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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Romans 7:1–6. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Among other arguments used in the foregoing chapter to persuade us against sin, and to holiness, this was one (Rom 7:14), that we are not under the law; and this argument is here further insisted upon and explained (Rom 7:6): We are delivered from the law. What is meant by this? And how is it an argument why sin should not reign over us, and why we should walk in newness of life? 1. We are delivered from the power of the law which curses and condemns us for the sin committed by us. The sentence of the law against us is vacated and reversed, by the death of Christ, to all true believers. The law saith, The soul that sins shall die; but we are delivered from the law. The Lord has taken away thy sin, thou shalt not die. We are redeemed from the curse of the law, Gal 3:13. 2. We are delivered from that power of the law which irritates and provokes the sin that dwelleth in us. This the apostle seems especially to refer to (Rom 7:5): The motions of sins which were by the law. The law, by commanding, forbidding, threatening, corrupt and fallen man, but offering no grace to cure and strengthen, did but stir up the corruption, and, like the sun shining upon a dunghill, excite and draw up the filthy steams. We being lamed by the fall, the law comes and directs us, but provides nothing to heal and help our lameness, and so makes us halt and stumble the more. Understand this of the law not as a rule, but as a covenant of works. Now each of these is an argument why we should be holy; for here is encouragement to endeavours, though in many things we come short. We are under grace, which promises strength to do what it commands, and pardon upon repentance when we do amiss. This is the scope of these verses in general, that, in point of profession and privilege, we are under a covenant of grace, and not under a covenant of works - under the gospel of Christ, and not under the law of Moses. The difference between a law-state and a gospel-state he had before illustrated by the similitude of rising to a new life, and serving a new master; now here he speaks of is under the similitude of being married to a new husband.
I.Our first marriage was to the law, which, according to the law of marriage, was to continue only during the life of the law.
The law of marriage is binding till the death of one of the parties, no matter which, and no longer. The death of either discharges both. For this he appeals to themselves, as persons knowing the law (Rom 7:1): I speak to those that know the law. It is a great advantage to discourse with those that have knowledge, for such can more readily understand and apprehend a truth. Many of the Christians at Rome were such as had been Jews, and so were well acquainted with the law. One has some hold of knowing people. The law hath power over a man as long as he liveth; in particular, the law of marriage hath power; or, in general, every law is so limited - the laws of nations, of relations, of families, etc.
1.The obligation of laws extends no further; by death the servant who, while he lived, was under the yoke, is freed from his master, Job 3:19.
2.The condemnation of laws extends no further; death is the finishing of the law. Actio moritur cum person - The action expires with the person. The severest laws could but kill the body, and after that there is no more that they can do. Thus while we were alive to the law we were under the power of it - while we were in our Old Testament state, before the gospel came into the world, and before it came with power into our hearts. Such is the law of marriage (Rom 7:2), the woman is bound to her husband during life, so bound to him that she cannot marry another; if she do, she shall be reckoned an adulteress, Rom 7:3. It will make her an adulteress, not only to be defiled by, but to be married to, another man; for that is so much the worse, upon this account, that it abuses an ordinance of God, by making it to patronise the uncleanness. Thus were we married to the law (Rom 7:5): When we were in the flesh, that is, in a carnal state, under the reigning power of sin and corruption - in the flesh as in our element - then the motions of sins which were by the law did work in our members, we were carried down the stream of sin, and the law was but as an imperfect dam, which made the stream to swell the higher, and rage the more. Our desire was towards sin, as that of the wife towards her husband, and sin ruled over us. We embraced it, loved it, devoted all to it, conversed daily with it, made it our care to please it. We were under a law of sin and death, as the wife under the law of marriage; and the product of this marriage was fruit brought forth unto death, that is, actual transgressions were produced by the original corruption, such as deserve death. Lust, having conceived by the law (which is the strength of sin, Co1 15:56), bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death, Jam 1:15. This is the posterity that springs from this marriage to sin and the law. This comes of the motions of sin working in our members. And this continues during life, while the law is alive to us, and we are alive to the law.
