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Every one that believes the gospel of God concerning His Son is reckoned to have
died with him, and death breaks all the bonds of law. The new husband, who
represents Christ, and the new marriage, which represents union with Him, is on
an entirely new plane, that of resurrection--`even to Him Who was raised from
the dead'. The issue of that new marriage is entirely new and acceptable to God.
Instead of bringing forth `fruit unto death' as you did while under the law (here
in Rom. 7: 5 the apostle establishes a link with the earlier argument of
Rom. 6: 21, 22), you now bring forth `fruit unto God'. This then is the true state
of affairs; and the objection that obedience to the gospel involves spiritual
adultery is without foundation."
With this paraphrase in mind, let us obtain a view of the section as a whole:--
Romans 7: 1-6.
A | 1. Know ye not, brethren.
B | 2-3. "Loosed (katergetai) from the law of her husband" (2).
a1 | Woman bound by law of her husband.
b1 | So long as he liveth.
b1 | If husband be dead.
a1 | Woman loosed from the law of her husband.
b2 | If husband liveth.
a2 | She shall be called an adulteress.
b2 | If husband be dead.
a2 | She is no adulteress.
A | 4. Wherefore, my brethren.
B | 4-6. "Delivered (katergethemen) from the law" (6).
c | Ye also are dead to the law.
d | Married to Him Who is raised from dead.
e | Fruit unto God.
e | Fruit unto death.
c | Having died to that wherein we were held.
d | Serve in newness in spirit.
The first point that demands attention is the recurrence of the word katargeo,
translated "loosed" in 7: 2, "delivered" in 7: 6, and "destroyed" in 6: 6. This
word should not be translated "free", a rendering that should be reserved for the verb
eleutheroo, which is found in Rom. 7: 3: "She is free from that law." Eleutheroo also
occurs in Rom. 6: 18 and 22: "Free from sin."
The lesson here is important, and we earnestly ask the reader's attention.
In
both chapter 6: and chapter 7:, we have katargeo followed by eleutheroo.
In
Rom. 8: 21-23 we get some light on the connection between these two words:--
"Because the creature itself also shall be delivered (eleutheroo) from the bondage of
corruption . . . . . the redemption of our body."
The point is that freedom presupposes the nullifying of whatever caused the initial
bondage. In Rom. 6:, before the apostle uses the word free in verses 18-22--"free from