Romans 7:2

Context of Romans 7:2

This verse is part of a crucial section in Paul's letter to the Romans (chapter 7), where he uses the analogy of marriage to explain the believer's relationship to the Mosaic Law. Paul is addressing a common concern among Jewish Christians: if salvation is by grace through faith, what then is the purpose or role of the Law? Before explicitly stating that believers are dead to the Law and married to Christ (as he does in Romans 7:4), he first establishes a familiar legal principle from ancient Jewish and Roman society regarding marriage bonds. This principle provides a clear, relatable illustration for his profound theological argument about spiritual freedom and new life in Christ.

Key Themes and Messages

• The Binding Nature of Law: The verse clearly illustrates how a legal covenant, such as marriage, creates a binding obligation. For the wife, she is "bound by the law to her husband," meaning she is legally and morally committed to him for life. This highlights the absolute nature of legal ties.
• Death as a Release: The central point of the analogy is that death is the only factor that dissolves this binding legal obligation. If the husband dies, the wife is "loosed from the law of her husband," meaning she is no longer legally bound to him and is free. This concept of release through death is foundational to Paul's argument about our freedom from the Law.
• Preparation for Spiritual Analogy: While seemingly about marriage, this verse serves as a direct setup for Paul's argument in the subsequent verses. It lays the groundwork for understanding how a believer's identification with Christ's death effectively "kills" their old relationship with the Law, allowing for a new spiritual "marriage" to Christ.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "bound by the law" (KJV) translates the Greek verb δέδεται (dedetai), which means "is bound" or "is tied." It emphasizes a strong, established legal and social obligation. The term "loosed" (κατήργηται, katērgetai) implies being made inoperative, abolished, or rendered ineffective. This signifies a complete and final cessation of the legal bond, which only occurs through the husband's death. This stark contrast between being bound and being loosed highlights the definitive nature of the release that death brings.

Related Scriptures

This verse, though an analogy, carries profound implications for understanding the Christian's position. Just as a woman is freed from her first husband by his death, Paul explains that believers are freed from the dominion of the Law through their identification with Christ's death. This means we are no longer under the Law's condemnation or its power to lead us to sin, but are now united with Christ.

• Freedom from Condemnation: Because we are "dead to the Law" in Christ, we are no longer under its power to condemn us for our failures. Our righteousness comes from Christ alone. Romans 8:1 declares, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."
• New Spiritual Union: The release from the Law allows for a new, life-giving union with Christ. As Paul articulates in Romans 7:4, we are "married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." This new union empowers us to live a life of obedience and fruitfulness, not out of legal obligation, but out of love and grace.
• Grace, Not Law: This analogy reinforces the message found in Romans 6:14: "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." Our freedom is not a license to sin, but a liberation to serve God in a new way, by the Spirit, not by the letter of the law.

In essence, Romans 7:2 is a foundational stone in Paul's argument for the believer's freedom from the Law's condemning power, paving the way for a vibrant, Spirit-led life in union with Christ.