Believers United to Christ

Or do you not know, (A)brothers and sisters (for I am speaking to those who know the [a]Law), that the [b]Law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? For (B)the married woman is bound by law to her [c]husband as long as he is alive; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law [d]concerning the husband. So then, if while her husband is alive she [e]gives herself to another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress if she [f]gives herself to another man.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were (C)put to death (D)in regard to the Law (E)through the body of Christ, so that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were (F)in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were (G)brought to light by the Law, were at work (H)in [g]the parts of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been (I)released from the Law, having (J)died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in (K)newness of (L)the [h]Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

(M)What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? [i](N)Far from it! On the contrary, (O)I would not have come to know sin except [j]through the Law; for I would not have known about [k]coveting if the Law had not said, “(P)You shall not [l]covet.” But sin, (Q)taking an opportunity (R)through the commandment, produced in me [m]coveting of every kind; for (S)apart [n]from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart [o]from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin came to life, and I died; 10 and this commandment, which was [p](T)to result in life, proved [q]to result in death for me; 11 for sin, (U)taking an opportunity (V)through the commandment, (W)deceived me, and through it, killed me. 12 (X)So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13 Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? [r](Y)Far from it! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by bringing about my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

The Conflict of Serving Two Masters

14 For we know that the Law is (Z)spiritual, but I am (AA)fleshly, (AB)sold [s](AC)into bondage to sin. 15 For (AD)I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing (AE)what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with (AF)the Law, that the Law is good. 17 But now, (AG)no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my (AH)flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For (AI)the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I do the very thing I do not want, (AJ)I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.

21 I find then (AK)the [t]principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully agree with the law of God [u]in (AL)the inner person, 23 but I see (AM)a different law in [v]the parts of my body waging war against the (AN)law of my mind, and making me a prisoner [w]of (AO)the law of sin, the law which is in [x]my body’s parts. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from [y](AP)the body of this (AQ)death? 25 (AR)Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh (AS)the law of sin.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 7:1 Or law
  2. Romans 7:1 Or law
  3. Romans 7:2 Lit living husband; but if
  4. Romans 7:2 Lit of
  5. Romans 7:3 Lit becomes another man’s
  6. Romans 7:3 I.e., in marriage; lit becomes another man’s
  7. Romans 7:5 Lit our parts to bear
  8. Romans 7:6 Or spirit
  9. Romans 7:7 Lit May it never happen!
  10. Romans 7:7 Or through law
  11. Romans 7:7 Or lust
  12. Romans 7:7 Or lust
  13. Romans 7:8 Or lust
  14. Romans 7:8 Or from law
  15. Romans 7:9 Or from law
  16. Romans 7:10 Lit to life
  17. Romans 7:10 Lit to death
  18. Romans 7:13 Lit May it never happen!
  19. Romans 7:14 Lit under sin
  20. Romans 7:21 Lit law
  21. Romans 7:22 Or with respect to
  22. Romans 7:23 Lit my parts waging
  23. Romans 7:23 Lit in
  24. Romans 7:23 Lit my parts
  25. Romans 7:24 Or this body of death

¶ Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to those that know the law), that the law has dominion over a man only as long as he lives?

For the woman who is subject to a husband is obligated to the law so long as the husband lives; but if the husband dies, she is free from the law of the husband.

So then if, while her husband lives, she belongs to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law so that she is no adulteress if she belongs to another man.

Likewise ye also, my brethren, are become dead to the law in the body of the Christ that ye should belong to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

For while we were in the flesh, the affections of the sins which were by the law worked in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

But now we are free from the law of death in which we were held, that we might serve in newness of Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

¶ What shall we say then? Is the law sin? No, in no wise. But, I did not know sin except by the law; for neither would I have known lust if the law did not say, Thou shalt not covet.

Then sin, when there was occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of lust. For without the law sin was as if it were dormant.

So that without the law I lived for some time; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

10 And I found that the same commandment, which was unto life, was mortal unto me.

11 For sin, having had occasion, deceived me by the commandment and by it killed me.

12 So the law is truly holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? No, in no wise. But sin, to show itself sin by that which is good, worked death in me, making sin exceedingly sinful by the commandment.

14 ¶ For we now know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold unto subjection by sin.

15 For that which I do, I do not understand, and not even the good that I desire is what I do; but what I hate, that is what I do.

16 If then I do that which I do not desire, I approve that the law is good.

17 So that it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells in me.

18 And I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing; for I have the desire, but I am not able to perform that which is good.

19 For I do not do the good that I desire; but the evil which I do not desire, that I do.

20 And if I do that which I do not desire, I am not working, but sin that dwells in me.

21 So that, desiring to do good, I find this law: evil is natural unto me.

22 For I delight with the law of God with the inward man,

23 but I see another law in my members which rebels against the law of my mind, bringing captive unto the law of sin which is in my members.

24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

25 The grace of God, by Jesus, the Christ, our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.