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John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 7:10

Verse 10 10.Was found by me, etc. Two things are stated here — that the commandment shows to us a way of life in the righteousness of God, and that it was given in order that we by keeping the law of the Lord might obtain eternal life, except our corruption stood in the way. But as none of us obey the law, but, on the contrary, are carried headlong on our feet and hands into that kind of life from which it recalls us, it can bring us nothing but death. We must thus distinguish between the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 7:11

Verse 11 11.Led me out of the way, etc. It is indeed true, that while the will of God is hid from us, and no truth shines on us, the life of men goes wholly astray and is full of errors; nay, we do nothing but wander from the right course, until the law shows to us the way of living rightly: but as we begin then only to perceive our erroneous course, when the Lord loudly reproves us, Paul says rightly, that we are led out of the way, when sin is made evident by the law. Hence the verb,... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 7:12

Verse 12 12.So then the law is indeed holy, etc. Some think that the words law and commandment is a repetition of the same thing; with whom I agree; (216) and I consider that there is a peculiar force in the words, when he says, that the law itself and whatever is commanded in the law, is holy, and therefore to be regarded with the highest reverence, — that it isjust, and cannot therefore be charged with anything wrong, — that it is good, and hence pure and free from everything that can do... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 7:13

Verse 13 13.Has then what is good, etc. He had hitherto defended the law from calumnies, but in such a manner, that it still remained doubtful whether it was the cause of death; nay, the minds of men were on this point perplexed, — how could it be that nothing but death was gained from so singular a gift of God. To this objection then he now gives an answer; and he denies, that death proceeds from the law, though death through its means is brought on us by sin. And though this answer seems to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 7:1-17

The position of the Law under the New Testament. The apostle is here continuing his discussion of the immoral suggestion to which he alluded in the previous chapter ( Romans 7:15 ), "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the Law, but under grace?" I. THE RELATION OF THE LAW TO THE CHRISTIAN . 1. he Christian's union with Christ involves his freedom from the Law. 2. But this union with Christ and freedom from the Law do not imply that he is free... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 7:7-11

Knowledge of sin through Law. The strong language in which the apostle exulted in the believer's discharge from the Law might easily be misunderstood, and give offence to Jewish readers. It seemed to throw the onus of man's bondage and death entirely upon the Sinaitic Law. To obviate misconception, he therefore enters into a detailed examination of the relationship of sin and Law. He insists on the Junction of Law as revealing sin —the secondary, not the primary cause of sin. I. THE... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 7:7-13

Is the Law sin? "The sinful passions, which were through the Law" ( Romans 7:5 ). What does the Law bring forth such fruit? Is the LAW SIN ? Nay, that cannot be; on the contrary, we all acknowledge it, without dispute, as "holy," and every separate commandment which it gives as "holy, and righteous, and good." Nevertheless, even the holy Law has peculiar relations to the development of sin; and they are these: the Law reveals sin; the Law becomes, to a sinful man, an excitant to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 7:7-13

The work of the Law in awakening the soul. After the general statement about the two marriages of the soul, the apostle proceeds to exhibit the soul in its unregenerate state, and how it is awakened through Law to a sense of its guilt and danger. In the section now before us we have the soul presented in its state of security, and then passing into its state of alarm. The subsequent section, as we shall see, presents the soul in its regenerate condition contending successfully against its... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 7:7-25

( b ) The relation of law to sin, and how law prepares the soul for emancipation in Christ from the dominion of sin. In the section of the argument which begins at Romans 7:1 we have seen that the idea of being under sin has passed into that of being under law, in such apparent connection of thought as to identify the positions. The apostle, seeing that readers might be perplexed by such identification, now, in the first place, explains what he has meant by it. Is the Law, then, sin?... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Romans 7:9-11

For I was alive without (or, apart from ) law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived (or, sprang into life ) , and I died. And the commandment, which was unto life, this I found to be unto death, For sin, taking occasion, through the commandment deceived me, and through it slew me . If, in saying, "I was alive once," the writer is at all remembering his own experience, the reference may be to the time of the innocence of childhood, before he had any distinct... read more

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