The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 7 -

(Galatians 3:15–25)

Are you ignorant, brothers—for to those knowing law I speak—that the law has lordship over the man as long as he lives?

For the married woman to the living husband has been bound by law, and if the husband may die, she has been free from the law of the husband;

so then, the husband being alive, she will be called an adulteress if she may become another man’s; and if the husband may die, she is free from the law, so as not to be an adulteress, having become another man’s.

So that, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of the Christ, for your becoming another’s, who was raised up out of the dead, that we might bear fruit to God;

for when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, that [are] through the Law, were working in our members, to bear fruit to death;

and now we have ceased from the Law, that being dead in which we were held, so that we may serve in newness of spirit, and not in oldness of letter.

God’s Law Is Holy

What, then, will we say? The Law [is] sin? Let it not be! But I did not know sin except through law, for also the covetousness I had not known if the Law had not said:

“You will not covet”; and sin having received an opportunity, through the command, worked in me all covetousness—for apart from law sin is dead.

And I was alive apart from law once, and the command having come, sin revived, and I died;

and the command that [is] for life, this was found by me for death;

for sin, having received an opportunity, through the command, deceived me, and through it, slew [me],

so that the Law, indeed, [is] holy, and the command holy, and righteous, and good.

Struggling with Sin

That which is good then, has it become death to me? Let it not be! But sin, that it might appear sin, through the good, working death to me, that sin might become exceedingly sinful through the command.

For we have known that the Law is spiritual, and I am fleshly, sold by sin;

for that which I work, I do not acknowledge; for not what I will, this I practice, but what I hate, this I do.

And if what I do not will, this I do, I consent to the Law that [it is] good,

and now it is no longer I that work it, but sin dwelling in me,

for I have known that there does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh, good: for to will is present with me, and I do not find to work that which is right,

for the good that I will, I do not do; but the evil that I do not will, this I practice.

And if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that work it, but sin that is dwelling in me.

I find, then, the law, that when I desire to do what is right, the evil is present with me,

for I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man,

and I behold another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin that [is] in my members.

A wretched man I [am]! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?

I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord; so then, I myself indeed serve the Law of God with the mind, and with the flesh, the law of sin.

(Galatians 3:15–25)

Or don’t you know, brothers(a) (for I speak to men who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man for as long as he lives?

For the woman that has a husband is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband.

So then if, while the husband lives, she is joined to another man, she would be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she is joined to another man.

Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might produce fruit to God.

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law worked in our members to bring out fruit to death.

But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

God’s Law Is Holy

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.”(b)

But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead.

I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.

The commandment which was for life, this I found to be for death;

for sin, finding occasion through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.

Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, righteous, and good.

Struggling with Sin

Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, was producing death in me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceedingly sinful.

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin.

For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I don’t practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do.

But if what I don’t desire, that I do, I consent to the law that it is good.

So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.

For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don’t find it doing that which is good.

For the good which I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, that I practice.

But if what I don’t desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.

I find then the law that, while I desire to do good, evil is present.

For I delight in God’s law after the inward person,

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.

What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?

I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God’s law, but with the flesh, sin’s law.

Footnotes

(a)7:1 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

(b)7:7 ℘ Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21