The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans

⭑ Unlocked Literal Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 7 -

(Galatians 3:15–25)

Or do you not know, brothers, for I am speaking to people who know about law, that the law controls a person for as long as he lives?

For the married woman is bound by law to the husband while he lives, but if the husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage.

So then, while her husband is living, if she lives with another man, she will be called an adulteress. But if the husband dies, she is free from the law, so she is not an adulteress if she lives with another man.

Therefore, my brothers, you were also made dead to the law through the body of Christ. This is so that you could be joined to another, that is, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might produce fruit for God.

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions were activated in our members through the law to produce fruit to death.

But now we have been released from the law. We have died to that by which we were held. This is so that we might serve in newness of the Spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.

God’s Law Is Holy

What will we say then? Is the law itself sin? May it never be. However, I would never have known sin, if it were not through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law said, “You must not covet.”

But sin took the opportunity through the commandment and brought about every lust in me. For without the law, sin is dead.

At one time I was alive without the law, but when the commandment came, sin regained life, and I died.

The commandment that was to bring life turned out to be death for me.

For sin took the opportunity through the commandment and deceived me. Through the commandment it killed me.

So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.

Struggling with Sin

So did what is good become death to me? May it never be. But sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin through what is good, brought about death in me. This was in order that through the commandment, sin might become sinful beyond measure.

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh. I have been sold under slavery to sin.

For what I do, I do not really understand. For what I want to do, I do not do, and what I hate, I do.

But if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law that the law is good.

But now it is no longer I who do it, but the sin that lives in me.

For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, lives no good thing. For the desire for good is with me, but I cannot do it.

For the good that I want I do not do, but the evil that I do not want, that I do.

Now if I do what I do not want to do, then it is no longer I who am acting, but rather sin that lives in me.

I find, then, the principle in me that I want to do what is good, but that evil is actually present in me.

For I rejoice in the law of God with the inner man.

But I see a different principle in my body parts. It fights against that new principle in my mind. It takes me captive by the principle of sin that is in my body parts.

I am a miserable man! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind. However, with the flesh I serve the principle 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