Released from the Law

Or do you not know, brothers[a]—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? For (A)a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage.[b] Accordingly, (B)she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

Likewise, my brothers, (C)you also have died (D)to the law (E)through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, (F)in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work (G)in our members (H)to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the (I)new way of (J)the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.[c]

The Law and Sin

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, (K)I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if (L)the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, (M)seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. (N)For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment (O)that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, (P)seizing an opportunity through the commandment, (Q)deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So (R)the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, (S)sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For (T)I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with (U)the law, that it is good. 17 So now (V)it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells (W)in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 (X)For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, (Y)it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For (Z)I delight in the law of God, (AA)in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members (AB)another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from (AC)this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 7:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 4
  2. Romans 7:2 Greek law concerning the husband
  3. Romans 7:6 Greek of the letter

Wala na sa Ilalim ng Kautusan

Mga kapatid, ako'y nagsasalita sa inyo na mga nakakaunawa ng batas. Alam ninyong ang isang tao'y nasasakop lamang ng batas habang siya'y nabubuhay. Halimbawa, ayon sa Kautusan, ang isang babae ay nasasakop ng kanyang asawa habang nabubuhay ito. Subalit kung mamatay na ang lalaki, malaya na ang babae sa batas na nagtatali sa kanya sa lalaking iyon. Kaya nga, siya'y magkakasala ng pangangalunya kung makikisama siya sa ibang lalaki habang nabubuhay ang kanyang asawa. Ngunit kung patay na ang kanyang asawa, malaya na siya sa batas na iyon, at mag-asawa man siya sa ibang lalaki, hindi siya nagkakasala ng pangangalunya. Gayundin naman mga kapatid, namatay na kayo sa Kautusan sa pamamagitan ng katawan ni Cristo, at ngayon kayo ay kabilang na sa mga nakipag-isa sa kanya na muling binuhay, upang magbunga tayo ng mabubuting gawa para sa Diyos. Noong tayo'y namumuhay pa ayon sa ating likas na pagkatao, ang ating mga masasamang hilig na pinupukaw ng Kautusan ay nag-uudyok sa mga bahagi ng ating katawan na gumawa ng mga bagay na hahantong sa kamatayan. Ngunit malaya na tayo ngayon mula sa Kautusan dahil namatay na tayo sa kasalanang dating umaalipin sa atin. Kaya, tayo'y naglilingkod sa Diyos hindi ayon sa lumang batas na nakasulat, kundi ayon sa bagong buhay ng Espiritu.

Ang Kautusan at ang Kasalanan

Ang(A) ibig bang sabihin nito'y ang Kautusan ay masama? Hinding-hindi! Kaya lamang, kundi dahil sa Kautusan ay hindi ko sana nalaman kung ano ang kasalanan. Hindi ko sana nalaman kung paano pagnasaan ang pag-aari ng iba kung hindi sinabi ng Kautusan, “Huwag mong pagnasaan ang pag-aari ng iba.” Ngunit dahil sa utos, ang loob ko'y pinukaw ng kasalanan sa lahat ng uri ng kasakiman. Sapagkat walang kasalanan kung walang Kautusan. Noong una, namuhay ako nang walang Kautusan. Subalit nang dumating ang utos, nabuhay ang kasalanan 10 at ako'y namatay. Ang utos na dapat sanang magdulot sa akin ng buhay ay siyang nagdulot sa akin ng kamatayan. 11 Sapagkat(B) kinasangkapan ng kasalanan ang utos upang ako'y dayain, at sa gayon ay napatay nga ako ng kasalanan.

12 Kaya nga, ang Kautusan ay banal, at ang bawat utos ay banal, matuwid at mabuti. 13 Ang ibig bang sabihin nito'y nagdulot sa akin ng kamatayan ang mabuting bagay? Hinding-hindi! Ang kasalanan ang pumatay sa akin sa pamamagitan ng mabuting bagay. Nangyari ito upang maipakita kung ano nga ang kasalanan, at upang mahayag sa pamamagitan ng Kautusan, na ang kasalanan ay talagang napakasama.

Ang Hilig ng Laman at Tuntunin ng Isip

14 Alam nating ang Kautusan ay espirituwal, ngunit ako'y makalaman at alipin ng kasalanan. 15 Hindi(C) ko maunawaan ang aking sarili. Sapagkat hindi ko ginagawa ang gusto ko, sa halip ang kinasusuklaman ko ang siya kong ginagawa. 16 Ngayon, kung ginagawa ko ang hindi ko gusto, nangangahulugang sumasang-ayon ako na mabuti nga ang Kautusan. 17 Kung gayon, hindi na ako ang may kagagawan niyon, kundi ang kasalanang naninirahan sa akin. 18 Alam kong walang mabuting bagay na naninirahan sa aking katawang makalaman. May kakayahan akong naisin ang mabuti, ngunit hindi ko nga lamang ito magawa. 19 Sapagkat hindi ko ginagawa ang mabuting gusto ko, ang masamang hindi ko gusto ang siya kong ginagawa. 20 Kung ang ginagawa ko ay hindi ko nais, hindi na ako ang gumagawa nito kundi ang kasalanang naninirahan sa akin.

21 Ito ang natuklasan ko: kapag nais kong gumawa ng mabuti, ang masama ay malapít sa akin. 22 Sa kaibuturan ng aking puso, ako'y nalulugod sa Kautusan ng Diyos. 23 Ngunit may ibang kapangyarihan sa mga bahagi ng aking katawan na salungat sa tuntunin ng aking isip; binibihag ako ng kapangyarihang ito sa kasalanang naninirahan sa aking katawan. 24 Kay saklap ng aking kalagayan! Sino ang magliligtas sa akin mula sa katawang ito na nagdadala sa akin sa kamatayan? 25 Wala nang iba pa kundi ang Diyos sa pamamagitan ni Jesu-Cristo na ating Panginoon! Salamat sa kanya!

Ito nga ang kalagayan ko: sa pamamagitan ng aking isip, pinaglilingkuran ko ang Kautusan ng Diyos, ngunit sa pamamagitan ng aking katawang makalaman ay pinaglilingkuran ko ang tuntunin ng kasalanan.

Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to 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 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.