| Romans! |
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| Chapter Seven |
Do you not know, fellow Jews, (brothers by race), (for I am
speaking to those who are acquainted with and understand the
law) that the legal claims (of the law) have power over a person
as long as he lives?
At this point, Paul is using an example of law in general to
explain the subject of justification in yet another way. He is
using a law that all Jews should have easily understood. As we
all know, the law has dominion over us all as long as we live.
Any example could be drawn. But the simple law of the traffic
light is sufficient, as all law works the same way. If you run the
red light you are subject to being brought before the court for
trial. A penalty will be exacted. Of course, many man-made
laws can be broken and receive no penalty, if one is not caught.
And there is the blind-eye syndrome. However, God's ever-
seeing eye does not overlook any of His laws. If you break His
law, you have incurred the death penalty. Justification is
required to rectify the damage incurred.
1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how
that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
For the woman who has a husband, is bound by the law to her
husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is loosed
from the law concerning her husband.
Paul uses a more exalted example for explaining his subject, for
he uses a law of God. If a woman has a husband, the law binds
her to him until her death. But, if he dies before the woman dies,
she is free to marry once again.
2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her
husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed
from the law of her husband.
Accordingly, God and the judges will consider her an adulteress
if she unites herself to another man while her husband lives. But
if her husband dies, the marriage law is no longer binding on her.
She is free from that law. Then if she marries another man,
neither God nor the judges consider her as an adulteress.
Paul explains in more detail. If the woman in any way unites
with another man while her husband is still alive, because of God’
s law she is considered an adulteress. Of course, we know about
the exception clauses as explained elsewhere in the Bible. Paul
is not using an exceptional case for his example. He is taking a
simple law, as it would apply in an ordinary case and using it to
illustrate a point that we will soon come to. Paul goes on to show
that if the woman's husband dies, she is free to marry another
man.
3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man,
she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free
from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to
another man.
Likewise, my fellow-Jewish believers, you have become
liberated from the law, by the death of the Messiah; that you
should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from
the dead - that we should bring forth fruit to God.
Paul is taking a very interesting approach here. He is speaking
of the law of the marriage covenant, or the Old Covenant. The
law of the old covenant marriage between Israel and God was
based on the ten commandments and their magnification as well
as all the laws of justification that made up the temple worship
to rectify them back to God when they went astray.
Paul is showing that the old covenant marriage with all its laws
(as they applied to this particular marriage) ended with the
death of the Messiah, the man - to make way for the new
covenant marriage between the Messiah and man.
However, under the new covenant marriage, the Ten
Commandments in all their magnification became a part of the
new covenant with further magnification (from the Messiah), but
the laws of justification were changed from the temple sacrifices
to faith in the Messiah! And the new covenant also included the
giving of the holy spirit so that we can bring forth fruits (of the
spirit) to God.
In this verse, Paul is showing the Jews how they can logically
break faith with the Old Covenant marriage and be brought into
faith with the New Covenant marriage. The Old Covenant
marriage is no longer binding for the death of the Messiah (the
husband of the OC marriage) made a way for the wife (a symbol
of the Jews in this example) to marry another man. The New
Covenant marriage had the law of the new husband, the
Messiah. The real difference in the two marriages is that the
new marriage has its justification in the Messiah and the wife is
given the holy spirit to keep the laws of her husband. The Ten
Commandments are very much a part of that covenant!
4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the
body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is
raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
When we were living carnally, the passions of sin, that were
against the law, worked in our bodies to bear fruit unto death.
Here Paul explains what it was like under the old covenant,
before justification of past sins became available. They lived
carnally, embroiled in the sins of pleasure for a season. Many
suffered because of their sins. They were living passionately
against what the standard of the law required. And the lustful
passions worked in every member of their bodies to bring them
into eternal death. And at that time, they had to rely on the
blood of bulls and goats, which could not make the conscience
clean and change the penalty of death!
5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the
law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
But now we are released from the penalty (force) of that
marriage law. For that marriage law, which had a claim on us, is
dead. Now we may serve in the newness of the spirit and not in
the oldness of the letter.
Paul concludes with his example of the death of a husband giving
release from the law concerning her husband, to the woman so
she can marry again. Because of the death of the Messiah, man
has been released from the law of the former marriage
covenant. Man was held captive there because the blood of bulls
and goats could not take away sins and release him from the
demands of the law of God.
Now, under the new marriage covenant, we see the ten
commandments are reinstated, and magnified to an even greater
degree, because the Husband of the new marriage requires us to
keep them in the spirit and not in the letter only!
Here is a fantastic understanding! It is true that the law of the
first Husband ceased, because the Husband of the former
marriage died on a tree. And His death gave the woman
freedom to marry again. She had to marry again in order to
reap the promises of a Husband. Many understand this part of
Paul's analogy to a degree. But they stop at this point and don't
finish the example that Paul is explaining here.
Paul is showing that the woman did not remain single and free!
