieve the bad-thing)
  • but on the contrary, the sin dwelling in me (my flesh) renders the bad-thing to work (as verse 17 above).

[Reference: Romans 8:5-8; I Corinthians 2:13 and 14, 3:1, 14:37, 15:56; I Timothy 1:8; and you may read my study of Appendix to Romans.]

Verses 21-25:

^.21Consequently I find the law: (when there is) intending by me to do the beautiful-thing that the bad-thing lies-beside me – ^.22for I delight-together with the law of God according to the inside man – ^.23but I observe a different law in my limbs serving-as-a-soldier-against the law of my mind and taking me captive in the law of the sin, the (law) being in my limbs.

^.24I (am a) distressed man! Who will rescue me out-from this body of death? ^.25But thanks to God by means of Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore consequently I myself indeed with the mind serve-as-a-slave to (the) law of God – but with the flesh to (the) law of sin.

In correspondence to what is written in verses 18 and 19 above, I find the law (not part of the law of Moses, but the law in operation during the everyday living of my life):

• when I am intending (willing) to do the beautiful-thing that the bad-thing lies-beside me
  • – for I delight (I have sweetness, a feeling of relish of taste, a pleasurable sensation) in conjunction with
    • the law of God according to the inside man (God’s law which is in accordance, conformity and proportion to/with the inner, inward man)
  • – but I observe a different law in my limbs (this is not referring to physically seeing a law written on the limbs of my body but I look-at, mentally envision, I am mentally aware, I contemplate a different kind/sort of law set-up, divided-out for use among the limbs/members of my physical body and administered through my flesh)
    • serving as a soldier against (in service soldiering during battle/war in opposition to)
  • the law of my mind (which is the law of God according to the inside man, my holy spirit, communicated to my mind, mind-set, the organ of mental perception, my mentality, which is what I intend to do)
    • and taking me captive (making me a prisoner of war, as taking me by the spear during the battle)
  • within the sphere of action of the law of the sin,
  • emphatically and specifically the law presently being in operation within my limbs (the members of my physical body).

The "inside man" is the holy spirit within us (refer to verse 6 above) – it is one part of our present three-part being. Our holy spirit-life is figuratively referred to here as the "inside man" because it lives inside of us. The gift of holy spirit does not consist of soul/breath life, or a physical body, nor is it dependant upon the physical outward-appearance of the living human-being.

Paul's intention is according to what the "inside man" communicates to him and this is what causes him to delight during the everyday living of his life. What the "inside man" communicates to him is the law of God, God’s words, what God makes-known to be the right and correct way of living, which is the way that God set it up, how He divided-out our newness of spirit (refer to verse 6 above) to be lived and used among mankind, how it is to be customarily and rightly administered. The law of God according to the inside man is according as Paul’s holy spirit-life teaches and instructs him, whether it has already been written-down in the old covenant scrolls, or whether it is information that God has not previously recorded in writing but reveals to him during the everyday living of life.

When Paul intends to carry-out God's will communicated to him via his holy spirit-life, the inside man, then Paul's fleshy limbs fight against doing it. He continues by expressing his deep distress with this situation:

• I am a distressed man! (a human-being enduring toil and hardship because of my physical body; I am wretched and miserable because of it)
• Who will rescue me (who in the future will deliver, snatch or draw me to himself) out-from this body of death (my physical, fleshy body within which the law of the sin is in operation and rendering death to work in me, bearing fruit to death)?

The answer:

• But thanks to God (the only true God will rescue Paul out-from the body of death; the word "thanks" in the Greek is the same word as the word "grace"; “thanks” is the expression made by the freedom of will of the recipient, Paul, expressing gratitude to the Giver, God, of the grace, the bestowed unmerited or undeserved favor, given-to and received-by him)
  • by means of Jesus Christ our Lord (through Jesus Christ who is the Master of all holy-people, not only Paul himself – the full manifestation of this deliverance will be achieved when Christ comes to gather the church, and Paul will receive his new spiritual-body, without that wretched part which he had at the time he was writing this epistle; God will rescue every one of us out-from the body of this death through our Lord Jesus Christ).

Following-on logically in correspondence to what is written above …

• I myself serve as a slave (in Greek there is a definite word for “I” plus the pronoun for “myself” plus the verb meaning “I serve as a slave” giving great emphasis – I emphatically myself serve in the position and capacity of being a slave, a person bound carrying-out service)
  • indeed, on the one hand, with/by my mind (mind-set, organ of mental perception, mentality)
    • to the law of God (which is according to the inside man; as verse 22 above) –
  • but, on the other hand at the same time, with/by my flesh (my physical body with its soul/breath life)
    • to the law of sin (as verse 23 above).

[Reference: Romans 8:2 and 23; I Corinthians 2:16, 15:57; II Corinthians 1:10, 4:7 and 16; Galatians 5:17; Ephesians 2:15, 3:15 and 16, 4:23 and 24; Philippians 2:13, 3:20 and 21; Colossians 1:27; II Timothy 4:18. For further information regarding this rescuing, you may read my studies on I Corinthians chapter 15, I Thessalonians, and II Thessalonians. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]

And…the continuation is in the next chapter. Of course, there were no chapter or verse divisions as we have today when Paul wrote this epistle, and so remembering what Paul wrote above, let us continue to Romans chapter 8, verse 1….