II.Our second marriage is to Christ: and how comes this about? Why,
1.We are freed, by death, from our obligation to the law as a covenant, as the wife is from her obligation to her husband, Rom 7:3. This resemblance is not very close, nor needed it to be. You are become dead to the law, Rom 7:4. He does not say, "The law is dead" (some think because he would avoid giving offence to those who were yet zealous for the law), but, which comes all to one, You are dead to the law. As the crucifying of the world to us, and of us to the world, amounts to one and the same thing, so doth the law dying, and our dying to it. We are delivered from the law (Rom 7:6), katērgēthēmen - we are nulled as to the law; our obligation to it as a husband is cassated and made void. And then he speaks of the law being dead as far as it was a law of bondage to us: That being dead wherein we were held; not the law itself, but its obligation to punishment and its provocation to sin. It is dead, it has lost its power; and this (Rom 7:4) by the body of Christ, that is, by the sufferings of Christ in his body, by his crucified body, which abrogated the law, answered the demands of it, made satisfaction for our violation of it, purchased for us a covenant of grace, in which righteousness and strength are laid up for us, such as were not, nor could be, by the law. We are dead to the law by our union with the mystical body of Christ. By being incorporated into Christ in our baptism professedly, in our believing powerfully and effectually, we are dead to the law, have no more to do with it than the dead servant, that is free from his master, hath to do with his master's yoke.
2.We are married to Christ. The day of our believing is the day of our espousals to the Lord Jesus. We enter upon a life of dependence on him and duty to him: Married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, a periphrasis of Christ and very pertinent here; for as our dying to sin and the law is in conformity to the death of Christ, and the crucifying of his body, so our devotedness to Christ in newness of life is in conformity to the resurrection of Christ. We are married to the raised exalted Jesus, a very honourable marriage. Compare Co2 11:2; Eph 5:29. Now we are thus married to Christ,
(1.)That we should bring forth fruit unto God, Rom 7:4. One end of marriage is fruitfulness: God instituted the ordinance that he might seek a godly seed, Mal 2:15. The wife is compared to the fruitful vine, and children are called the fruit of the womb. Now the great end of our marriage to Christ is our fruitfulness in love, and grace, and every good work. This is fruit unto God, pleasing to God, according to his will, aiming at his glory. As our old marriage to sin produced fruit unto death, so our second marriage to Christ produces fruit unto God, fruits of righteousness. Good works are the children of the new nature, the products of our union with Christ, as the fruitfulness of the vine is the product of its union with the root. Whatever our professions and pretensions may be, there is no fruit brought forth to God till we are married to Christ; it is in Christ Jesus that we are created unto good works, Eph 2:10. The only fruit which turns to a good account is that which is brought forth in Christ. This distinguishes the good works of believers from the good works of hypocrites and self-justifiers that they are brought forth in marriage, done in union with Christ, in the name of the Lord Jesus, Col 3:17. This is, without controversy, one of the great mysteries of godliness.
(2.)That we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter, Rom 7:6. Being married to a new husband, we must change our way. Still we must serve, but it is a service that is perfect freedom, whereas the service of sin was a perfect drudgery: we must now serve in newness of spirit, by new spiritual rules, from new spiritual principles, in spirit and in truth, Joh 4:24. There must be a renovation of our spirits wrought by the spirit of God, and in that we must serve. Not in the oldness of the letter; that is, we must not rest in mere external services, as the carnal Jews did, who gloried in their adherence to the letter of the law, and minded not the spiritual part of worship. The letter is said to kill with its bondage and terror, but we are delivered from that yoke that we may serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness, Luk 1:74, Luk 1:75. We are under the dispensation of the Spirit, and therefore must be spiritual, and serve in the spirit. Compare with this Co2 3:3, Co2 3:6, etc. It becomes us to worship within the veil, and no longer in the outward court.
Historical interpretation
Three Centuries of Reception
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For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sin, which (passions) used to be efficiently caused through the law, (wrought) in our members unto the bearing of fruit to death; but now we have been emancipated from the law, being dead (to that) in which we used to be held, unto the serving of God in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of letter.
Some people have wrongly interpreted “the new life of the Spirit” as if it meant that the Spirit himself was new and did not previously exist or teach the prophets of old. Such people do not realize how greatly they are blaspheming! For the same Spirit is in the law as in the gospel. He dwells eternally with the Father and the Son and is eternal just as they are. It is not that he is new but that he makes believers new when he leads them out of their former sins to a new life and a new obedience to the religion of Christ, turning carnal people into spiritual ones.