She married again and her new Husband had laws as well! Not
only does He require her to keep the ten commandments by the
letter, as did the old Husband, but He required her to keep them
in the spirit as well! He also gave her a better means of
justification. The sacrifices were done away, because He
became the Sacrifice to cover all sacrifices! The death of the
first Husband annulled these laws as well. He also gave His wife
a part of His fantastic mind (the holy spirit) so she could keep
His magnified laws according to the spirit of them. Therefore,
the demands are greater. For, to whom more is given, more
shall be required. And this new marriage covenant is based on
better promises!
Lu 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes,
shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of
him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of
him they will ask the more.
Heb 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how
much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established
upon better promises.
Perhaps at this point, because of the dullness of hearing, we
need to once again understand what the covenant entails.
Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind,
and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they
shall be to me a people:
Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those
days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their
minds will I write them;
This covenant law given in Hebrews is not some new law that
was unknown in the old covenant! Paul quoted this from Jer 31:
33. The laws of the new covenant are the same laws as the old
covenant, except for the laws of sacrifices (now justification by
faith), circumcision (now circumcision of the heart) and such
laws as are specifically shown to be changed in their
administration under the new covenant.
Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their
inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they
shall be my people.
No law, per se, was done away, except the marriage covenant
(caused by the death of the husband). Some laws of the old
covenant were types that have a spiritual application in the new
covenant. But none of the laws of the first Husband were any
longer binding after His death, for without marriage, there was
no covenant. Only the laws of the second Husband are binding.
This made way so that the laws of the first Husband could rise to
the level that God envisioned from the beginning. But make no
mistake that the laws of the second Husband are far more
challenging than the laws of the first Husband!
What makes it so inspiring, however, is because we are given the
power to overcome sin under the new covenant, which they did
not have then, for the most part. We can work out our salvation
with greater success than they did. What we find is that we can
now fulfill the desire that God had when He first gave the
Israelites His commandments. Why did the second Husband
require the same ten commandments as the first Husband? So
that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!
De 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear
me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with
them, and with their children forever!
The second Husband would be less than a good husband, if He
did not require the commandments of God for His wife. If we
would put as much effort in learning to love God's law as is being
put into trying to do away with them, by some, we would find the
answer to all of life's problems.
6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we
were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the
oldness of the letter.
What then is our conclusion? Is the law sinful? Absolutely not!
Rather, if it had not been for the law, I should not have
recognized sin or have known its meaning. For example, I would
not have known about lust (desire for what is forbidden), if the
law had not said, You shall not covet.
Paul comes to a conclusion concerning the law of God, based on
his foregoing analogy, in the following few verses. He begins, Is
the law sinful? Is that where the problem lies? Absolutely not!
That is <not> where the problem is. The law was given so we
could know what sin is. If the law did not specify in detail that it
is unlawful to covet, we would not have known, by force of law,
that it was wrong to lust for our neighbor's wife! All the law is
there for is to let us know what is right and what is wrong. And
the law has the force of power that only God can give it. This is
the reason that it is so wrong for those who are suppose to be
holding up God to the people to tell them that there are no
requirements for salvation - that they can live as they please and
still expect to receive eternal life. In that case, they undermine
the laws of the land for God's law supersedes the law of the
land. Now we can see why the land is filled with crimes and all
sorts of violence.
Ac 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought
to obey God rather than men.
Ezr 9:11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets,
saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with
the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which
have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not
known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had
said, Thou shalt not covet.
But sin, seizing the opportunity in the commandment (to express
itself), incited every lust in me. For, without the law, sin is non-
existent.
Paul continues with the conclusion from his analogy. Sin is
personified in this verse, as though it was a living person.
Because the law stated that it was a sin to covet, man's sins
became a living thing, something from which he could not
escape.
Unless there is a code of law with a power great enough to
enforce that law, sins don't exist. Without the law that one
should not covet, a man might go ahead and take another man's
wife. For without law, who is to say that she belongs to the man
she is now living with? While there might have been fleeting
feelings that he probably should not have done that, after the
dust settled he would wipe his mouth and soon forget it. The
rule of law in that case would have been based on who had the
most power. As he had the greater power, he had a right to
what he had been able to acquire for himself. But, with a
constituted law, the crime committed against it would still hang
over him until the death of himself or his new "wife". His
conscience would continue to smite him. The law would always
be there. That is why God put them in stone. They would not go
away. There would never be a question in the mind of the
individual about whether he had done right or wrong.
8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all
manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
At one time, I was alive without the law. But when I came to
know the commandments, sin came alive in me and I died.
Here Paul gives the analogy of a man who at one time lived his
life without any knowledge of the law. When the knowledge of
the law and the fact that he must keep that law or perish, came
to him - sin came alive in him. Before, sin was dead. In fact, he
didn't know of any such thing. Now because of the law, sin came
alive - for the law spells out what sin is. Sin was given a
structure so that it became a reality to him. But, the problem
with all this is that he died! What good was it to know that one
had sinned, if there was no remedy?
9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment
came, sin revived, and I died.
And the commandments, which were given to ensure life, I found
to be the cause of my death.
