Albert Barnes Commentary Romans 7

ROMANS Chapter 7

Introduction

Few chapters in the Bible have been the subject of more decidedly different interpretations than this. After all that has been written on it by the learned, it is still a matter of discussion whether the apostle refers, in the main scope of the chapter, to his own experience before he became a Christian, or to the conflicts in the mind of a man who is renewed.

Which of these opinions is the correct one I shall endeavor to state in the Notes on the particular verses in the chapter. The main design of the chapter is not very difficult to understand. It is evidently to show the insufficiency of the law to produce peace of mind for a troubled sinner.

In the previous chapters, he had shown that it was incapable of producing justification (chapters 1–3). He had shown the way in which men were justified by faith (Romans 3:21–31; Romans 4:1–25). He had shown how that plan produced peace and met the evils introduced by the fall of Adam (Romans 5).

He had shown that Christians were freed from the law as a matter of obligation, and yet that this freedom did not lead to a licentious life (Romans 6).

And he now proceeds still further to illustrate the tendency of the law on a man, both in a state of nature and of grace. His aim is to show that its uniform effect in the present condition of man—whether impenitent and under conviction, or in a state of grace under the gospel—so far from promoting peace, as the Jew maintained, was to excite the mind to conflict, anxiety, and distress.

Nearly all the peculiar opinions of the Jews the apostle had overthrown in the previous argument. He here gives the finishing stroke and shows that the tendency of the law, as a practical matter, was everywhere the same. It was not, in fact, to produce peace, but agitation, conflict, and distress.

Yet this was not the fault of the law, which was in itself good, but of sin (Romans 7:6–24).

I regard this chapter as not referring exclusively to Paul in a state of nature or of grace. The discussion is conducted without particular reference to that point. It is rather designed to group together the actions of a man's life—whether in a state of conviction for sin or in a state of grace—and to show that the effect of the law is everywhere substantially the same.

It equally fails everywhere in producing peace and sanctification. The argument of the Jew respecting the efficacy of the law, and its sufficiency for the condition of man, is thus overthrown by a succession of proofs relating to justification, to pardon, to peace, to the evils of sin, and to the agitated and conflicting moral elements in man's bosom.

The effect is everywhere the same. The deficiency is apparent in regard to ALL the great interests of man. And having shown this, the apostle and the reader are prepared for the language of triumph and gratitude, that deliverance from all these evils is to be traced to the gospel of Jesus Christ the Lord (Romans 7:25).

Know ye not. This is an appeal to their own observation respecting the relation between husband and wife. The illustration (Romans 8:2–3) is designed simply to show that as when a man dies, and the connection between him and his wife is dissolved, his law ceases to be binding on her.

So also a separation has taken place between Christians and the law, in which they have become dead to it. They are not now to attempt to draw their life and peace from it, but from that new source with which they are connected by the gospel (Romans 8:4).

For I speak to them, etc. Probably the apostle refers here more particularly to the Jewish members of the Roman church, who were qualified particularly to understand the nature of the law and to appreciate the argument. That there were many Jews in the church at Rome has been shown (see Introduction), but the illustration has no exclusive reference to them. The law to which he appeals is sufficiently general to make the illustration intelligible to all men.

That the law. The immediate reference here is probably to the Mosaic law. But what is here affirmed is equally true of all laws.

Hath dominion. Greek, Rules; exercises lordship. The law is here personified and represented as setting up a lordship over a man and exacting obedience.

Over a man. Over the man who is under it.

As long as he liveth. The Greek here may mean either “as HE lives,” or “as it lives,” that is, the law. But our translation has evidently expressed the sense.

The sense is that death releases a man from the laws by which he was bound in life. It is a general principle, relating to the laws of the land, the law of a parent, the law of a contract, etc. This general principle the apostle proceeds to apply in regard to the law of God.

For the woman. This verse is a specific illustration of the general principle found in Romans 7:1: that death dissolves those connections and relations that make law binding in life.

It is a simple illustration. If this simplicity had been kept in mind, it would have averted much of the perplexity felt by many commentators and many of their wild and fanciful notions in attempting to show that "men are the wife, the law the former husband, and Christ the new one," or that "the old man is the wife, sinful desires the husband, and sins the children." (Views from Beza. See also Stuart.)

Such expositions are sufficient to humble us and to make us mourn over the childish and fanciful interpretations that even wise and good people often give to the Bible.

Is bound by the law, etc. See the same sentiment in 1 Corinthians 7:39.

To her husband. She is united to him and is under his authority as the head of the household. To him, the headship of the family is particularly committed, and the wife is subject to his law, in the Lord (Ephesians 5:22–23).

