1Or do you not know, brothers[1]—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives?2For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage.[2] (1Co 7:39)3Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. (Mt 5:32)4Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. (Ro 6:2; Ro 6:22; Ro 7:6; Ro 8:2; Ga 2:19; Ga 5:18; Ga 5:22; Eph 2:15; Eph 2:16; Eph 5:9; Col 1:22; Col 2:14)5For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. (Ro 6:13; Ro 6:21; Ro 6:23)6But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.[3] (Ro 2:27; Ro 2:29; Ro 6:4; 2Co 3:6)
The Law and Sin
7What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” (Ex 20:17; De 5:21; Ro 3:20; Ro 13:9)8But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. (Ro 7:11; 1Co 15:56; Ga 5:13)9I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.10The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. (Ro 10:5)11For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. (Ge 3:13; Ro 7:8; Heb 3:13)12So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. (Ps 19:8; Ps 119:137; Ro 7:16; 2Pe 2:21)13Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.14For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. (1Ki 21:20; 1Ki 21:25; 2Ki 17:17; Isa 50:1; Isa 52:3)15For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. (Ro 7:18; Ga 5:17)16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. (Ro 7:12; 1Ti 1:8)17So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Ro 7:20)18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. (Ge 6:5; Ge 8:21; Job 14:4; Job 15:14; Ps 51:5)19For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. (Ro 7:15)20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Ro 7:17)21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.22For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, (Ps 1:2; Ps 112:1; Ps 119:35; 2Co 4:16; Eph 3:16; 1Pe 3:4)23but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. (Ga 5:17; Jas 4:1)24Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Ro 6:6; Ro 8:23)25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
1Do you not know, brothers and sisters – for I am speaking to those who know the law – that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives?2For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him.3So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.4So, my brothers and sisters, 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 for God.5For when we were in the realm of the flesh,[1] the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.6But now, by dying to what once 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.
The law and sin
7What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’[2] (Ex 20:17; De 5:21)8But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.9Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died.10I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.11For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.13Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognised as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.18For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[3] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.19For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.21So I find this law at work: although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;23but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?25Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[4] a slave to the law of sin.
1Brothers and sisters, I am speaking to you who know the law. Don’t you know that the law has authority over someone only as long as they live?2For example, by law a married woman remains married as long as her husband lives. But suppose her husband dies. Then the law that joins her to him no longer applies.3But suppose that married woman sleeps with another man while her husband is still alive. Then she is called a woman who commits adultery. But suppose her husband dies. Then she is free from that law. She is not guilty of adultery if she marries another man.4My brothers and sisters, when Christ died you also died as far as the law is concerned. Then it became possible for you to belong to him. He was raised from the dead. Now our lives can be useful to God.5The power of sin used to control us. The law stirred up sinful desires in us. So the things we did resulted in death.6But now we have died to what used to control us. We have been set free from the law. Now we serve in the new way of the Holy Spirit. We no longer serve in the old way of the written law.
The law and sin
7What should we say then? That the law is sinful? Not at all! Yet I wouldn’t have known what sin was unless the law had told me. The law says, ‘Do not want what belongs to other people.’ If the law hadn’t said that, I would not have known what it was like to want what belongs to others. (Ex 20:17; De 5:21)8But the commandment gave sin an opportunity. Sin caused me to want all kinds of things that belong to others. A person can’t sin by breaking a law if that law doesn’t exist.9Before I knew about the law, I was alive. But then the commandment came. Sin came to life, and I died.10I found that the commandment that was supposed to bring life actually brought death.11When the commandment gave sin the opportunity, sin tricked me. It used the commandment to put me to death.12So the law is holy. The commandment also is holy and right and good.13Did what is good cause me to die? Not at all! Sin had to be recognised for what it really is. So it used what is good to bring about my death. Because of the commandment, sin became totally sinful.14We know that the law is holy. But I am not. I have been sold to be a slave of sin.15I don’t understand what I do. I don’t do what I want to do. Instead, I do what I hate to do.16I do what I don’t want to do. So I agree that the law is good.17As it is, I am no longer the one who does these things. It is sin living in me that does them.18I know there is nothing good in my desires controlled by sin. I want to do what is good, but I can’t.19I don’t do the good things I want to do. I keep on doing the evil things I don’t want to do.20I do what I don’t want to do. But I am not really the one who is doing it. It is sin living in me that does it.21Here is the law I find working in me. When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.22Deep inside me I find joy in God’s law.23But I see another law working in me. It fights against the law of my mind. It makes me a prisoner of the law of sin. That law controls me.24What a terrible failure I am! Who will save me from this sin that brings death to my body?25I give thanks to God who saves me. He saves me through Jesus Christ our Lord. So in my mind I am a slave to God’s law. But sin controls my desires. So I am a slave to the law of sin.
Romans 7
King James Version
1Know 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?2For 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.3So 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.4Wherefore, 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.5For 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.6But 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.7What 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.8But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.9For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.10And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.12Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.13Was 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.14For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.15For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.16If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.17Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.18For 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.19For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.20Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.21I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:23But 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.24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?25I 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.