The law is called the “law of death” because it punishes the guilty and puts sinners to death. It is therefore not evil but righteous. For although evil is inflicted on its victims by the law, the law itself is not evil, because it executes wrath justly. Therefore it is not evil to sinners but just. But to good people it is spiritual. For who would doubt that it is spiritual to forbid sin? But because the law could not save men by forgiving sin the law of faith was given, in order to deliver believers from the power of sin and bring those whom the law had held in death back to life. For to them it is a law of death and it works wrath in them because of sin.Although Paul regards the law as inferior to the law of faith, he does not condemn it.… The law of Moses is not called old because it is evil but because it is out of date and has ceased to function.… The old law was written on tablets of stone, but the law of the Spirit is written spiritually on the tables of the heart that it might be eternal, whereas the letter of the old law is consumed with age. There is another way of understanding the law of the Spirit, which is that, where the former law restrained evil deeds, this law which says that we ought not to sin even in our hearts is called “the law of the Spirit,” because it makes the whole person spiritual.
See how he again in this place spares the flesh and the Law. For he does not say that the Law was made of no effect, or that the flesh was made of no effect, but that we were made of no effect (i.e., were delivered). And how were we delivered? Why by the old man, who was held down by sin, being dead and buried. For this is what he sets forth in the words, "being dead to that, wherein we were held." As if he had said, the chain by which we were held down was deadened and broken through, so that that which held down, namely sin, held down no more. But do not fall back or grow listless. For you have been freed with a view to being servants again, though not in the same way, but "in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." Now what does he mean here? for it is necessary to disclose it here, that when we come upon the passage, we may not be perplexed with it. When then Adam sinned (he means), and his body became liable to death and sufferings, it received also many physical losses, and the horse became less active and less obedient. But Christ, when He came, made it more nimble for us through baptism, rousing it with the wing of the Spirit. And for this reason the marks for the race, which they of old time had to run, are not the same as ours. Since then the race was not so easy as it is now. For this reason, He desires them to be clear not from murder only, as He did them of old time, but from anger also; nor is it adultery only that He bids them keep clear of, but even the unchaste look; and to be exempt not from false swearing only, but even from true. And with their friends He orders them to love their enemies also.
We have died to the sin for which we were held by the law, and now we serve according to the demands of spiritual grace, not according to the written law.
Now everything has changed, Paul says. We have died to this life and are no longer under any obligation to keep the law. Our life no longer has anything in common with that, because we have been renewed by the power of the Spirit and have become different people. We have crossed over from this present life to life eternal and cannot tolerate any captivity of the flesh.… What is more, we who follow Christ are much better off than those who are governed by the law.
The law is only a written code to those who do not fulfill it in the spirit of charity to which the New Testament belongs.
Paul continues in his cautious manner, for he does not say that the law is abolished but rather that we have been set free from it.
Paul sets “Spirit” against “letter,” “newness” against “oldness,” and by these names shows us how different the two things are.
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Summary
Romans 7:6 articulates a profound transformation in the believer's relationship with God's Law, marking a decisive shift from a legalistic adherence to an external code to a vibrant, Spirit-empowered service. Paul declares that believers have been decisively "delivered from the law," signifying a liberation from its power to condemn and a release from the futile endeavor of seeking righteousness through its demands. This deliverance enables a new mode of service, one characterized by the "newness of spirit," which flows from an inner renewal by the Holy Spirit, rather than the "oldness of the letter," which represents a mere outward conformity to written regulations that ultimately highlighted sin and brought death.
Context
Literary Context
Romans 7:6 serves as a pivotal conclusion to Paul's intricate argument concerning the Law's role in the life of a justified believer, building directly on the preceding chapters and setting the stage for the triumphant declaration of freedom in Romans 8. In Romans 6, Paul establishes that believers are "dead to sin" and "alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:11). He then addresses the Law in Romans 7, using the analogy of marriage in Romans 7:1-4 to illustrate how death dissolves a legal bond. Just as a woman is released from the law of her husband upon his death, believers have "died to the Law through the body of Christ" (Romans 7:4) so that they might be united with Christ and "bear fruit for God." Verse 5 then highlights the negative outcome of living "in the flesh" under the Law, where sinful passions were aroused. Therefore, verse 6 presents the glorious resolution: deliverance from this old bond, enabling a new, Spirit-led life.
