Romanos 7:7-23

Romans 7:7-Isaiah : . Autobiography of the Man under Law.— What it means to be “ in bondage to the old letter” ( 6 ), the apostle will show from his own experience. That the following description belongs to Paul’ s legal past appears from ch. 6 , and from the contrastive “ now” of Romans 8:1. Failing to “ reckon himself dead unto sin,” the believer may, doubtless, relapse into the misery of Romans 7:24.

Romans 7:7 f. The legalist interjects: “ What shall We say then? is the law sin?” Paul has, indeed, in a sense, identified it with sin ( Romans 5:20, Romans 6:14; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:56); he explains by expounding Romans 3:20, “ Through law comes the knowledge of sin.” Take, for instance, the command, “ Thou shalt not covet,” the hearing of which “ awakened slumbering desire.”

Romans 7:9-1 Kings : . At that moment “ sin came to life,” “ and” the innocent child “ I” was “ died,” slain by “ the” very “ law” which “ pointed the way to life”— a result due to “ the deceit of sin,” which “ got through the command” a fatal “ leverage” upon me.

Romans 7:12 f. In making this “ deadly” use of a thing so “ holy and good,” sin unmasked itself.

Romans 7:14 . The abuse was possible through the fault of my nature: “ The law is spiritual; I am a creature of flesh” ( cf. Romans 8:7 f.). In adding “ sold under sin” the apostle recalls Romans 5:12-2 Chronicles :: the child of Adam is compromised by his heredity. “ Sold,” he needs “ redemption” ( Romans 3:24).

Romans 7:15-Proverbs : . A struggle ensues between duty and desire: young Saul finds himself “ doing what he would not,” what “ he loathes.” In conviction “ he agrees with the law, delights in it.” “ The will” to obey is there, “ the operative power” is wanting; a hostile force lodged “ in his flesh” determines his action.

Romans 7:21-Isaiah : . “ Another (the de facto) law rules in my members,” which dictates “ evil” for “ good” ; from this fortress “ the law of sin wages war against the law of God, the law of my reason, making me its captive.”

Romans 7:24-Lamentations : a . As the prisoner cries for deliverance, “ Jesus Christ comes to his rescue!”

Romans 7:25 b . The conclusion of the whole matter: “ I by myself” (without Christ; contrast Galatians 2:20) “ with my reason serve God’ s law, but with my flesh sin’ s law” ; in theory the former is sovereign, in practice the latter.—“ The body of this death” ( Romans 7:24) is the actual body ( cf. Romans 7:18; Romans 7:23; also Romans 6:6; Romans 6:12), whose mortality ( cf. Romans 5:21) betokens the death of the whole man ( cf. Ephesians 2:1-Deuteronomy :); when “ sin came to life” ( Romans 7:9), “ this (conscious) death” began. Cf. Romans 5:12 *.