Romans 7:1

CHAPTER VII.

The law has power over a man as long as he lives, 1.

And a wife is bound to her husband only as long as he lives,

2, 3.

Christian believers are delivered from the Mosaic law by Christ

Jesus, and united to God, 5-7.

By the law is the knowledge of sin, 8.

But it gives no power over it, 9-11.

Yet it is holy, just, and good, 12.

How it convinces of sin, and brings into bondage, 13-24.

No deliverance from its curse but by Jesus Christ, 25.

NOTES ON CHAP. VII.

The apostle having, in the preceding chapter, shown the converted Gentiles the obligations they were under to live a holy life, addresses himself here to the Jews who might hesitate to embrace the Gospel; lest, by this means, they should renounce the law, which might appear to them as a renunciation of their allegiance to God. As they rested in the law, as sufficient for justification and sanctification, it was necessary to convince them of their mistake. That the law was insufficient for their justification the apostle had proved, in chapters iii., iv., and v.; that it is insufficient for their sanctification he shows in this chapter; and introduces his discourse by showing that a believing Jew is discharged from his obligations to the law, and is at liberty to come under another and much happier constitution, viz. that of the Gospel of Christ, Romans 7:1. In Romans 7:5 he gives a general description of the state of a Jew, in servitude to sin, considered as under mere law. In Romans 7:6 he gives a summary account of the state of a Christian, or believing Jew, and the advantages he enjoys under the Gospel. Upon Romans 7:5 he comments, from Romans 7:7, and upon Romans 7:6 he comments, Romans 8:1.

In explaining his position in Romans 7:5 he shows:

1. That the law reaches to all the branches and latent principles of sin, Romans 7:7.

2. That it subjected the sinner to death, Romans 7:8, without the expectation of pardon.

3. He shows the reason why the Jew was put under it, Romans 7:13.

4. He proves that the law, considered as a rule of action, though it was spiritual, just, holy, and good in itself, yet was insufficient for sanctification, or for freeing a man from the power of inbred sin.

For, as the prevalency of sensual appetites cannot wholly extinguish the voice of reason and conscience, a man may acknowledge the law to be holy, just, and good, and yet his passions reign within him, keeping him in the most painful and degrading servitude, while the law supplied no power to deliver him from them, Romans 7:14, as that power can only be supplied by the grace of Jesus Christ, Romans 7:25. See Taylor.

Verse Romans 7:1. For I speak to them that know the law] This is a proof that the apostle directs this part of his discourse to the Jews.

As long as he liveth?] Or, as long as It liveth; law does not extend its influence to the dead, nor do abrogated laws bind. It is all the same whether we understand these words as speaking of a law abrogated, so that it cannot command; or of its objects being dead, so that it has none to bind. In either case the law has no force.