Chapter # 7 Paragraph # 3 Study # 1
November 6, 2016
Humble, Texas
(048)
1769 Translation:
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.
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.
1901 ASV Translation:
13 Did then that which is good become death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good; - that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For that which I
do I know not: for not what I would, that do I practise; but what I hate, that I do.
16 But if what I would not, that I do, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17 So now it is no more I that
do it, but sin which 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 to
do that which is good [
is] not.
19 For the good which I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I practise.
20 But if what I would not, that I do, it is no more I that
do it, but sin which dwelleth in me.
21 I find then
the law, that, to me who would do good, evil is present.
22 For I delight
in the law of God after the inward man:
23 but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members.
24 Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of
the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
- I. Paul's Next Question.
- A. In 7:10 he wrote that "the commandment which was unto life was found to be to me unto death".
- B. Then, in 7:12 he wrote that "the commandment [is] holy and righteous and good".
- 1. The commandment is "holy".
- a. The abiding metaphor for "holiness" in the Scriptures is "light".
- b. John says in His "light" there is no "darkness" at all. James intensifies this thesis by denying that there is even a "shadow of turning"; no darkness, not even a shadow.
- c. The issue of "darkness" is some form of contradiction to the "glorious light" of God; thus, "holiness" is the absence of any form of contradiction.
- d. The "commandment" is in perfect harmony with every other thing that is true about God. The imperative of "Law" is an insistence that God's "glory" (essence) be the backdrop for the evaluation of everything that comes into the mind of man.
- 2. The commandment is "righteous".
- a. The essential nature of "righteousness" is that it does no "wrong" to others. It is the foundation of the Kingdom of God (Romans 14:17) and produces "peace" and "joy" because there are no "wrongs" involved.
- b. Thus, the "commandment" is "righteous" because its imperative only insists that others be not victimized.
- 3. The commandment is "good".
- a. Paul said in 7:10 that the "commandment" was "unto Life".
- b. "Life" is the ultimate "good" and all that promotes "Life" is good.
- C. Now he asks: Did, therefore, that which [is] good become to me death?
- 1. He already said "the commandment was found to be to me death".
- 2. Now he adamantly denies that "the good commandment became death to me".
- 3. What are his thoughts?
- a. He knows that his words in 7:10-12 are going to spark this false conclusion.
- b. But he also knows that the explanation of 7:11, that The Sin "received an opportune setting through the presence of 'the commandment' to deceive".
- c. Therefore, it is not "the good commandment", but the deception, that caused the "death".
- II. Paul's Next Explanation.
- A. There was/is a potent need for "The Sin" to be made manifest as "sinful".
- 1. Paul makes this point in his initial explanation of his emphatic denial.
- 2. Then he doubles down on the point by saying that "The Sin" is (and, thus, needs to be seen as) extraordinarily "sinful".
- 3. The question is: Why?
- a. One good reason is that humanity, in its bondage to "The Sin", does not see "sins" as particularly important.
- b. When "sins" are not seen in their true light, two things immediately occur: men do not see any significant need for redemption; and, those who understand the truth of eternal condemnation significantly fault God for "going overboard" in His reaction to sins.
- 4. Additionally, men invariably fault "The Law" when it condemns their behavior rather than facing the truth of their extreme bondage to "The Sin". It is endemic to humanity that we blame the wrong person/thing when our wishes are rejected (like blaming the police when they shoot a person who refuses to submit to them and makes threatening moves toward them).
- B. This sinfulness is revealed in that "The Sin" actually made use of that which is good by twisting it into something it is not. The greatness of this sinfulness exists in three facts: it seeks death for others; it twists "good" things in its pursuit of that sinful goal; and its pursuit is intense in its "working".
- 1. At issue in "the commandment" is the contradiction of man's selfish agendas by divine demand. This means that "the commandment" is a revelation of man's need for an agenda-free attitude in his relationship with God.
- 2. That "The Sin" uses this revelation to impugn the character of The God is the ultimate contradiction of "holiness": The Sin is "extraordinarily sinful".