Romans 7:7-8
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Not That The Law Is At Fault For My Sin
7 Therefore, what shall we say? Is the Law sin[a]? May it never be! On-the-contrary, I would not have known[b] sin except through the Law.
Sin Used The Law To Produce Sin In Me
For indeed I would not have known[c] coveting[d] if the Law were not saying [in Ex 20:17], “You shall not covet”. 8 But sin, having taken[e] an opportunity[f] through the commandment, produced[g] every[h] [kind of ] coveting in me. For apart-from[i] the Law, sin is dead[j].
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Romans 7:7 If the passions of sins are through the Law, is the Law what makes me a sinner? No. It merely defines the standard against which sin rebels.
- Romans 7:7 Or, come-to-know sin. That is, known of sin’s presence in him as sin (v 7-8) or of its power to kill him in relation to God (v 9-11). Apart from God’s Law, sin is merely ‘your opinion’ or ‘my bad choices’.
- Romans 7:7 Or, known-about.
- Romans 7:7 Or, [evil] desire, lust.
- Romans 7:8 Or, received.
- Romans 7:8 Or, occasion, starting point, base of operations.
- Romans 7:8 Or, opportunity, produced... in me through the commandment.
- Romans 7:8 Once aware it was forbidden, sin increased the coveting. This explains how the passions of sins were ‘through the Law’, v 5.
- Romans 7:8 Or, without a law.
- Romans 7:8 This is stated as a general principle. Sin is present, but inactive until it has a law to transgress. Thus God’s Law is the power of sin, 1 Cor 15:56. Or, ‘sin was dead’, stating it as the historical experience of Paul.
Romans 7:7-8
New International Version
The Law and Sin
7 What shall we say, then?(A) Is the law sinful? Certainly not!(B) Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.(C) For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”[a](D) 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,(E) produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.(F)
Footnotes
- Romans 7:7 Exodus 20:17; Deut. 5:21
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
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