She is loosed, etc. The husband no longer has authority. The connection from which obligation resulted is dissolved.

So then if, etc. Compare to Matthew 5:32.

She shall be called. She will be. The word used here (crhmatisei) is often used to denote being called by an oracle, or by Divine revelation. But it is here employed in the simple sense of being commonly called, or of being so regarded.

Therefore. This verse contains an application of the illustration in the two preceding ones. The idea there is that death dissolves a connection from which obligation resulted. This is the single point of the illustration, and consequently, there is no need to inquire whether by "the wife" the apostle meant to denote the old man, or the Christian, etc.

The meaning is this: just as death dissolves the connection between a wife and her husband (and, consequently, the obligation of the law resulting from that connection), so the Christian's death to the law dissolves that connection, as far as the scope of the argument here is concerned. This, in turn, prepares the way for another union—a union with Christ—from which a new and more efficient obligation results. The design is to show that the new connection would accomplish more important effects than the old.

You also have become dead to the law. (Romans 6:4; Romans 6:8).

The connection between us and the law is dissolved, as far as the scope of the apostle's argument is concerned. He does not say that we are dead to it, or released from it as a rule of duty or as a matter of obligation to obey it—for there neither is nor can be any such release—but we are dead to it as a way of justification and sanctification. In the great matter of acceptance with God, we have ceased to rely on the law, having become dead to it and having embraced another plan.

By the body of Christ. This means by his body crucified, or, in other words, by his death. (Compare Ephesians 2:15, Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, etc.—that is, by his death; Colossians 1:22, In the body of his flesh through death, etc.; Romans 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24, Who bare our sins in his own body on the tree.)

The sense is, therefore, that by the death of Christ as an atoning sacrifice—by his suffering for us that which would be sufficient to meet the demands of the law, by his taking our place—he has released us from the law as a way of justification, freed us from its penalty, and saved us from its curse. Thus released, we are at liberty to be united to the law of him who has thus bought us with his blood.

That you should be married to another. This means that you might be united to another and come under his law. This is the completion of the illustration in Romans 7:2-3.

Just as the woman who is freed from the law of her husband by his death, when married again, comes under the authority of another, so we who are made free from the law and its curse by the death of Christ are brought under the new law of fidelity and obedience to him with whom we are thus united. The union of Christ and his people is not infrequently illustrated by the most tender of all earthly connections—that of a husband and wife (Ephesians 5:23–30; Revelation 21:9, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife; Revelation 19:7).

Even to him who is raised, etc. See the force of this explained in Romans 6:8.

That we should bring forth fruit to God. This means that we should live a holy life. This is the point and scope of all this illustration. The new connection is such as will make us holy. It is also implied that the tendency of the law was only to bring forth fruit to death (Romans 6:5), and that the tendency of the gospel is to make people holy and pure. .

For when, etc. The illustration in this verse and the following is designed to show more fully the effect of the law, whenever and wherever applied, whether in a state of nature or of grace. It was always the same. It was the occasion of agitation and conflict in a man's own mind. This was true when a sinner was under conviction, and it was true when a man was a Christian.

In all circumstances where the law was applied to the corrupt mind of man, it produced this agitation and conflict. Even in the Christian's mind it produced this agitation (Romans 7:14–24), as it had done and would do in the mind of a sinner under conviction (Romans 7:7–12). Consequently, there was no hope of release but in the delivering and sanctifying power of the gospel (Romans 7:25; Romans 8:1–3).

In the flesh. Unconverted; subject to the controlling passions and propensities of a corrupt nature. Compare to Romans 7:8-9. The context shows that this must be the meaning here, and the design of this illustration is to show the effect of the law before a man is converted (Romans 7:5–12). This is the obvious meaning, and all the laws of interpretation require us to understand it this way.

The motions of sins. (ta pathēmata). This translation is unfortunate. The expression "motions of sins" conveys no idea. The original means simply the passions, the evil affections, the corrupt desires. See the margin. The expression, passions of sins, is a Hebraism, meaning sinful passions, and refers here to the corrupt propensities and inclinations of the unrenewed heart.

Which were by the law. Not that they were originated or created by the law. For a law does not originate evil propensities, and a holy law would not cause sinful passions. Rather, they were excited, called up, and inflamed by the law, which forbids their indulgence.

Did work in our members. In our body; that is, in us. Those sinful propensities made use of our members as instruments to secure gratification. See Barnes on Romans 6:12-13.

Compare to Romans 7:23.

To bring forth fruit unto death. To produce crime, agitation, conflict, distress, and to lead to death. We were brought under the dominion of death, and the consequence of the indulgence of those passions would be fatal. Compare to Barnes on Romans 6:21.