29. Romans Chapter 7 Verses 1-6 - Messages In Romans – Gentiles Are Not Part Of Chapter 7 – Not The Battle Of The Two Natures - Message 29 Part 1 Of 3 Series

29. Romans Chapter 7 Verses 1-6 - Messages In Romans – GENTILES ARE NOT PART OF CHAPTER 7 – NOT THE BATTLE OF THE TWO NATURES - Message 29 Part 1 of 3

ROMANS CHAPTER 7 EXPOSITION – PART 1

Now we come to a chapter that has been so badly handled by Christian commentators and writers. One of the problems why this is, is that one writer often follows what another has written on the subject and you do not get new considerations being applied. What we must not miss here are the misleading chapter divisions in the bible.

The usual interpretation of Chapter 7 is that the chapter describes the conflict in a Christian’s life where a person is trying to overcome evil. That is wrong. That is not what the chapter is about at all. Nearly every commentator takes the view that chapter 7 sets out the relationship of the believer to the Law of Moses or disregards that completely, and hones in on just a Christian experience.

Some say it is the struggle the Christian has with the old nature against the good nature. I think, in fact, that might be the predominant understanding. However, as you carefully progress through the Chapter you will see that the person is LIVING A DEFEATED LIFE, not a victorious one that Christians live through the Spirit. The person of chapter 7 is overcome by defeat and hopelessness. That is not a Christian position. No way can that way of living be applied to a Christian. A believer does not go around defeated by his old nature. I can not understand why commentators hold to that idea.

The position I take and I think it is very sustainable, and must be correct, is that chapter 7 is the struggle of a devout Jew UNDER THE LAW trying to achieve righteousness under the Law. He just could not do that. The Law could only make one righteous if the WHOLE Law was kept. {{James 2:10 “for whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”}}. It could even have been Paul’s own position before conversion. I think that could be very likely.

It is absolutely vital that Chapter 7 be considered in context, trying to dismiss the chapter divisions, especially in this area of the bible. Chapter 7 is linked most strongly with the content of Chapter 6 and is the reason why Chapter 8 begins with an explosive truth. Whatever you do, do not think of Chapter 7 as a separate item, and in isolation from Chapter 6.

We will take the chapter carefully. I ask that you look sensibly at the explanations here on the verses. There is nothing more important than “getting it right”.

This chapter is complex and begins with some teaching on marriage and the discounting of the marriage union through death, and a Christian position on that. Then it proceeds to the experience of a good man under the Law trying to obtain righteousness by keeping the Law.

One thing we must not miss here is the misleading chapter divisions in the bible as I have already said. The book of the Psalms is the only book where we can be certain the chapter divisions are correct because each Psalm is a separate song. Lamentations is another one because of the technique of the “alphabetic writing”, and is why most chapters have 22 verses. In Romans, what we have as the start of Chapter 8 actually belongs to the argument or subject matter of Chapter 7.

Let us begin the examination of this chapter.

ROMANS CHAPTER 7 - BOUND BY LAW - RELEASE, DEFEAT AND TRANSFORMATION

[A]. ROMANS 7:1-6 - SEPARATION IS MONOGAMY - IT’S THE LAW OR CHRIST

[1]. DEATH RELEASES THE LEGAL MARRIAGE HOLD OVER A PERSON. ROMANS 7:1-3

{{Romans 7:1 Do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the Law), that the Law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives,

Romans 7:2 for the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband,

Romans 7:3 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.”}}

(a). VERSE 1

Paul begins a new section here; in fact a new angle on what he has already been saying about the Law and the bondage of the Law in previous chapters. He had been teaching about slaves of sin and slaves of bondage. I think it is important here to go back and revise chapter 6 in the messages. In parallel parts of Galatians, Paul speaks of the two systems, Law and Grace with the illustration of Hagar and Sarah, one the slave, and the other the free woman.