Historical & Cultural Context
Paul's audience in Rome included both Jewish and Gentile believers, many of whom were grappling with the implications of the Mosaic Law in light of the Gospel. For Jewish Christians, the Law had been central to their identity and covenant relationship with God for centuries. They understood the Law not merely as a set of rules but as a divine revelation, a guide for righteous living, and a marker of God's chosen people. However, Paul consistently argues that while the Law is holy and good (Romans 7:12), it was never intended as a means of justification (Romans 3:20) but rather to expose sin (Romans 3:20) and lead to Christ (Galatians 3:24). The cultural context also involved a tension between legalistic adherence (often associated with some Jewish factions) and the radical freedom proclaimed by Christ. Paul clarifies that freedom from the Law's condemnation does not equate to lawlessness, but rather a higher form of obedience empowered by the Spirit, contrasting with the external, performance-based righteousness prevalent in some religious circles.
Key Themes
This verse contributes significantly to several overarching themes in Romans and Paul's theology. Firstly, it underscores the theme of Liberation and Deliverance, emphasizing that believers are no longer enslaved to sin's power or the Law's condemnation, but are set free by Christ's work. Secondly, it highlights the Inadequacy of the Law for Justification and Sanctification, demonstrating that the Law, while good, cannot impart life or transform the heart; it only reveals sin. This leads to the theme of New Covenant vs. Old Covenant, contrasting the "oldness of the letter" (Mosaic Law as a written code) with the "newness of spirit" (the Spirit-empowered life under the new covenant, as seen in 2 Corinthians 3:6). Finally, it introduces the critical theme of Spirit-Empowered Living, asserting that true service to God flows from an internal work of the Holy Spirit, leading to genuine righteousness and fruitfulness, a concept further developed in Romans 8.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Meaning "to be (render) entirely idle (useless), literally or figuratively:--abolish, cease, cumber, deliver, destroy, do away, become (make) of no (none, without) effect, fail, loose, bring (come) to nought, put away (down), vanish away, make void." Here, it signifies that the Law's power to hold believers in bondage to sin and condemnation has been rendered inoperative or nullified. It's not that the Law itself is destroyed in its moral essence, but its dominion over the believer as a source of condemnation has been abolished.
Meaning "renewal (figuratively):--newness." This term denotes a qualitative newness, something fresh, superior, and unprecedented, rather than merely new in time. It speaks to a profound spiritual renovation, a transformation of the inner being that enables a fundamentally different way of relating to God and serving Him.
Meaning "a writing, i.e. a letter, note, epistle, book, etc.; plural learning:--bill, learning, letter, scripture, writing, written." In this context, "letter" refers to the written code of the Mosaic Law. Paul contrasts the external, written demands of the Law, which when divorced from the Spirit's power, only reveal sin and bring condemnation, with the internal, life-giving work of the Spirit.
Verse Breakdown
"But now we are delivered from the law"
This clause marks a decisive turning point, emphasizing a present reality for believers. The Greek word for "delivered" (katargéō) conveys the idea of being rendered inoperative or nullified. It means that the Law's power to condemn and hold us captive to sin has been abolished for those in Christ. This is not an abolition of the Law's moral principles, but of its dominion over us as a means of righteousness or a source of condemnation.
"that being dead wherein we were held"
This phrase clarifies the mechanism of deliverance. The "that" refers to the Law's power or dominion over us. The "being dead" (apothnḗskō) refers to the believer's identification with Christ's death, through which we "died to the law" (Romans 7:4). The "wherein we were held" signifies the former state of being enslaved or bound by the Law's demands, which, apart from Christ, led to sin and death. Our death with Christ breaks this bond.
"that we should serve in newness of spirit"
This clause states the positive purpose of our deliverance. The word "serve" (douleúō) implies a willing, devoted service, now undertaken not out of compulsion or fear, but from a transformed heart. "Newness of spirit" (kainótēs pneûma) indicates a qualitatively new way of living and serving God, empowered by the Holy Spirit. This service is internal, vibrant, and flows from a renewed inner being, contrasting sharply with external performance.
"and not [in] the oldness of the letter"
This final clause provides a stark contrast to the preceding one. "Oldness" (palaiótēs) suggests something antiquated, worn out, or obsolete for the purpose of granting life. "Letter" (grámma) refers to the written code of the Law. Serving in the "oldness of the letter" means attempting to obey God through mere external adherence to rules, without the enabling power of the Spirit. Such service, Paul implies, is futile for achieving true righteousness and only highlights human inadequacy.
