Believers United to Christ

Or do you not know, (A)brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? For (B)the married woman is bound by law to her [a]husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law [b]concerning the husband. So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.

Therefore, my brethren, you also were (C)made to die (D)to the Law (E)through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined 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)aroused by the Law, were at work (H)in [c]the members 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 [d]Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

(M)What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? (N)May it never be! On the contrary, (O)I would not have come to know sin except [e]through the Law; for I would not have known about [f]coveting if the Law had not said, “(P)You shall not [g]covet.” But sin, (Q)taking opportunity (R)through the commandment, produced in me [h]coveting of every kind; for (S)apart [i]from the Law sin is dead. I was once alive apart [j]from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; 10 and this commandment, which was [k](T)to result in life, proved [l]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? (Y)May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

The Conflict of Two Natures

14 For we know that the Law is (Z)spiritual, but I am (AA)of flesh, (AB)sold [m](AC)into bondage to sin. 15 For what I am doing, (AD)I do not understand; for I am not practicing (AE)what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with (AF)the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17 So now, (AG)no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells 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 am doing the very thing I do not want, (AJ)I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

21 I find then (AK)the [n]principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God [o]in (AL)the inner man, 23 but I see (AM)a different law in [p]the members of my body, waging war against the (AN)law of my mind and making me a prisoner [q]of (AO)the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from [r](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 7:2 Lit living husband
  2. Romans 7:2 Lit of
  3. Romans 7:5 Lit our members to bear
  4. Romans 7:6 Or spirit
  5. Romans 7:7 Or through law
  6. Romans 7:7 Or lust
  7. Romans 7:7 Or lust
  8. Romans 7:8 Or lust
  9. Romans 7:8 Or from law
  10. Romans 7:9 Or from law
  11. Romans 7:10 Lit to life
  12. Romans 7:10 Lit to death
  13. Romans 7:14 Lit under sin
  14. Romans 7:21 Lit law
  15. Romans 7:22 Or concerning
  16. Romans 7:23 Lit my members
  17. Romans 7:23 Lit in
  18. Romans 7:24 Or this body of death

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.

Are ye ignorant, brethren -- for to those knowing law I speak -- that the law hath lordship over the man as long as he liveth?

for the married woman to the living husband hath been bound by law, and if the husband may die, she hath been free from the law of the husband;

so, then, the husband being alive, an adulteress she shall be called if she may become another man's; and if the husband may die, she is free from the law, so as not to be an adulteress, having become another man's.

So that, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of the Christ, for your becoming another's, who out of the dead was raised up, that we might bear fruit to God;

for when we were in the flesh, the passions of the sins, that [are] through the law, were working in our members, to bear fruit to the death;

and now we have ceased from the law, that being dead in which we were held, so that we may serve in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of letter.

What, then, shall we say? the law [is] sin? let it not be! but the sin I did not know except through law, for also the covetousness I had not known if the law had not said:

`Thou shalt not covet;' and the sin having received an opportunity, through the command, did work in me all covetousness -- for apart from law sin is dead.

And I was alive apart from law once, and the command having come, the sin revived, and I died;

10 and the command that [is] for life, this was found by me for death;

11 for the sin, having received an opportunity, through the command, did deceive me, and through it did slay [me];

12 so that the law, indeed, [is] holy, and the command holy, and righteous, and good.

13 That which is good then, to me hath it become death? let it not be! but the sin, that it might appear sin, through the good, working death to me, that the sin might become exceeding sinful through the command,

14 for we have known that the law is spiritual, and I am fleshly, sold by the sin;

15 for that which I work, I do not acknowledge; for not what I will, this I practise, but what I hate, this I do.

16 And if what I do not will, this I do, I consent to the law that [it is] good,

17 and now it is no longer I that work it, but the sin dwelling in me,

18 for I have known that there doth not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh, good: for to will is present with me, and to work that which is right I do not find,

19 for the good that I will, I do not; but the evil that I do not will, this I practise.

20 And if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that work it, but the sin that is dwelling in me.

21 I find, then, the law, that when I desire to do what is right, with me the evil is present,

22 for I delight in the law of God according to the inward man,

23 and I behold another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of the sin that [is] in my members.

24 A wretched man I [am]! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?

25 I thank God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord; so then, I myself indeed with the mind do serve the law of God, and with the flesh, the law of sin.