Chapter 7
Release from the Law
1
- Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know [the] law), that the law has authority over a man only as long as… he lives?
Ἢ ἀγνοεῖτε ἀδελφοί γὰρ λαλῶ γινώσκουσιν νόμον ὅτι ὁ νόμος κυριεύει τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐφ’ ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ Ē agnoeite adelphoi gar lalō ginōskousin nomon hoti ho nomos kyrieuei tou anthrōpou eph’ hoson chronon zē — NA/TR · 1
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For instance…, a married woman is bound by law to [her] husband as long as he lives. But if [her] husband dies, she is released from the law of [marriage].
ἡ γὰρ ὕπανδρος γυνὴ δέδεται νόμῳ τῷ ἀνδρὶ ζῶντι δὲ ἐὰν ὁ ἀνήρ ἀποθάνῃ κατήργηται ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ ἀνδρός hē gar hypandros gynē dedetai nomō tō andri zōnti de ean ho anēr apothanē katērgētai apo tou nomou tou andros — NA/TR · 2
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So then, if she is [joined] to another man [while her] husband is [still] alive, she is called an adulteress; but if [her] husband dies, she is free from that law [and] is not an adulteress [if she marries] another man.
οὖν ἄρα ἐὰν γένηται ἑτέρῳ ἀνδρὶ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ζῶντος χρηματίσει μοιχαλὶς δὲ ἐὰν ὁ ἀνήρ ἀποθάνῃ ἐστὶν ἐλευθέρα ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ αὐτὴν εἶναι μὴ μοιχαλίδα γενομένην ἑτέρῳ ἀνδρὶ oun ara ean genētai heterō andri tou andros zōntos chrēmatisei moichalis de ean ho anēr apothanē estin eleuthera apo tou nomou tou autēn einai mē moichalida genomenēn heterō andri — NA/TR · 3
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Therefore, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to [Him who] was raised from [the] dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.
Ὥστε μου ἀδελφοί ὑμεῖς καὶ ἐθανατώθητε τῷ νόμῳ διὰ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ὑμᾶς τὸ γενέσθαι ἑτέρῳ τῷ ἐγερθέντι ἐκ νεκρῶν ἵνα καρποφορήσωμεν τῷ Θεῷ Hōste mou adelphoi hymeis kai ethanatōthēte tō nomō dia tou sōmatos tou Christou eis hymas to genesthai heterō tō egerthenti ek nekrōn hina karpophorēsōmen tō Theō — NA/TR · 4
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For when we [lived] according to the flesh, the sinful passions [aroused] by the law were at work in our bodies, vvv vvv bearing fruit for death.
γὰρ ὅτε ἦμεν ἐν τῇ σαρκί τὰ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν παθήματα τὰ διὰ τοῦ νόμου ἐνηργεῖτο ἐν ἡμῶν τοῖς μέλεσιν εἰς τὸ καρποφορῆσαι τῷ θανάτῳ gar hote ēmen en tē sarki ta tōn hamartiōn pathēmata ta dia tou nomou enērgeito en hēmōn tois melesin eis to karpophorēsai tō thanatō — NA/TR · 5
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But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
δὲ νυνὶ ἀποθανόντες ἐν ᾧ κατειχόμεθα κατηργήθημεν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου ὥστε ἡμᾶς δουλεύειν ἐν καινότητι πνεύματος καὶ οὐ παλαιότητι γράμματος de nyni apothanontes en hō kateichometha katērgēthēmen apo tou nomou hōste hēmas douleuein en kainotēti pneumatos kai ou palaiotēti grammatos — NA/TR · 6
God’s Law Is Holy
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What then shall we say? [Is] the law sin? vvv Certainly not! Indeed, vvv I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. vvv For vvv I would not have been aware of coveting if the law {had} not said, vvv “Do not covet.”
Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν ὁ νόμος ἁμαρτία μὴ γένοιτο ἀλλὰ οὐκ ἔγνων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν εἰ μὴ διὰ νόμου τε γὰρ οὐκ ᾔδειν τήν ἐπιθυμίαν εἰ ὁ νόμος μὴ ἔλεγεν Οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις Ti oun eroumen ho nomos hamartia mē genoito alla ouk egnōn tēn hamartian ei mē dia nomou te gar ouk ēdein tēn epithymian ei ho nomos mē elegen Ouk epithymēseis — NA/TR · 7
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But sin, seizing [its] opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from [the] law, sin [is] dead.
δὲ ἡ ἁμαρτία λαβοῦσα ἀφορμὴν διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς κατειργάσατο ἐν ἐμοὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν γὰρ χωρὶς νόμου ἁμαρτία νεκρά de hē hamartia labousa aphormēn dia tēs entolēs kateirgasato en emoi pasan epithymian gar chōris nomou hamartia nekra — NA/TR · 8
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- Once I was alive apart from [the] law; but [when] the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.
δὲ ποτέ Ἐγὼ ἔζων χωρὶς νόμου δὲ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἐλθούσης ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀνέζησεν δὲ ἐγὼ ἀπέθανον de pote Egō ezōn chōris nomou de tēs entolēs elthousēs hē hamartia anezēsen de egō apethanon — NA/TR · 9
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So I discovered that the very commandment that was meant to bring life [actually brought] death.
καὶ μοι εὑρέθη αὕτη ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ εἰς ζωὴν εἰς θάνατον kai moi heurethē hautē hē entolē hē eis zōēn eis thanaton — NA/TR · 10
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For sin, seizing [its] opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through [the commandment] put [me] to death.
γὰρ ἡ ἁμαρτία λαβοῦσα ἀφορμὴν διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἐξηπάτησέν με καὶ δι’ αὐτῆς ἀπέκτεινεν gar hē hamartia labousa aphormēn dia tēs entolēs exēpatēsen me kai di’ autēs apekteinen — NA/TR · 11
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So then, the law [is] holy, and the commandment [is] holy, righteous, and good.
Ὥστε μὲν ὁ νόμος ἅγιος καὶ ἡ ἐντολὴ ἁγία καὶ δικαία καὶ ἀγαθή Hōste men ho nomos hagios kai hē entolē hagia kai dikaia kai agathē — NA/TR · 12
Struggling with Sin
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{Did} that which [is] good, then, become death to me? vvv Certainly not! But in order that sin might be exposed as sin, it produced death in me through what [was] good, so that through the commandment sin might become vvv utterly sinful.
Τὸ ἀγαθὸν οὖν ἐγένετο θάνατος ἐμοὶ μὴ γένοιτο ἀλλὰ ἵνα ἡ ἁμαρτία φανῇ ἁμαρτία κατεργαζομένη θάνατον μοι διὰ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἵνα διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἡ ἁμαρτία γένηται καθ’ ὑπερβολὴν ἁμαρτωλὸς To agathon oun egeneto thanatos emoi mē genoito alla hina hē hamartia phanē hamartia katergazomenē thanaton moi dia tou agathou hina dia tēs entolēs hē hamartia genētai kath’ hyperbolēn hamartōlos — NA/TR · 13
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- We know that [the] law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
γὰρ Οἴδαμεν ὅτι ὁ νόμος ἐστιν πνευματικός δὲ ἐγὼ εἰμι σάρκινός πεπραμένος ὑπὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν gar Oidamen hoti ho nomos estin pneumatikos de egō eimi sarkinos pepramenos hypo tēn hamartian — NA/TR · 14
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- vvv I do not understand what I do. For what I want [to do], vvv I do not do. But what I hate, I do.
γὰρ οὐ γινώσκω ὃ κατεργάζομαι γὰρ τοῦτο ὃ θέλω οὐ πράσσω ἀλλ’ ὃ μισῶ τοῦτο ποιῶ gar ou ginōskō ho katergazomai gar touto ho thelō ou prassō all’ ho misō touto poiō — NA/TR · 15
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And if I do what vvv I do not want [to do], I admit that the law [is] good.
δὲ εἰ τοῦτο ποιῶ ὃ οὐ θέλω σύμφημι ὅτι τῷ νόμῳ καλός de ei touto poiō ho ou thelō symphēmi hoti tō nomō kalos — NA/TR · 16
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- In that case, {it is} no longer I who do it, but [it is] sin living in me [ that does it ].