Literary Devices
Paul employs several significant literary devices in Romans 7:6. The most prominent is Antithesis, or Contrast, which is central to the verse's meaning. He starkly contrasts "newness of spirit" with "oldness of the letter," highlighting two fundamentally different modes of relationship with God and service to Him. This contrast emphasizes the radical shift brought about by Christ's work. Furthermore, there is a strong element of Metaphor and Personification carried over from the preceding verses, particularly the analogy of marriage in Romans 7:1-4. While not explicitly stated in verse 6, the idea of the Law as a "husband" that held believers in a binding relationship, now "dead" to them, subtly undergirds the concept of being "delivered from the law." The "letter" itself is also a Metonymy for the Mosaic Law as a system of external rules, distinct from the life-giving "spirit." The verse's concise phrasing also exhibits Conciseness, packing profound theological truth into a few powerful phrases.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Romans 7:6 is a cornerstone of Pauline theology, articulating the profound implications of Christ's work for the believer's relationship with the Mosaic Law. It underscores that salvation is not merely a change in legal status (justification) but a radical transformation of one's operating principle (sanctification). The Law, while holy and good, was never intended to be the source of life or the means of righteousness. Instead, it exposed sin and revealed humanity's inability to perfectly obey God, thus serving as a "tutor" to lead us to Christ. Through Christ's death and resurrection, believers are freed from the Law's condemnation and its power to arouse sin, enabling them to live by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. This new life is characterized by an internal, Spirit-driven obedience that fulfills the righteous requirements of the Law, rather than a burdensome, external adherence to a written code that only highlighted sin.
Reflection and Application
Romans 7:6 offers profound liberation and a clear directive for Christian living. It challenges us to examine the source and motivation of our obedience to God. Are we striving to earn His favor or maintain our standing through external performance, fearing condemnation if we fail? This would be serving in the "oldness of the letter," a path that inevitably leads to frustration, legalism, and a sense of inadequacy. Instead, Paul calls us to embrace the glorious freedom found in Christ, recognizing that we are truly "delivered from the law" as a means of righteousness. Our service to God is now to flow from the "newness of spirit," meaning it is empowered, guided, and transformed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. This calls for a daily reliance on the Spirit, yielding to His promptings, and allowing Him to produce genuine righteousness and fruit in our lives. It's a call to live from the inside out, where our obedience is a joyful response of love and gratitude, rather than a burdensome obligation. This Spirit-led life is the true essence of Christian freedom and the path to genuine spiritual vitality.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does it mean to be "delivered from the law"?
To be "delivered from the law" (Greek: katargéō) means that the Law's power to condemn us and hold us captive to sin has been rendered inoperative or nullified for those who are in Christ. It does not mean that the moral principles of the Law are abolished or that believers are now free to live lawlessly. Rather, it signifies that our relationship to the Law as a means of justification or a source of condemnation has ended. We are no longer under its dominion in that sense, because we have "died to the law through the body of Christ" (Romans 7:4), and are now united with Him. This freedom allows us to serve God not out of fear or obligation, but out of love and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
What is the difference between "newness of spirit" and "oldness of the letter"?
This contrast highlights two distinct ways of relating to God and serving Him. "Oldness of the letter" refers to attempting to obey God through mere external adherence to the written code of the Mosaic Law, without the internal transformation and enabling power of the Holy Spirit. This approach, Paul argues, only highlights sin and leads to condemnation because no one can perfectly fulfill the Law's demands on their own strength (Romans 3:20). In contrast, "newness of spirit" describes a life lived by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, who indwells believers. This results in an internal, qualitative transformation that produces genuine righteousness and a willing, joyful obedience that flows from a renewed heart, rather than from external compulsion. This is the essence of the new covenant, where the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Romans 7:6 finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the one who perfectly fulfilled the Law, not only in His sinless life but also in His atoning death, thereby becoming "the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes" (Romans 10:4). Through His crucifixion, believers are mystically united with Him, dying to the Law's dominion and being raised with Him to new life (Romans 6:3-4). Christ's resurrection inaugurates the "newness of spirit," as He pours out the Holy Spirit upon His followers, enabling them to live in a way that the "oldness of the letter" could never achieve. The Law, which could only condemn, is now superseded by the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:2), freeing us from the law of sin and death. Thus, our deliverance from the Law is not a permission for lawlessness, but a divine empowerment through Christ to live a life truly pleasing to God, characterized by love and obedience that flows from an indwelling Spirit, fulfilling the righteous requirements of the Law from the heart (Romans 8:4).