Here Paul continues his analogy of the previous verse. The
commandments were given so that a man could live in them, not
die. However, because of the penalty of death for breaking the
law, every man would die for no man could live the law
perfectly. There had to be a way to justify the man so that he
could receive the life made possible by the commandments,
without receiving the death. Justification is the answer to this
dilemma! Justification is the theme of Paul's book of Romans.
Le 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a
man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto
death.
For sin, seizing the opportunity given it by the commandment
deceived me; and by sin I was slain.
So, sin took advantage of the commandment, which gave it
recognition and slew the man. The commandment was given to
let us know what sin is. Now that we know, the evil one uses this
knowledge to advantage. He uses our cravings to draw us into
sin by deception. Then once we have sinned, we are dead - for
the penalty of breaking the law is death.
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it
slew me.
Therefore, the law is holy and each commandment is holy, and
just, and good.
So Paul concludes here that there is nothing wrong with the law!
The problem is not with the law. The problem is with us. The
law just sits there without emotion and says, "You shall not
commit adultery." The law of the second Husband says that to
look on a woman and lust for her in your mind is committing
adultery! This is a much greater demand than the law of the
first Husband. There is nothing wrong with this demand. The
problem is, how can we obey our Husband, and what happens if
we slip up and disobey? This is answered by the indwelling of
the holy spirit and the justification process. These two systems
working together create righteous character in us. We must
yield to the holy spirit, the mind of God, and we must ask
forgiveness for disobedience to our Husband.
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and
good.
But does this mean that what is good caused my death?
Absolutely not! It was sin that brought death; by using what is
good, sin brought death to me, in order that its true nature as sin
might be revealed. And so, by means of the commandment sin is
shown to be even more terribly sinful.
Paul asks, did the law, which is good, cause my death? Certainly
not! Sin was the problem, not the law. Sin, made known by the
definition of the law worked toward bringing death to every
man. The law left no doubt about what sin is. God did not want
man to wonder if what he did was right or wrong. He wanted the
understanding of right and wrong to be spelled out in a
constituted law so that sin would become so terrible and good
would become so right that there would be no gray area for man
to wonder about. Sin without the commandment was not
enough. God did not want man to just be mildly disturbed about
sin. Therefore, He set down His laws in stone to show that the
wrath of God would come upon those who broke these laws.
But there had to be a way to escape the penalty of death for
without that, all men would be dead. That is what justification is
all about. There had to be a way that man could practice
keeping the law and have another day to practice even though
he had fallen the day before. There had to be a way that man
could have a deep abiding desire to keep these commandments.
That is what the holy spirit is all about. With the law, the holy
spirit, and justification, God could produce sons and daughters
for glory!
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But
sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good;
that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
So, Paul makes a case for the marriage law or covenant of the
Jews to cease so that the laws of the resurrected Messiah could
be established – the laws of the new Husband. These laws
included the good laws of the previous Husband and replaced
those types that had risen to realities.
Paul here makes a case for the goodness of the law and the
badness of sin and he upholds the law as the banner to let us
know what sin is and what righteousness is. Without this
knowledge, everyone would be floundering in a sea of
ignorance. This being the case, how can we say that the law is
done away? For as Paul shows here, if there is no law, sin is non-
existent! If sin no longer exists, we are perfect already. But
John said that if we sin, we have an advocate with the Father.
How could we sin if the law has been done away, even so far as
those who have received the holy spirit are concerned?
1Jo 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.
And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous:
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
It is obvious that the law still exists to let us know what is right
and what is wrong. And if we break this law, knowingly, we are
to ask forgiveness for that sin. The prayer outline that the
Messiah gave to His disciples with an indication to daily prayer
says that we are to ask forgiveness of our sins on a daily basis.
But if the law is no longer binding on us and if there are no
obligations on the part of a believer, then why ask us to pray
such a prayer. For where there is no law, there is no sin.
Lu 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is
indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
God's laws were <not> done away between the two covenants.
God's laws are eternal.
Rather, Paul gave an <analogy> showing how the laws of a
husband are no longer binding upon the woman after his death.
While the laws of God are always there and a penalty will be
exacted to any man, the subject so far as Paul was writing is
about law as a covenant between a husband and his wife. Paul is
using the Old Covenant marriage and New Covenant marriage
example to give the Jews a logical reason why they should
forsake the Husband of the Old and embrace the Husband of the
new. The laws of the new Husband are different in that when
you disobey Him, you must ask forgiveness and accept on faith
that He has forgiven you. In the Old Covenant marriage, when
they disobeyed their Husband, they had to bring animal
sacrifices to the temple!
The law and how it related to Israel was the covenant between
God and Israel.
There is a difference in the end result of the law when it is
covenanted and when it is not. Only those who are covenanted
have the promise of eternal life. Others may keep the law and
reap the benefits of doing so over not doing so. These benefits
are quite considerable even in this case. However, this does not
result in eternal life for they have not been called and brought
into covenant with God. In other words, they are not His wife.
This is the context that Paul is writing about in these verses.
There is also a difference as to how God looks at the sin of a
covenanted person and one who is not covenanted. We
discussed this in the difference between the Sin Offering and the
Trespass Offering in the article on the Sacrifices.
Some teachers believe that the Messiah would have to be
justifying our sins every minute of the day. One minute we
would be covered, the next minute we would be headed for
eternal death, the next minute we would be headed for eternal
life, etc. It is the lack of understanding the Sin and Trespass
Offerings and how God looks on the Converted person versus
the Sinner and how He covers sins of ignorance.
The marriage covenant shows that the husband is not to put
away his wife for every cause. Therefore, the husband would
have to forgive a lot of sins and trespasses that the wife did not
even ask forgiveness for on a moment by moment basis in order
to remain married to her. And this is exactly the relationship
that the Messiah has with the church. He is wanting to present
the church (not an organization) to Himself in marriage at His
return not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and
without blemish. Therefore, unless the wife (we) give Him good
reason, He will not put us away. Does the Messiah put us away
one minute and take us back the next? Of course not! His
commitment is for the long haul. Ours should be the same and if
we feel that He has done it all, we don't understand the husband
wife relationship. A marriage requires that each mate do his or
her part!
Do any of you husbands feel that you have done it all for your
wife and that she has no requirements to you? Do you wives feel
this way? In the physical world we understand that both the
husband and the wife have obligations. It is no different with
God in the covenant He has made with us.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the
church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the
word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot,
or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without
blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth
his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and
cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be
joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
There were two daily sacrifices offered for hundreds of years in
ancient Israel. These showed the keeping of Israel's relationship
with God viable. The Atonement Sacrifice was to cover sins of
ignorance. Sin Offerings were to cover gross sins. Trespass
Offerings were to cover sins of negligence.
It was understood that by daily prayer we would keep a good
relationship with God so that we would not need to ask for the
Sin Offering to be applied for us on a daily basis. However, the
Messiah covered all of the sacrifices. Therefore, when we ask
forgiveness in our daily prayer we are covered for all type of sin
or trespasses. This answers in part why John said, <if> we sin
we have an advocate. The word used for sin in that verse means
to stray from God's law. In other words, one who is on the
verge of losing the holy spirit could be meant there.
There is not a period of time specified for coverage of our sins
before God will put us away, because He wants us to be
concerned enough about our relationship with Him that we do
not endanger that relationship by living our lives on the edge.
We are cautioned not to quench the holy spirit, showing that
over a process of time we can end the relationship with God that
He has started by giving us the holy spirit – if we persist. Only
He is wise enough to know when we have crossed the line.
While God does know every time we sin, He is not gauging us on
a moment by moment basis for the purpose of doing us in. It is
over a period of time that character must be developed and only
as we live our lives over the years can a good determination be
made about what kind of vessel we will become. However, God
is not out playing and wishing that we would not bother Him
about our transgressions or sins. This is His work and He does
not act like a clown, saying well this minute you will "go to
heaven," this minute you will "go to hell," etc. He has a system
worked out and if it is once per day that He covers all our sins in
a ceremony, that is His work and His problem. Our problem is
to work on not sinning or transgressing.
Obviously, if we go out and start murdering people we would
snuff out the holy spirit rather quickly. There are crimes that
require capital punishment, even in the word of God. But, if we
are serious about our calling, and trying to put sin out of our
lives, God is merciful and willing to work with us - for He knows
that we are but clay.
Rather than trying to reduce God's requirement to a ridiculous
situation, we need to just do our part and let God do His.
Human beings can adjust to a standard even in monetary
matters. Visa cards have no interest for the first 30 days for
instance. The point is that in order to arrive at an end one has to
set a sane policy to get there. One thing is for sure, godly
character cannot be developed with the teaching that God has
done everything for you and you don't have to do anything. All
energy takes the path of least resistance and you can be sure
that if nothing is required, nothing is exactly what you will get.
God is endeavoring to create perfect character in human beings
in an orderly fashion. While He has not told us the details of
how he has determined to reckon our sins on a time scale basis,
we do know that we are told to not sin and that is our part of the
covenant. Does God have sins categorized into sins worthy of
capital punishment and trespasses, and sins of ignorance? It
seems so according to the Offerings of the Old Testament. Has
God set a certain standard as to when He will take away His
holy spirit from a person sinning in these categories? I am sure
He goes by the sub-conscience intent of each individual. It is for
sure that if we knew the process we would tend to argue with
Him rather than do what He says. For that is exactly what is
happening in the "Church of God" even as I speak concerning
whether we should keep the law or not keep the law!
Three possible reasons that God has not seen fit to explain how
he makes this determination is, #1) It is His work and not ours!
#2) The determining factor would be difficult to explain to
human beings for we are thinking on a vastly lower level than
God is. #3) We would try to figure out just how little we could
do and still be His wife! We cannot understand the sub-
conscience. We think we know ourselves, but in many cases we
don't understand ourselves at all! If we can't understand
ourselves, how could we understand God's method of
determining when we should be put away or divorced from His
covenant?
So, what is the answer? We will do our part. God has given us
the mind to obey Him, both the physical mind and the holy spirit.
We will let God do His part and not second guess about how it
would be impossible for God to monitor our sins and therefore,
we should not worry about sinning as God has done it all for us!
If God knows the number of hairs on our heads, with the great
number that falls out daily and the great number that is
replenished; and if God knows when the sparrow falls to the
ground, we need not worry about how He monitors and
determines our future in regard to our daily sins.
Home
Commentaries
Chapters:
One
Two
Three
Four
Four Continued
Five
Six
Seven
Seven Continued
Eight
Eight Continued
speaking to those who are acquainted with and understand the
law) that the legal claims (of the law) have power over a person
as long as he lives?
At this point, Paul is using an example of law in general to
explain the subject of justification in yet another way. He is
using a law that all Jews should have easily understood. As we
all know, the law has dominion over us all as long as we live.
Any example could be drawn. But the simple law of the traffic
light is sufficient, as all law works the same way. If you run the
red light you are subject to being brought before the court for
trial. A penalty will be exacted. Of course, many man-made
laws can be broken and receive no penalty, if one is not caught.
And there is the blind-eye syndrome. However, God's ever-
seeing eye does not overlook any of His laws. If you break His
law, you have incurred the death penalty. Justification is
required to rectify the damage incurred.
1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how
that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
For the woman who has a husband, is bound by the law to her
husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is loosed
from the law concerning her husband.
Paul uses a more exalted example for explaining his subject, for
he uses a law of God. If a woman has a husband, the law binds
her to him until her death. But, if he dies before the woman dies,
she is free to marry once again.
2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her
husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed
from the law of her husband.
Accordingly, God and the judges will consider her an adulteress
if she unites herself to another man while her husband lives. But
if her husband dies, the marriage law is no longer binding on her.
She is free from that law. Then if she marries another man,
neither God nor the judges consider her as an adulteress.
Paul explains in more detail. If the woman in any way unites
with another man while her husband is still alive, because of God’
s law she is considered an adulteress. Of course, we know about
the exception clauses as explained elsewhere in the Bible. Paul
is not using an exceptional case for his example. He is taking a
simple law, as it would apply in an ordinary case and using it to
illustrate a point that we will soon come to. Paul goes on to show
that if the woman's husband dies, she is free to marry another
man.
3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man,
she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free
from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to
another man.
Likewise, my fellow-Jewish believers, you have become
liberated from the law, by the death of the Messiah; that you
should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from
the dead - that we should bring forth fruit to God.
Paul is taking a very interesting approach here. He is speaking
of the law of the marriage covenant, or the Old Covenant. The
law of the old covenant marriage between Israel and God was
based on the ten commandments and their magnification as well
as all the laws of justification that made up the temple worship
to rectify them back to God when they went astray.
Paul is showing that the old covenant marriage with all its laws
(as they applied to this particular marriage) ended with the
death of the Messiah, the man - to make way for the new
covenant marriage between the Messiah and man.
However, under the new covenant marriage, the Ten
Commandments in all their magnification became a part of the
new covenant with further magnification (from the Messiah), but
the laws of justification were changed from the temple sacrifices
to faith in the Messiah! And the new covenant also included the
giving of the holy spirit so that we can bring forth fruits (of the
spirit) to God.
In this verse, Paul is showing the Jews how they can logically
break faith with the Old Covenant marriage and be brought into
faith with the New Covenant marriage. The Old Covenant
marriage is no longer binding for the death of the Messiah (the
husband of the OC marriage) made a way for the wife (a symbol
of the Jews in this example) to marry another man. The New
Covenant marriage had the law of the new husband, the
Messiah. The real difference in the two marriages is that the
new marriage has its justification in the Messiah and the wife is
given the holy spirit to keep the laws of her husband. The Ten
Commandments are very much a part of that covenant!
4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the
body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is
raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
When we were living carnally, the passions of sin, that were
against the law, worked in our bodies to bear fruit unto death.
Here Paul explains what it was like under the old covenant,
before justification of past sins became available. They lived
carnally, embroiled in the sins of pleasure for a season. Many
suffered because of their sins. They were living passionately
against what the standard of the law required. And the lustful
passions worked in every member of their bodies to bring them
into eternal death. And at that time, they had to rely on the
blood of bulls and goats, which could not make the conscience
clean and change the penalty of death!
5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the
law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
But now we are released from the penalty (force) of that
marriage law. For that marriage law, which had a claim on us, is
dead. Now we may serve in the newness of the spirit and not in
the oldness of the letter.
Paul concludes with his example of the death of a husband giving
release from the law concerning her husband, to the woman so
she can marry again. Because of the death of the Messiah, man
has been released from the law of the former marriage
covenant. Man was held captive there because the blood of bulls
and goats could not take away sins and release him from the
demands of the law of God.
Now, under the new marriage covenant, we see the ten
commandments are reinstated, and magnified to an even greater
degree, because the Husband of the new marriage requires us to
keep them in the spirit and not in the letter only!
Here is a fantastic understanding! It is true that the law of the
first Husband ceased, because the Husband of the former
marriage died on a tree. And His death gave the woman
freedom to marry again. She had to marry again in order to
reap the promises of a Husband. Many understand this part of
Paul's analogy to a degree. But they stop at this point and don't
finish the example that Paul is explaining here.
Paul is showing that the woman did not remain single and free!
She married again and her new Husband had laws as well! Not
only does He require her to keep the ten commandments by the
letter, as did the old Husband, but He required her to keep them
in the spirit as well! He also gave her a better means of
justification. The sacrifices were done away, because He
became the Sacrifice to cover all sacrifices! The death of the
first Husband annulled these laws as well. He also gave His wife
a part of His fantastic mind (the holy spirit) so she could keep
His magnified laws according to the spirit of them. Therefore,
the demands are greater. For, to whom more is given, more
shall be required. And this new marriage covenant is based on
better promises!
Lu 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes,
shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of
him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of
him they will ask the more.
Heb 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how
much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established
upon better promises.
Perhaps at this point, because of the dullness of hearing, we
need to once again understand what the covenant entails.
Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind,
and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they
shall be to me a people:
Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those
days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their
minds will I write them;
This covenant law given in Hebrews is not some new law that
was unknown in the old covenant! Paul quoted this from Jer 31:
33. The laws of the new covenant are the same laws as the old
covenant, except for the laws of sacrifices (now justification by
faith), circumcision (now circumcision of the heart) and such
laws as are specifically shown to be changed in their
administration under the new covenant.
Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their
inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they
shall be my people.
No law, per se, was done away, except the marriage covenant
(caused by the death of the husband). Some laws of the old
covenant were types that have a spiritual application in the new
covenant. But none of the laws of the first Husband were any
longer binding after His death, for without marriage, there was
no covenant. Only the laws of the second Husband are binding.
This made way so that the laws of the first Husband could rise to
the level that God envisioned from the beginning. But make no
mistake that the laws of the second Husband are far more
challenging than the laws of the first Husband!
What makes it so inspiring, however, is because we are given the
power to overcome sin under the new covenant, which they did
not have then, for the most part. We can work out our salvation
with greater success than they did. What we find is that we can
now fulfill the desire that God had when He first gave the
Israelites His commandments. Why did the second Husband
require the same ten commandments as the first Husband? So
that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!
De 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear
me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with
them, and with their children forever!
The second Husband would be less than a good husband, if He
did not require the commandments of God for His wife. If we
would put as much effort in learning to love God's law as is being
put into trying to do away with them, by some, we would find the
answer to all of life's problems.
6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we
were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the
oldness of the letter.
What then is our conclusion? Is the law sinful? Absolutely not!
Rather, if it had not been for the law, I should not have
recognized sin or have known its meaning. For example, I would
not have known about lust (desire for what is forbidden), if the
law had not said, You shall not covet.
Paul comes to a conclusion concerning the law of God, based on
his foregoing analogy, in the following few verses. He begins, Is
the law sinful? Is that where the problem lies? Absolutely not!
That is <not> where the problem is. The law was given so we
could know what sin is. If the law did not specify in detail that it
is unlawful to covet, we would not have known, by force of law,
that it was wrong to lust for our neighbor's wife! All the law is
there for is to let us know what is right and what is wrong. And
the law has the force of power that only God can give it. This is
the reason that it is so wrong for those who are suppose to be
holding up God to the people to tell them that there are no
requirements for salvation - that they can live as they please and
still expect to receive eternal life. In that case, they undermine
the laws of the land for God's law supersedes the law of the
land. Now we can see why the land is filled with crimes and all
sorts of violence.
Ac 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought
to obey God rather than men.
Ezr 9:11 Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets,
saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with
the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which
have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.
7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not
known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had
said, Thou shalt not covet.
But sin, seizing the opportunity in the commandment (to express
itself), incited every lust in me. For, without the law, sin is non-
existent.
Paul continues with the conclusion from his analogy. Sin is
personified in this verse, as though it was a living person.
Because the law stated that it was a sin to covet, man's sins
became a living thing, something from which he could not
escape.
Unless there is a code of law with a power great enough to
enforce that law, sins don't exist. Without the law that one
should not covet, a man might go ahead and take another man's
wife. For without law, who is to say that she belongs to the man
she is now living with? While there might have been fleeting
feelings that he probably should not have done that, after the
dust settled he would wipe his mouth and soon forget it. The
rule of law in that case would have been based on who had the
most power. As he had the greater power, he had a right to
what he had been able to acquire for himself. But, with a
constituted law, the crime committed against it would still hang
over him until the death of himself or his new "wife". His
conscience would continue to smite him. The law would always
be there. That is why God put them in stone. They would not go
away. There would never be a question in the mind of the
individual about whether he had done right or wrong.
8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all
manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
At one time, I was alive without the law. But when I came to
know the commandments, sin came alive in me and I died.
Here Paul gives the analogy of a man who at one time lived his
life without any knowledge of the law. When the knowledge of
the law and the fact that he must keep that law or perish, came
to him - sin came alive in him. Before, sin was dead. In fact, he
didn't know of any such thing. Now because of the law, sin came
alive - for the law spells out what sin is. Sin was given a
structure so that it became a reality to him. But, the problem
with all this is that he died! What good was it to know that one
had sinned, if there was no remedy?
9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment
came, sin revived, and I died.
And the commandments, which were given to ensure life, I found
to be the cause of my death.
Here Paul continues his analogy of the previous verse. The
commandments were given so that a man could live in them, not
die. However, because of the penalty of death for breaking the
law, every man would die for no man could live the law
perfectly. There had to be a way to justify the man so that he
could receive the life made possible by the commandments,
without receiving the death. Justification is the answer to this
dilemma! Justification is the theme of Paul's book of Romans.
Le 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a
man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto
death.
For sin, seizing the opportunity given it by the commandment
deceived me; and by sin I was slain.
So, sin took advantage of the commandment, which gave it
recognition and slew the man. The commandment was given to
let us know what sin is. Now that we know, the evil one uses this
knowledge to advantage. He uses our cravings to draw us into
sin by deception. Then once we have sinned, we are dead - for
the penalty of breaking the law is death.
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it
slew me.
Therefore, the law is holy and each commandment is holy, and
just, and good.
So Paul concludes here that there is nothing wrong with the law!
The problem is not with the law. The problem is with us. The
law just sits there without emotion and says, "You shall not
commit adultery." The law of the second Husband says that to
look on a woman and lust for her in your mind is committing
adultery! This is a much greater demand than the law of the
first Husband. There is nothing wrong with this demand. The
problem is, how can we obey our Husband, and what happens if
we slip up and disobey? This is answered by the indwelling of
the holy spirit and the justification process. These two systems
working together create righteous character in us. We must
yield to the holy spirit, the mind of God, and we must ask
forgiveness for disobedience to our Husband.
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and
good.
But does this mean that what is good caused my death?
Absolutely not! It was sin that brought death; by using what is
good, sin brought death to me, in order that its true nature as sin
might be revealed. And so, by means of the commandment sin is
shown to be even more terribly sinful.
Paul asks, did the law, which is good, cause my death? Certainly
not! Sin was the problem, not the law. Sin, made known by the
definition of the law worked toward bringing death to every
man. The law left no doubt about what sin is. God did not want
man to wonder if what he did was right or wrong. He wanted the
understanding of right and wrong to be spelled out in a
constituted law so that sin would become so terrible and good
would become so right that there would be no gray area for man
to wonder about. Sin without the commandment was not
enough. God did not want man to just be mildly disturbed about
sin. Therefore, He set down His laws in stone to show that the
wrath of God would come upon those who broke these laws.
But there had to be a way to escape the penalty of death for
without that, all men would be dead. That is what justification is
all about. There had to be a way that man could practice
keeping the law and have another day to practice even though
he had fallen the day before. There had to be a way that man
could have a deep abiding desire to keep these commandments.
That is what the holy spirit is all about. With the law, the holy
spirit, and justification, God could produce sons and daughters
for glory!
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But
sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good;
that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
So, Paul makes a case for the marriage law or covenant of the
Jews to cease so that the laws of the resurrected Messiah could
be established – the laws of the new Husband. These laws
included the good laws of the previous Husband and replaced
those types that had risen to realities.
Paul here makes a case for the goodness of the law and the
badness of sin and he upholds the law as the banner to let us
know what sin is and what righteousness is. Without this
knowledge, everyone would be floundering in a sea of
ignorance. This being the case, how can we say that the law is
done away? For as Paul shows here, if there is no law, sin is non-
existent! If sin no longer exists, we are perfect already. But
John said that if we sin, we have an advocate with the Father.
How could we sin if the law has been done away, even so far as
those who have received the holy spirit are concerned?
1Jo 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.
And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous:
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
It is obvious that the law still exists to let us know what is right
and what is wrong. And if we break this law, knowingly, we are
to ask forgiveness for that sin. The prayer outline that the
Messiah gave to His disciples with an indication to daily prayer
says that we are to ask forgiveness of our sins on a daily basis.
But if the law is no longer binding on us and if there are no
obligations on the part of a believer, then why ask us to pray
such a prayer. For where there is no law, there is no sin.
Lu 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is
indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
God's laws were <not> done away between the two covenants.
God's laws are eternal.
Rather, Paul gave an <analogy> showing how the laws of a
husband are no longer binding upon the woman after his death.
While the laws of God are always there and a penalty will be
exacted to any man, the subject so far as Paul was writing is
about law as a covenant between a husband and his wife. Paul is
using the Old Covenant marriage and New Covenant marriage
example to give the Jews a logical reason why they should
forsake the Husband of the Old and embrace the Husband of the
new. The laws of the new Husband are different in that when
you disobey Him, you must ask forgiveness and accept on faith
that He has forgiven you. In the Old Covenant marriage, when
they disobeyed their Husband, they had to bring animal
sacrifices to the temple!
The law and how it related to Israel was the covenant between
God and Israel.
