Book of Common Prayer

But We Are Indeed Not Under The Law, For It Only Has Jurisdiction Over The Living

7 Or^[a] do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to ones knowing the Law^[b]), that the Law lords-over^[c] the person for as much time as he lives? ² For the married woman has been bound by the Law to the living husband; but if the husband dies, she has been released from the law of ^[d] the husband. ³ So then, while the husband is living, she will be called an adulteress if she comes^[e] to a different husband. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, having come to a different husband.

We Have Died To The Law In Christ

⁴ So-then^[f], my brothers, you also were put-to-death with reference to the Law^[g] through the body of Christ so that you might come^[h] to a different One— to the One having arisen from the dead— in order that we might bear-fruit for God.

Having Died, We Are Released From The Law Through Which Sin Produced Death

⁵ For when we were in the flesh^[i], the passions of ^[j] sins which^[k] were through^[l] the Law were at-work in our body-parts so as to bear-fruit for death. ⁶ But now we were released^[m] from the Law, having died to that by which we were being held, so that we are serving in newness of the Spirit^[n] and not in oldness of the letter^[o].

Not That The Law Is At Fault For My Sin

⁷ Therefore, what shall we say? Is the Law sin^[p]? May it never be! On-the-contrary, I would not have known^[q] sin except through the Law.

Sin Used The Law To Produce Sin In Me

For indeed I would not have known^[r] coveting^[s] if the Law were not saying [in Ex 20:17], “You shall not covet”. ⁸ But sin, having taken^[t] an opportunity^[u] through the commandment, produced^[v] every^[w] [kind of ] coveting in me. For apart-from^[x] the Law, sin is dead^[y].

And Sin Used The Law To Kill Me

⁹ And I was once^[z] alive apart from the Law. But the commandment having come, sin became-alive^{[aa] 10} and I died. And the commandment for^[ab] life— this was found in me to be for^[ac] death. ¹¹ For sin, having taken an opportunity through the commandment, deceived^[ad] me, and through it, killed me.

So The Law Is Good

¹² So-then the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

The Priests Ask, By What Authority Do You Do This?

²³ And He having come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came-to Him while He was teaching, saying, “By what-kind-of ^[a] authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” ²⁴ And having responded, Jesus said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I also will tell you by what-kind-of authority I am doing these things— ²⁵ From where was the baptism of John, from heaven or from humans?” And the ones were discussing among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven’, He will say to us, ‘Then for what reason did you not believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘From humans’, we fear the crowd. For they all are holding John as a prophet”. ²⁷ And having responded to Jesus, they said, “We do not know”. He also said to them, “Nor am I telling you by what-kind-of authority I am doing these things.

One Son Feigns Obedience, One Disobeys But Repents. Which Did The Father’s Will?

²⁸ “But what seems right to you?— A man had two children. And having gone to the first he said, ‘Child, go, work today in the vineyard’. ²⁹ And the one, having responded, said, ‘I will not’. But having regretted^[b] it later, he went. ³⁰ And having gone to the other, he spoke similarly. And the one, having responded, said, ‘I will, sir’, and he did not go. ³¹ Which of the two did the will of the father?” They say, “The first”.

You Priests Feign Obedience To God, But Did Not Believe John, God’s Messenger

Jesus says to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going-ahead-of you into the kingdom of God. ³² For John came to you in^[c] the way of righteousness and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And you, having seen it, did not-even regret it later, that you might believe him.