Romans 6 and 7 Revisited

In Romans 6 and 7, Paul discusses two wrong ways of thinking. In Romans 6, there is the wrong idea that grace is a license to sin (called Antimonianism). In Romans 7 he argues against going back to the rigid constraints of the Old Covenant and the Law. He compares these two paths to right way of the thinking or the right path which is the true way of Christ. This right path is a path of righteousness, not a path of merely following commands. It is not merely a compromise or middle ground position between the two wrong paths. When one follows the Antimonian path, one acquiesces to the desires of the flesh. When one follows the second path, one follows the Law (or rather attempts to follow it). However, following the desires of the Spirit is the true path to righteousness. Both Antimonianism and Judaism (or the Judaizer view) keep one in bondage (or slavery) to sin. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, the true path in Christ brings one out of this bondage. This is Paul's main argument for this path (as opposed to the other two) and it is the main point that he trying to get across. Paul conveys this main point many times using various different expressions: “You died to sin”, “You are dead to sin”, “You are no longer a slave to sin”, “You are no longer under the dominion of sin”, and etc. Paul makes it clear by these arguments that one cannot simultaneously be on the right path and a wrong one at the same time. You are either a slave to sin or you're not. (See also Matthew 6:24.) He argues that being under the old covenant and new at the same time is like woman having two husbands at the same time. If a woman has a husband, then only if he dies can she marry some other man. In the same way, Paul says in Romans 7:1-4, you must die to the Law in order to be in the new covenant in Christ. (This is parallel to chapter 6 in which he says, “you died to sin”.)

However in Romans 7:14-25, Paul describes himself as being “sold as a slave to sin”, “captive to the law of sin” and generally willing, but unable to do the good that he wants to do. This clearly appears, on the surface, to undermine everything that he's been saying. Many people quote these verses out of context in an attempt to argue that this spiritual paralysis is a normal Christian experience. But Paul obviously cannot really be talking about his walk with Christ in these verses. In 7:17 and 7:20, he says, “So now it is no longer I who do it [sin], but sin that dwells within me.” Most people who misuse this passage aren't going to admit that they agree that that statement is true of them. If you try to water down the truth about the Christian life according to Romans 6:1-7:6 to fit into 7:14-25 then you are watering down Paul's main argument against the teachings of the Antimonians and of the Judaizers. (Sure there are other arguments against these in the Scriptures, but those are not in view in this passage or at least they are not emphasized nearly to the extent as is the teaching of the liberation of bondage from sin.) Paul's answer to the question, “Shall we go on sinning so the grace may increase?” is “By no means!”, which is the strongest negative answer that one give. Such a strong answer definitely can't be backed up by statements that have been made weak to fit in with Romans 7:14-25.

Throughout Paul's writings, it is evident that, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he is keenly aware that there are those who will misuse his words for a purpose that is not intended. He is constantly qualifying himself by saying things like, “This is true, but that doesn't mean that this other thing is true.” For example, in Romans 6:1 he indicates that just because we are under grace, that doesn't mean that we should go on sinning. In Romans 6:15, he adds that just because we are not under the Law, that doesn't mean that we should go on sinning. In Romans 7:7, 12 and 13, Paul indicates that just because the path of the Law is the wrong path for us now, that doesn't mean that the Law is bad, but the Law is good because it exposes sinfulness (and thus shows the need for grace which can only be found in Christ). But, after talking about himself using past tense verbs, in 7:14 Paul suddenly starts using present tense verbs without any explanation. There are no “howevers”, “neverthelesses”, “buts”, or “yets” and no mention of a conversion experience in his life story. He gives no explanation for the apparent contradiction to Romans 6 and the first half of 7. In 7:23-24 he is “captive to the law of sin” and has a “body of death”. But just a few verses later, in 8:2-3, he says, “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.” If Paul's description of himself in Romans 7 is really about before he became a Christian, then it supports 8:2-3, but if he talking about his present condition, then it has very little meaning or value because it must be watered down to fit.

What does Paul say about the Law in 7:14-25? He says that it is good and that he delights in it. Funny that in the condition that he is in, he doesn't rather tout God's grace in this manner. Look at the last sentence in chapter 7! “So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” Clearly, he is still under the Law at this point in his story.

I get the impression that Calvinists prefer to believe that 7:14-25 is a description of Paul after his conversion because he seems to describe himself as having “good intentions” which, according to them, is not possible for an unregenerate. I am not a Calvinist, so I don't believe that the unsaved are so depraved that they can't have any good intentions at all. Besides this, these “good intentions” may not be Paul's current thoughts as he is writing, but rather what he had thought about himself before his conversion (and thus might not always be the truth). If you are a Calvinist, ask yourself this question—Can “I no longer sin” really be true even for a regenerated person?

So why then does Paul switch from past to present tense verbs at 7:14? The answer can be found in the foreword of the 1995 edition of the NASB:

A STAR (*) is used to mark verbs that are historical presents in the Greek which have been translated with an English past tense in order to conform to modern usage. The translators recognized that in some contexts the present tense seems more unexpected and unjustified to the English reader than a past tense would have been. But Greek authors frequently used the present tense for the sake of heightened vividness, thereby transporting their readers in imagination to the actual scene at the time of occurrence. However, the translators felt that it would be wise to change these historical presents to English past tenses.

Thus, there is no reason to try to force this portion (Romans 7:14-25) of Paul's life story into his description of the deliverance of believers from out of slavery to sin in 6:1-7:6 and elsewhere. If you are in Christ, then you are dead to sin, you are no longer a slave to sin, you are no longer under the dominion of sin, and you are no longer under the law of sin and death. These things are the “condemnation” spoken of in 8:1 and are a consequence of being under the Law of Moses. There are no if's, and's or but's about it. If Christ has set you free, then you are free indeed (John 8:36).