1Wisst ihr denn nicht, Brüder und Schwestern - ich rede doch zu Leuten, die das Gesetz kennen -, dass das Gesetz für einen Menschen nur Geltung hat, solange er lebt?2So ist die Ehefrau durch das Gesetz an ihren Mann gebunden, solange er lebt; wenn ihr Mann aber stirbt, ist sie frei von dem Gesetz, das die Frau an den Mann bindet. (1Co 7:39)3Wenn sie darum zu Lebzeiten des Mannes einem anderen gehört, wird sie Ehebrecherin genannt; ist aber der Mann gestorben, dann ist sie frei vom Gesetz und wird nicht zur Ehebrecherin, wenn sie einem anderen gehört.4Ebenso seid auch ihr, meine Brüder und Schwestern, durch das Sterben Christi tot für das Gesetz, sodass ihr einem anderen gehört, dem, der von den Toten auferweckt wurde, damit wir Gott Frucht bringen. (Ro 6:4)5Denn als wir noch dem Fleisch verfallen waren, wirkten sich die Leidenschaften der Sünden, die durch das Gesetz hervorgerufen wurden, so in unseren Gliedern aus, dass wir dem Tod Frucht brachten. (Ro 6:21; Ga 5:24)6Jetzt aber sind wir frei geworden vom Gesetz, dem gestorben, woran wir gebunden waren, sodass wir in der neuen Wirklichkeit des Geistes dienen, nicht mehr in der alten Wirklichkeit des Buchstabens. (Ro 6:7)
Das alte Leben unter dem Gesetz
7Was sollen wir nun sagen? Ist das Gesetz Sünde? Keineswegs! Jedoch habe ich die Sünde nur durch das Gesetz erkannt. Ich hätte ja von der Begierde nichts gewusst, wenn nicht das Gesetz gesagt hätte: Du sollst nicht begehren. (Ex 20:17; De 5:21; Ro 3:20; Ro 5:13)8Die Sünde aber ergriff die Gelegenheit, die ihr durch das Gebot gegeben war, und bewirkte in mir alle Begierde, denn ohne das Gesetz war die Sünde tot. (Jas 1:14)9Ich aber lebte einst ohne das Gesetz; aber als das Gebot kam, wurde die Sünde lebendig, (Ga 3:12)10ich dagegen starb und musste erfahren, dass dieses Gebot, das zum Leben führen sollte, mir den Tod brachte.11Denn nachdem die Sünde die Gelegenheit ergriffen hatte, die ihr durch das Gebot gegeben war, täuschte und tötete sie mich durch das Gebot.12Deshalb ist das Gesetz heilig und das Gebot ist heilig, gerecht und gut.13Ist dann etwa das Gute mir zum Tod geworden? Keineswegs! Sondern die Sünde verursachte, damit sie als Sünde offenbar werde, mir durch das Gute den Tod; denn durch das Gebot sollte die Sünde sich in ihrem ganzen Ausmaß als Sünde erweisen. (Ro 5:20)14Wir wissen nämlich, dass das Gesetz selbst vom Geist bestimmt ist; ich aber bin fleischlich, das heißt: verkauft unter die Sünde.15Denn was ich bewirke, begreife ich nicht: Ich tue nicht das, was ich will, sondern das, was ich hasse. (Ga 5:17)16Wenn ich aber das tue, was ich nicht will, erkenne ich an, dass das Gesetz gut ist.17Dann aber bin nicht mehr ich es, der dies bewirkt, sondern die in mir wohnende Sünde.18Ich weiß nämlich, dass in mir, das heißt in meinem Fleisch, nichts Gutes wohnt: Das Wollen ist bei mir vorhanden, aber ich vermag das Gute nicht zu verwirklichen. (Ge 6:5)19Denn ich tue nicht das Gute, das ich will, sondern das Böse, das ich nicht will, das vollbringe ich. (Ga 2:19)20Wenn ich aber das tue, was ich nicht will, dann bin nicht mehr ich es, der es bewirkt, sondern die in mir wohnende Sünde.21Ich stoße also auf das Gesetz, dass in mir das Böse vorhanden ist, obwohl ich das Gute tun will.22Denn in meinem Innern freue ich mich am Gesetz Gottes,23ich sehe aber ein anderes Gesetz in meinen Gliedern, das mit dem Gesetz meiner Vernunft im Streit liegt und mich gefangen hält im Gesetz der Sünde, das in meinen Gliedern herrscht.24Ich elender Mensch! Wer wird mich aus diesem dem Tod verfallenen Leib erretten? (Ro 8:10; 2Co 1:10)
Das neue Leben im Geist Gottes
25Dank aber sei Gott durch Jesus Christus, unseren Herrn! Es ergibt sich also, dass ich mit meiner Vernunft dem Gesetz Gottes diene, mit dem Fleisch aber dem Gesetz der Sünde. (1Co 15:57)