δὲ νυνὶ οὐκέτι ἐγὼ κατεργάζομαι αὐτὸ ἀλλὰ ἡ ἁμαρτία οἰκοῦσα ἐν ἐμοὶ de nyni ouketi egō katergazomai auto alla hē hamartia oikousa en emoi — NA/TR · 17
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- I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but [I] cannot [carry it out].
γὰρ Οἶδα ὅτι οὐκ ἀγαθόν οἰκεῖ ἐν ἐμοί τοῦτ’ ἔστιν ἐν μου τῇ σαρκί γὰρ μοι παράκειταί τὸ θέλειν κατεργάζεσθαι τὸ καλὸν δὲ τὸ οὔ gar Oida hoti ouk agathon oikei en emoi tout’ estin en mou tē sarki gar moi parakeitai to thelein katergazesthai to kalon de to ou — NA/TR · 18
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For vvv I do not do [the] good I want [to do]. Instead, I keep on doing [the] evil vvv I do not want [to do].
γὰρ οὐ ποιῶ ἀγαθόν ὃ θέλω ἀλλὰ τοῦτο πράσσω κακὸν ὃ οὐ θέλω gar ou poiō agathon ho thelō alla touto prassō kakon ho ou thelō — NA/TR · 19
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And if I do what vvv I do not want, [it is] no longer I who do it, but [it is] sin living in me [ that does it ].
δὲ εἰ ἐγὼ ποιῶ τοῦτο ὃ οὐ θέλω οὐκέτι ἐγὼ κατεργάζομαι αὐτὸ ἀλλὰ ἡ ἁμαρτία οἰκοῦσα ἐν ἐμοὶ de ei egō poiō touto ho ou thelō ouketi egō katergazomai auto alla hē hamartia oikousa en emoi — NA/TR · 20
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So [this is] the principle I have discovered -: When I want to do good, - evil is right there with me.
ἄρα τὸν νόμον Εὑρίσκω τῷ ἐμοὶ θέλοντι ποιεῖν τὸ καλὸν ὅτι τὸ κακὸν παράκειται ἐμοὶ ara ton nomon Heuriskō tō emoi thelonti poiein to kalon hoti to kakon parakeitai emoi — NA/TR · 21
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For in [my] inner being I delight in God’s law.
γὰρ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον συνήδομαι τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατὰ νόμῳ gar ton esō anthrōpon synēdomai tō tou Theou kata nomō — NA/TR · 22
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But I see another law [ at work ] in my body, warring against the law of my mind and vvv holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within vvv vvv [me].
δὲ βλέπω ἕτερον νόμον ἐν μου τοῖς μέλεσίν ἀντιστρατευόμενον τῷ νόμῳ μου τοῦ νοός καὶ με αἰχμαλωτίζοντά ἐν τῷ νόμῳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τῷ ὄντι ἐν μου τοῖς μέλεσίν de blepō heteron nomon en mou tois melesin antistrateuomenon tō nomō mou tou noos kai me aichmalōtizonta en tō nomō tēs hamartias tō onti en mou tois melesin — NA/TR · 23
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[What a] wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Ταλαίπωρος ἄνθρωπος ἐγὼ τίς ῥύσεται με ἐκ τούτου τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου Talaipōros anthrōpos egō tis rhysetai me ek toutou tou sōmatos tou thanatou — NA/TR · 24
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Thanks [be] to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with [my] mind I serve [the] law of God, but [with my] flesh [I serve the] law of sin.
χάρις δὲ τῷ Θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἡμῶν τοῦ Κυρίου οὖν Ἄρα τῷ νοῒ ἐγὼ αὐτὸς δουλεύω νόμῳ Θεοῦ μὲν δὲ τῇ σαρκὶ νόμῳ ἁμαρτίας charis de tō Theō dia Iēsou Christou hēmōn tou Kyriou oun Ara tō noi egō autos douleuō nomō Theou men de tē sarki nomō hamartias — NA/TR · 25