THE EPISTLE
OF
PAUL THE APOSTLE
TO THE
ROMANS
Romans 7 ©
1 The apostle, having declared in the foregoing chapter that sin reigns no more over those who are in Christ as it reigns over those that are under the law, now proves the same by the example of the making free of a wife from the dominion of her husband by the death of her husband. 4 And applies that to those who are born again. 7 Teaches further for what purpose the law serves; and proves that the law is no cause of sin in the unregenerate, although through the law sin reigns over them. 14 Afterwards describes the strife between the flesh and the spirit, and sets forth the power which the remainders of the flesh still have against the spirit in the believers. 24 Concludes this declaration with a complaint and with a wish to be wholly delivered from this strife, and with a thanksgiving to God for the deliverance already obtained.
KNOW ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know 1the law,) how that the law 2hath dominion over a man 3as long as he liveth?
Fora the woman 4which hath an husband 5is boundb by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is 6loosed 7from the law of her husband.
Soc then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to 8another man, she shall be 9called 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, 10yed also are become dead to the law 11by the body of Christ; that ye should be married 12to another, even to him 13who is raised from the dead, that we should 14bring forth fruit unto God.
For when we were 15in the flesh, the motionse of sins, 16which were by the law, 17did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
But now we are 18delivered from the law, 19that being dead 20wherein we were held; that we should 21serve 22inf newness of spirit, and not 23in the oldness of the letter.
What shall we say then? 24Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, 25Ig had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known 26lust, except the law had said, Thouh shalt not covet.
Buti27sin, 28taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me 29all manner of concupiscence.j For 30without the law sin was 31dead.
For 32I was alive without the law 33once: but 34when the commandment came, sin 35revived, and I 36died.
And the commandment, 37which was ordained to life, I found to be 38unto death.
For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, 39deceived me, and by it slew me.
Whereforek the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Was then that which is good made 40death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin 41by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
42For we know that the law is 43spiritual: but 44I am carnal, 45soldl under sin.
For that which I 46do I 47allowm not: forn48what I would, that 49do I not; but 50what I hate, that do I.
If then I do that which I would not, I 51consent unto the law that it is good.
Now then it is no more 52I that do it, but 53sin that dwelleth in me.
Foro I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will 54is present with me; but how to perform that which is 55good I find not.
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
I 56find then a 57law, that, when I would do good, evil is 58present with me.
Forp I delight in the law of God 59after the inward man:
Butq I see another law 60in my members, warring against 61the law of my mind, and bringing me 62into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me 63from the body of this death?
64I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 65So then with 66the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.