Romans 7:1

¶ Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

{G2228} Know ye not {G50}, brethren {G80},(for {G1063} I speak {G2980} to them that know {G1097} the law {G3551},) how that {G3754} the law {G3551} hath dominion over {G2961} a man {G444} as long as {G1909}{G3745}{G5550} he liveth {G2198}?

Surely you know, brothers — for I am speaking to those who understand Torah — that the Torah has authority over a person only so long as he lives?

Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?

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?

Commentary

Romans 7:1 introduces a pivotal discussion by the Apostle Paul regarding the relationship between believers and the Mosaic Law. Addressing an audience familiar with the Law, Paul sets the stage for a profound theological argument that builds upon the themes of freedom from sin explored in Romans 6.

Context

This verse serves as a crucial transition from Paul's previous discourse on death to sin and new life in Christ. In Romans 6, Paul established that believers have died with Christ to the power of sin. Here, in Romans 7, he extends this concept to the Law, using an analogy (introduced in the subsequent verses) to explain how believers are no longer bound by the Law's dominion. He is speaking to those who "know the law," implying either Jewish believers or Gentiles who have been instructed in Jewish traditions, clarifying that the Law's authority lasts only "as long as he liveth."

Key Themes

  • The Law's Authority: Paul emphasizes that the Law has significant power, or dominion (Greek: kyrieuei), over individuals. This dominion is absolute and binding.
  • The Law's Duration: The phrase "as long as he liveth" is critical. It signifies that the Law's binding power is limited by life itself. This sets up the argument that spiritual death (death to sin in Christ) frees one from the Law's condemning power, much like physical death dissolves a legal bond.
  • Preparation for an Analogy: This verse prepares the reader for the marriage analogy in Romans 7:2-3, where he illustrates how death (in this case, the believer's death to the Law through Christ) breaks a binding agreement, allowing for a new union.

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word for "dominion" is kyrieuei, which means "to be lord over," "to rule," or "to have authority." It underscores the Law's absolute control and binding power over a person's life and conscience. This isn't just influence; it's a legal and spiritual sovereignty that the Law exercises.

Significance and Application

Romans 7:1 lays the groundwork for understanding the believer's freedom in Christ. It teaches that just as a person is released from a legal obligation (like marriage) upon death, so too are believers released from the Law's condemning power through their identification with Christ's death. This doesn't mean the Law is bad or abolished, but that its function for those in Christ has changed from condemnation to revelation of sin, ultimately pointing to the need for a Savior. Believers are now under grace, not law, as further explained in Romans 6:14 and Romans 8:2, where the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" frees them from the "law of sin and death." This verse invites us to reflect on our own relationship with rules and regulations versus the liberating power of God's grace.

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Cross-References

  • Romans 6:14 (15 votes)

    For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

  • Romans 7:6 (11 votes)

    But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter.

  • Romans 6:3 (8 votes)

    Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

  • Romans 10:1 (7 votes)

    ¶ Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

  • Proverbs 6:23 (7 votes)

    For the commandment [is] a lamp; and the law [is] light; and reproofs of instruction [are] the way of life:

  • Galatians 4:21 (4 votes)

    ¶ Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

  • Romans 9:3 (4 votes)

    For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: