Bible Commentaries
Romans 7

Verse 4

married joined.

Ephesians 5:31; Ephesians 5:31 same Greek word.

Bride (of Christ). 2 Corinthians 11:1-3; John 3:29; Revelation 19:6-8.

Verse 6

newness

Cf. Romans 2:29; 2 Corinthians 3:6. "The letter" is a Paulinism for the law, as "spirit" in these passages is his word for the relationships and powers of new life in Christ Jesus. In 2 Cor. 3. a series is presented of contrast of law with "spirit," of the old covenant and the new. The contrast is not between two methods of interpretation, literal, and spiritual, but between two methods of divine dealing: one through the law, the other through the Holy Spirit.

Verse 7

sin

Sin. (See Scofield " :-") .

Verse 8

sin

Sin. (See Scofield " :-") .

Verse 9

when the commandment

The passage (vs 7-25) is autobiographical. Paul's religious experience was in three strongly marked phases:

(1) He was a godly Jew under the law. That the passage does not refer to that period is clear from his own explicit statements elsewhere. At that time he held himself to be "blameless" as concerned the law Philippians 3:6. He had "lived in all good conscience" Acts 23:1.

(2) With his conversion came new light upon the law itself. He now perceived it to be "spiritual" (Romans 7:14). He now saw that, so far from having kept it, he was condemned by it. He had supposed himself to be "alive," but now the commandment really "came" (Romans 7:9) and he "died." Just when the apostle passed through the experience of Romans 7:7-25 we are not told. Perhaps during the days of physical blindness at Damascus Acts 9:9; Acts 9:9 perhaps in Arabia Galatians 1:17.

It is the experience of a renewed man, under the law, and still ignorant of the delivering power of the Holy Spirit Romans 8:2.

(3) With the great revelations afterward embodied in Galatians and Romans, the apostle's experience entered it third phase. He now knew himself to be "dead to the law by the body of Christ," and, in the power of the indwelling Spirit, "free from the law of sin and death" Romans 8:2 while "the righteousness of the law" was wrought in him (not by him) while he walked after the Spirit Romans 8:4; Romans 8:4 Romans 7:0. is the record of past conflicts and defeats experience as a renewed man under law.

sin Sin. (See Scofield "Romans 7:0- :") .

Verse 11

sin

Sin. (See Scofield " :-") .

Verse 13

sin/sinful

Sin. (See Scofield " :-") .

Verse 14

carnal

Cf. 1 Corinthians 3:1; 1 Corinthians 3:4. "Carnal" = "fleshly" is Paul's word for the Adamic nature, and for the believer who "walks," i.e. lives, under the power of it. "Natural" is his characteristic word for the unrenewed man 1 Corinthians 2:14 as "spiritual" designates the renewed man who walks in the Spirit ; 1 Corinthians 3:1; Galatians 6:1.

sin Sin. (See Scofield "Galatians 6:1- :") .

Verse 15

I do I allow not

The apostle personifies the strife of the two natures in the believer, the old or Adamic nature, and the divine nature received through the new birth 1 Peter 1:23; 2 Peter 1:4; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27. The "I" which is Saul of Tarsus, and the "I" which is Paul the apostle are at strife, and "Paul" is in defeat. In Chapter 8, this strife is effectually taken up on the believer's behalf by the Holy Spirit ; Romans 8:2; Galatians 5:16; Galatians 5:17 and Paul is victorious.

Contra, Ephesians 6:12 where the conflict is not fleshly, but spiritual.

Verse 17

sin

Sin. (See Scofield " :-") .

Verse 20

sin Sin. (See Scofield " :-") .

Verse 21

law

Six "laws" are to be distinguished in Romans: The law of Moses, which condemns Romans 3:19 "law" as a principle Romans 3:21 the law of faith, which excludes self-righteousness Romans 3:27 the law of sin in the members, which is victorious over the law of the mind Romans 7:21; Romans 7:23; Romans 7:25 the law of the mind, which consents to the law of Moses but cannot do it because of the law of sin in the members Romans 7:16; Romans 7:23 and the "law of the Spirit," having power to deliver the believer from the law of sin which is in his members, and his conscience from condemnation by the Mosaic law. Moreover the Spirit works in the yielded believer the very righteousness which Moses' law requires Romans 8:2; Romans 8:4.

Verse 23

sin

Sin. (See Scofield " :-") .

Verse 24

from the body

Or, out of this body of death. Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17.

Verse 25

sin

Sin. (See Scofield " :-") .