An Exegesis of Romans 7:1-6
Is Saint Paul Confused?
April 25, 2014
G.D.O'Bradovich III
1
Some commentators enjoy making the statement that Saint Paul confuses himself when he creates an analogy between spouses and the New Covenant. We will explore whether it is their understanding or Saint Paul's teaching that is defective. The full text of Roman 7:1-6 is:
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.
Simply stated, if a husband dies, the widow is no longer under the law (verse two). The first half of verse three states that if the husband is alive, she is an adulterer. The second part of verse three states again that if the husband is dead, the law allows her to remarry.
Separating verses one through three from verses five through six creates two comprehensible thoughts: the first allegory of spouses and the new covenant, the second is how followers of Saint Paul have died in Christ and are no longer subject to the law. Verse four states that followers are "dead to the law" and that they "should bring forth fruit unto God." This reasoning is similar to other passages in Saint Paul's writings and there is no reason to think that this passage was inserted by Timothy or anyone else.
We can understand that Saint Paul has neither confused himself nor composed a poorly written analogy and we must remember Saint Paul's opening statement or thesis statement-
"Know ye not... how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?"
A person is subject to the law as long as he is alive and at death he is free from the law. The law can either be religious or civil and we accept this statement at face value without any need to prove the validity of the statement.
In conclusion, we now know that Saint Paul has not created a confusing analogy and we are confident that when certain people discuss supposedly difficult passages in Saint Paul's epistles and other scripture, they do so "unto their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:16)
Separating verses one through three from verses five through six creates two comprehensible thoughts: the first allegory of spouses and the new covenant, the second is how followers of Saint Paul have died in Christ and are no longer subject to the law. Verse four states that followers are "dead to the law" and that they "should bring forth fruit unto God." This reasoning is similar to other passages in Saint Paul's writings and there is no reason to think that this passage was inserted by Timothy or anyone else.
We can understand that Saint Paul has neither confused himself nor composed a poorly written analogy and we must remember Saint Paul's opening statement or thesis statement-
"Know ye not... how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?"
A person is subject to the law as long as he is alive and at death he is free from the law. The law can either be religious or civil and we accept this statement at face value without any need to prove the validity of the statement.
In conclusion, we now know that Saint Paul has not created a confusing analogy and we are confident that when certain people discuss supposedly difficult passages in Saint Paul's epistles and other scripture, they do so "unto their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:16)