Romans 7 -- Die To Torah or to Law of Sin?:
Sha'ul is appealing here to generic law -- not Torah. Sha'ul is simply stating the obvious -- "Don't my brethren understand that a law only has jurisdiction while one lives?" I think Sha'ul especially addresses his Jewish brethren ("them that know the law") *because* they grew up studying Torah. His Jewish brethren have a more solid grasp on a law's jurisdiction than do the lawless goyim just coming into the faith.
Notice there are *three* laws are mentioned in this passage: (1) Torah (2) law of general principle saying we can't be under two opposing laws simultaneously, and (3) and a generic yet-unidentified law. Sha'ul is appealing to our reason, that we can't be married to two people at once -- i.e. we can't serve two masters! It harkens back to "choose you this day whom ye will serve..." Joshua 24:15. Sha'ul indicates that his brothers who know Torah should grasp this principle easily. So let's paraphrase 1-3, "Don't my brethren, (I am addressing those who know Torah), understand that law (any law) only has dominion over someone only while they live? If her husband dies, a woman is free from her husband. But if she remarries while her husband lives, she is an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law so that she isn't an adulteress even though she remarries." This general principle of needing to be free from one relationship to enter another is *not* unique to Torah.
Now Sha'ul is growing more specific. His general opening regarded an example of marriage but now Sha'ul is likening this situation to that of believers in Yeshua. We must die to the law by the body of Yeshua so that we can be married to another -- to Yeshua who was raised from the dead. The key to understanding this verse is to identify what law we are currently married to that we must die to in order to take new nuptials.
Clearly "the law" here doesn't refer to the first two laws mentioned in verse 1; those laws were (1) "The Torah law known by Sha'ul's brethren" and the (2) "law of general principle that one must leave one relationship in order to enter another." Neither of these laws prevent new nuptials or need to be 'died to.' The first law referred to in verse 1, the Torah known by Sha'ul's brethren, isn't in opposition to Yeshua (Yeshua kept Torah and said He came not to abolish it-- that not one yod or stroke would be changed in Torah), so we don't need to die to the law of Torah in order to remarry. The second law in verse 1 merely states that we must be free from one relationship before we can enter into another relationship. That's common sense. In fact, dying to that law would be dying to the very principle one needed to choose between laws! That's because we'd be dead to the very law that prohibited multiple relationships in the first place. So, The law mentioned here in verse 4 is a specific law, still unidentified, but one we're told we must die to in order to live in Yeshua. Sha'ul is really beginning to build an argument here; he later identifies this specific law as the "law of sin." We must die to the law of sin within us in order to be legally free to enter a relationship with Yeshua. Until we die to this law of sin, general principle prevents us from being able to serve sin and Yeshua simultaneously. I'd liken it to a 'can't serve two masters' scenario.
The Torah is contrasted to this third type of law -- this "flesh - motion of sin" within our members. Torah is passive in our rebellion -- it is our carnal nature (law of sin within us) that rebels against Torah and brings death -- the fault doesn't lie in Torah but in the law of sin.
Delivered from what law? Torah? No. Try "delivered from this motion of sin" so that we now serve in newness of Spirit. But does the text justify calling the "law" in this verse "sin" instead of Torah? Yes. Sha'ul is building his case here for his later point (vs 23) that there is a law of sin at work within us, contrary to the Torah of G-d. With the law of sin ruling us, we rebel against the letter of Torah. The solution is Spiritual -- for G-d Himself to put His Spirit in us so we can triumph over the law of sin that causes the rebellion. Then we serve in newness of Spirit, not in oldness of rebelling against His Word.
Now Sha'ul is addressing the Torah. Is the Torah sin because it brings out rebellion in us? NO! The rebellion is from our law of sin -- not the Torah it is rebelling against! Torah" in this instance is serving to make us aware of the law of sin at work within our members.
With awareness of Torah's truth, we are able to identify the rebelliousness within us. Otherwise, we might not ever take account of our lives and realize our need to free ourselves from this sinful nature that keeps us prisoner and eventually kills us.
Sha'ul probably places this here, realizing folks would misunderstand him, and say "hey, if Torah brings out my sinful nature; then Torah must be bad." But that isn't Sha'ul's point at all! Torah is holy, just and good -- always was. It's our sinful nature that is the problem, not the Torah which guides us to see the problem of our sinfulness.
It's not Torah that brings death -- it's our sin. Our rebellious nature causes us to sin more in defiance of the pureness of Torah. Our death penalty is the result of our sin -- it's not Torah's fault we are defiant. Our sin nature becomes worse in the presense of the purity of Torah -- we rebel and become even worse.
Torah is not only holy, just and good, it is spiritual. The problem isn't Torah, it's us, we are carnal. So the solution must be to somehow put the Spiritual Torah *inside* us. (Note this is the promise of the new covenant in Jeremiah 31:33 "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the LORD, I will put My law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.")
Verses 15-20 identify the strength of this law of sin within us -- this carnal nature that is killing us.
Here Sha'ul is defining this "law" -- it is a principle that man is sinful at his very core. And this principle works so that even when exposed to Torah -- instead of improving, man rebels and becomes even worse.
Law of G-d is Torah -- we need *this* in our inward man -- in our heart, not this law of sin that's working within us.
This law of sin is more clearly identified here, (this 'another law'), though Sha'ul had already referred to it by other names through-out this chapter ("law" "motion of sin" "carnal nature" & "flesh") This law of sin is our real problem. We must die to this law of sin, and live in the Spirit --- which was Sha'ul's original premise in verse 4. Kefa concurs: "He took our sins on himself, giving his body to be nailed on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness , and by his wounds we have been healed." 1 Peter 2:24 Sha'ul continues:
Sha'ul shows the problem --- this law of sin is killing us --- Who can save us? Yeshua came and sent back His Spirit to dwell within us, to help us have victory over the law of sin within us.
Sha'ul shows the struggle we now face. We are currently caught in a battle between wanting to serve G-d (with our minds) but being held back by the law of sin within us. The grand plan of the new covenant is to kill off this carnal nature completely, and give us a new heart and a new Spirit. Currently we have the Spirit working within us, even as Yeshua is mediating the new covenant. The Plan is for us to die to the law of sin so that we can live in the Spirit of His Torah. In the interim, He hasn't deserted us, but has sent us His Spirit to guide us.
Verse by verse commentary on Romans 7
Ellen Kavanaugh
1 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? 2 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. 3 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.
4 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.
5 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.
6 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.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
So Sha'ul is now at the real problem. Torah is holy, just, and good; Torah is Spiritual. But we are carnal, rebellious, governed by defiance. We need a new heart to serve G-d properly.
15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.
23 But I see *another law* in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the *law of sin* which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.