Romans 7:17

Now i.e. in this state of the case.

it is no more I The Gr. is lit. but now no longer I do it, &c. The "no longer" is noteworthy, as implying (in the natural and common meaning of the words) a different previousstate. It is possible indeed for the Gr. phrase to mean "no longer" with a logicalreference only: q. d., "you can no longer maintain, after this statement, that I, &c." But the large majority of New Testament parallels are for the time-reference: q. d., "it was once my true self, it is now no longer my true self, which works the will of sin." Divine grace has now so altered the inner balance that the conscious willhates sin as sin and loves holiness as holiness. See meanwhile note on Romans 7:9; where it is pointed out that even before grace selfand sinare not, in strictness, to be identified. But the present verse goes further; indicating a real antagonism now between sin and the (regenerated) self.