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Romans 7

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Freedom from the Law Illustrated 1–6

1
Or are ye ignorant, brethren (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law hath dominion over a man for so long time as he liveth? ​
2
For the woman that hath a husband is bound by law to the husband while he liveth; but if the husband die, she is discharged from the law of the husband.
3
So then if, while the husband liveth, she be joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if the husband die, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be joined to another man.
4
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ; that ye should be joined to another, even to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God. ​
5
For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. ​
6
But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that wherein we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter. ​

The Purpose and Goodness of the Law 7–13

7
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet: ​
8
but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin is dead. ​
9
And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died; ​
10
and the commandment, which was unto life, this I found to be unto death: ​
11
for sin, finding occasion, through the commandment beguiled me, and through it slew me.
12
So that the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good. ​
13
Did then that which is good become death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good;—that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful. ​

The Conflict of the Two Natures 14–25

14
For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. ​
15
For that which I do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practise; but what I hate, that I do. ​
16
But if what I would not, that I do, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17
So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me. ​
18
For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but to do that which is good is not. ​
19
For the good which I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I practise.
20
But if what I would not, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me.
21
I find then the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present. ​
22
For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: ​
23
but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members. ​
24
Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? ​
25
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Romans 7

Verse 1

the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth — Kyrieuo, to lord it over, is the language of rule. The principle is that death ends a legal claim; the marriage picture of vv.2–3 applies it. 'Them that know the law' are those who know its rule on marriage and, by extension, its limits.

Verse 4

dead to the law by the body of Christ — Thanatoo, to put to death, in the passive: believers were made dead to the law through his crucified body (cf. Gal 2:19, 'I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God'). The new husband is 'him who is raised from the dead', and the purpose is 'fruit unto God'.

Verse 5

in the flesh — Sarx here is the unrenewed state, not the body as such. The 'motions' (pathema, passions) of sins were stirred 'by the law' and worked 'in our members' toward 'fruit unto death', the counterpart of 'fruit unto God' in v.4.

Verse 6

newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter — Kainotes (renewal) against palaiotes (oldness); 'letter' is gramma, the written code. 'The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life' (2 Cor 3:6). The law is not condemned: those 'held' by it are released, it being 'dead' to them.

Verse 7

Thou shalt not covet — This is the tenth commandment (Ex 20:17), the only commandment Paul cites in this chapter. Epithymeo is to set the heart on, an inward desire no outward act betrays, so the law exposes it: 'by the law is the knowledge of sin' (Rom 3:20). 'God forbid' rejects any charge against the law itself.

Verse 8

sin, taking occasion by the commandment — Aphorme is a starting-point, a base of operation; sin is personified as using the commandment as one. 'Concupiscence' is epithymia, the noun of 'covet' in v.7. 'Dead' (nekros) means inactive, not non-existent; the same occasion-taking returns in v.11.

Verse 9

sin revived, and I died — Anazao, to live again: sin, dormant, sprang to life when 'the commandment came', and the 'I' that thought itself alive was shown to be dead. Paul could elsewhere call himself, 'touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless' (Phil 3:6), until the commandment's reach was grasped.

Verse 10

ordained to life — The commandment promised life to the keeper: 'which if a man do, he shall live in them' (Lev 18:5). 'I found' (heurisko) reports a discovery: through sin's use of it (v.11), the very commandment meant for life proved 'unto death'. The fault lies not in the commandment.

Verse 12

holy, and just, and good — Three adjectives (hagios, dikaios, agathos) answer 'Is the law sin?' (v.7), the law and the commandment each being holy. 'The law of the LORD is perfect' (Ps 19:7); 'the law is good, if a man use it lawfully' (1 Tim 1:8).

Verse 13

exceeding sinful — Hyperbole (beyond measure) with hamartolos, sinful. There are two purpose clauses: 'that it might appear sin' and 'that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful'. Sin, not the good law, brings death; its use of a good commandment to kill exposes its true character.

Verse 14

carnal, sold under sin — Sarkikos, fleshly, is set against the law as pneumatikos, spiritual. 'Sold' (piprasko) is the verb of selling into slavery; Ahab 'did sell himself to work wickedness' (1 Kings 21:25). From here the verbs are present tense; Christians differ whether vv.14–25 describe the regenerate or one under the law.

Verse 15

what I hate, that do I — 'Allow' is ginosko, to know: the deed is not recognised or approved by the mind. 'Hate' is miseo. The conflict between willing and doing matches Gal 5:17, 'the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh', 'so that ye cannot do the things that ye would'.

Verse 17

sin that dwelleth in me — Oikeo, to inhabit a house, makes sin a resident; the verb recurs in v.18 ('dwelleth no good thing') and v.20. 'It is no more I' separates the willing self from sin's working, while v.16 shows that self agreeing that the law is good.

Verse 18

in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing — The parenthesis limits 'in me' to the flesh. 'Is present' is parakeimai, to lie near at hand: willing lies at hand, but performing is not found. The same verb says in v.21 that 'evil is present with me'.

Verse 21

I find then a law — Nomos here is a rule discovered by experience: 'I find' is heurisko, the verb of 'I found' in v.10. 'Is present' is parakeimai as in v.18; the willing of good and the presence of evil lie side by side, summarising vv.15–20.

Verse 22

I delight in the law of God after the inward man — Synedomai, to rejoice together with, occurs only here in the KJV New Testament. The 'inward man' (esō anthrōpos) is the self within, which 'is renewed day by day' (2 Cor 4:16). The delight echoes the blessed man of Ps 1:2.

Verse 23

another law in my members — A second principle opposes 'the law of my mind' (cf. 'the law of God', v.22). Antistrateuomai is to campaign against, and aichmalotizo to take prisoner of war. Rom 8:2 answers it: 'the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.'

Verse 24

O wretched man that I am! — Talaiporos, enduring trial, miserable. It occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in Rev 3:17. 'Deliver' is rhyomai, to rescue. 'The body of this death' is the body under death's reign, as 'the body of sin' in Rom 6:6; the question is answered in v.25.

Verse 25

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord — The thanksgiving answers the 'who' of v.24: the deliverer is a person, Christ. The last sentence sums up vv.14–23, mind and flesh each serving a different law, and leads into Rom 8:2: 'made me free from the law of sin and death'.