Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those
who know the law [Torah]), that the law [Torah] has jurisdiction
over a person as long as he lives? For the married woman is
bound by law [Torah] to her husband while he is living; but if
her husband dies, she is released from the law [Torah] concerning
the husband. So then, if while her husband is living she is joined
to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her
husband dies, she is free from the law [Torah concerning the
husband], so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined
to another man. (Romans 7:1-3)
Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the
Law [Torah concerning the husband, who is sin and death]
through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another,
to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might
bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful
passions, which were {aroused} by the Law [Torah], were
at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.
But now we have been released from the Law [Torah
concerning the husband, the husband being sin and death],
having died to that by which we were bound, so that we
serve in newness of the Spirit [Walking in the Spirit which
is obedience to Torah] and not in oldness of the letter
[which is keeping law or "going good" in order to deserve
a place in the Kingdom, i.e., legalism]. (Romans 7:4-6)
Thanks for taking time, Slade!
In the second paragraph above, you say "Torah concerning the husband, who is sin and death." I have problems with what you are trying to do here. In the previous sentence where Paul says, "she is free from the law" and you define law here as "Torah concerning the husband," does this Torah concerning the husband also equate to "sin and death"?
You seem to understand that relationship between the Torah of Moses causing sin to become more excitable in man and bringing condemnation upon him. Why not then make the next step in Paul's logic here and accept his comments about being dead to the law and being delivered from the law. In these cases, he is clearly talking about a particular relationship to the law (covenant) which you previously had called legalism. So what is the big deal? Don't you think you are wrangling the words to make it say something that Paul is not at all trying to say?
By the way, Slade. Considering that you are only a few hours from here, would you be interested in getting together to talk face to face about these passages? I could bring a few brothers in Christ and you could bring a few and we can work through this subject for a few hours and see where we get. What do you think? It might jump start our dialogue here and we can report the results of the meeting to the group.
Peace be with you.
David Miller.
---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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