Rom 7:1 Or are ye ignorant, brethren (for I speak
to men who know the law), that the law hath dominion over a man for so
long time as he liveth? ASV
Rom 7:1 Or are ye ignorant, brethren (for I speak to men who know
the law), that the law hath dominion over a man for so long time as he
liveth? KJV
Rom 7:1 Or are you ignorant, brothers, (for I speak to those
knowing Law), that the Law lords it over the man for as long a time as
he lives? LITV
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COMMENTARY
Theme of chapter; Total Inability
Paul
is not describing the Christian’s so-called "struggle
with remaining [indwelling] sin." Rather he is showing two very
important truths;
1. The extent and depth of natural man’s depravity. He can go
even as far as delighting in the law of God and yet still be unsaved.
2. The futility of trying to achieve acceptance with God by the law.
This is the true meaning of Romans 7. Otherwise you end up in hopeless
contradiction with the clear teaching of the NT that Christians have
been set free from sin! If you understand that Paul is illustrating the
dilemma people experience when they try to seek acceptance with God by
the Law, there is no contradiction. Otherwise, it is completely
inconsistent with Paul’s statement: "I have fought the good
fight, I have kept the faith." Those are "good" things which Paul
says he actually did. Yet the description of the person in Romans
7:14ff is of one who cannot do -anything- good at all. Every time he
tries it ends up sin. Every time.
Paul is talking to Christians and using a universal truth that
is true of all men to make a point. While we are unsaved we are
subjects of "King Law." All men come into the world as slaves to
law; they are "of" the law until they are saved. It is our ruler &
master. It drives us and we must kow tow or suffer the consequences.
Paul just got finished chapter 6 wherein he plainly teaches
that the Christian is dead! Dead to what? ... Dead to sin! And in
verse 4 he says Christians are dead to the Law! Now ~That's~ good news
folks! Yet in no way can it be said of the guy in Romans 7 that
he’s... "Dead to Sin" or dead to the law.
On the contrary that guy is very much alive to the law and all he can
do is violate that law. Therefore he is still under condemnation of the
law, which is why Paul says in 8:1 that there is -No- condemnation to
those who are in Christ.
The view that vss 14ff are describing a regenerate man is
in blaring contradiction with the rest of the Bible. The reason is
quite simple; Romans 7:14ff describes a person who cannot stop sinning
no matter how hard he tries. Every time he makes even the slightest
attempt to do anything good... it invariably comes out evil... every
single time; No exceptions! That means the Christian can do absolutely
nothing good... at all! What then becomes of the Christian Doctrine of
good works? Are the Christian's good works marred with sin? If so how
can they be said to be good? Therefore that view contradicts vast
amounts of Scripture. For example... 1Jo_3:9 & see the
context. The NT testifies all over the place that a Christian can and
does please God.
1Co_7:32 Phi_4:18 Col_1:10 Col_3:20 1Th_2:4 1Th_4:1 2Ti_2:4 Heb_11:5 Heb_13:16 1Jo_3:22
That can only mean he does something good, for what man in his
right mind will say sin is pleasing to God? Yet the guy in Rom 7 cannot
stop sinning. How in the world then can it possibly be said of such a
wretched creature that what he does ... which is Sin, is pleasing to
God? This is the confusion the kook-pot view that the guy in
Romans 7 is regenerate produces. If you ask the guy in Romans 7:14 the
question; What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law,
but under grace? His answer would be... "Are you kidding? All I
CAN do is sin! I mean like... every time I try to do that which I would
not, that which I hate... that’s exactly what I do!"
What confusing contradiction!
Romans
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