There is a difference in the end result of the law when it is
covenanted and when it is not. Only those who are covenanted
have the promise of eternal life. Others may keep the law and
reap the benefits of doing so over not doing so. These benefits
are quite considerable even in this case. However, this does not
result in eternal life for they have not been called and brought
into covenant with God. In other words, they are not His wife.
This is the context that Paul is writing about in these verses.
There is also a difference as to how God looks at the sin of a
covenanted person and one who is not covenanted. We
discussed this in the difference between the Sin Offering and the
Trespass Offering in the article on the Sacrifices.
Some teachers believe that the Messiah would have to be
justifying our sins every minute of the day. One minute we
would be covered, the next minute we would be headed for
eternal death, the next minute we would be headed for eternal
life, etc. It is the lack of understanding the Sin and Trespass
Offerings and how God looks on the Converted person versus
the Sinner and how He covers sins of ignorance.
The marriage covenant shows that the husband is not to put
away his wife for every cause. Therefore, the husband would
have to forgive a lot of sins and trespasses that the wife did not
even ask forgiveness for on a moment by moment basis in order
to remain married to her. And this is exactly the relationship
that the Messiah has with the church. He is wanting to present
the church (not an organization) to Himself in marriage at His
return not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and
without blemish. Therefore, unless the wife (we) give Him good
reason, He will not put us away. Does the Messiah put us away
one minute and take us back the next? Of course not! His
commitment is for the long haul. Ours should be the same and if
we feel that He has done it all, we don't understand the husband
wife relationship. A marriage requires that each mate do his or
her part!
Do any of you husbands feel that you have done it all for your
wife and that she has no requirements to you? Do you wives feel
this way? In the physical world we understand that both the
husband and the wife have obligations. It is no different with
God in the covenant He has made with us.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the
church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the
word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot,
or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without
blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth
his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and
cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be
joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
There were two daily sacrifices offered for hundreds of years in
ancient Israel. These showed the keeping of Israel's relationship
with God viable. The Atonement Sacrifice was to cover sins of
ignorance. Sin Offerings were to cover gross sins. Trespass
Offerings were to cover sins of negligence.
It was understood that by daily prayer we would keep a good
relationship with God so that we would not need to ask for the
Sin Offering to be applied for us on a daily basis. However, the
Messiah covered all of the sacrifices. Therefore, when we ask
forgiveness in our daily prayer we are covered for all type of sin
or trespasses. This answers in part why John said, <if> we sin
we have an advocate. The word used for sin in that verse means
to stray from God's law. In other words, one who is on the
verge of losing the holy spirit could be meant there.
There is not a period of time specified for coverage of our sins
before God will put us away, because He wants us to be
concerned enough about our relationship with Him that we do
not endanger that relationship by living our lives on the edge.
We are cautioned not to quench the holy spirit, showing that
over a process of time we can end the relationship with God that
He has started by giving us the holy spirit – if we persist. Only
He is wise enough to know when we have crossed the line.
While God does know every time we sin, He is not gauging us on
a moment by moment basis for the purpose of doing us in. It is
over a period of time that character must be developed and only
as we live our lives over the years can a good determination be
made about what kind of vessel we will become. However, God
is not out playing and wishing that we would not bother Him
about our transgressions or sins. This is His work and He does
not act like a clown, saying well this minute you will "go to
heaven," this minute you will "go to hell," etc. He has a system
worked out and if it is once per day that He covers all our sins in
a ceremony, that is His work and His problem. Our problem is
to work on not sinning or transgressing.
Obviously, if we go out and start murdering people we would
snuff out the holy spirit rather quickly. There are crimes that
require capital punishment, even in the word of God. But, if we
are serious about our calling, and trying to put sin out of our
lives, God is merciful and willing to work with us - for He knows
that we are but clay.
Rather than trying to reduce God's requirement to a ridiculous
situation, we need to just do our part and let God do His.
Human beings can adjust to a standard even in monetary
matters. Visa cards have no interest for the first 30 days for
instance. The point is that in order to arrive at an end one has to
set a sane policy to get there. One thing is for sure, godly
character cannot be developed with the teaching that God has
done everything for you and you don't have to do anything. All
energy takes the path of least resistance and you can be sure
that if nothing is required, nothing is exactly what you will get.
God is endeavoring to create perfect character in human beings
in an orderly fashion. While He has not told us the details of
how he has determined to reckon our sins on a time scale basis,
we do know that we are told to not sin and that is our part of the
covenant. Does God have sins categorized into sins worthy of
capital punishment and trespasses, and sins of ignorance? It
seems so according to the Offerings of the Old Testament. Has
God set a certain standard as to when He will take away His
holy spirit from a person sinning in these categories? I am sure
He goes by the sub-conscience intent of each individual. It is for
sure that if we knew the process we would tend to argue with
Him rather than do what He says. For that is exactly what is
happening in the "Church of God" even as I speak concerning
whether we should keep the law or not keep the law!
Three possible reasons that God has not seen fit to explain how
he makes this determination is, #1) It is His work and not ours!
#2) The determining factor would be difficult to explain to
human beings for we are thinking on a vastly lower level than
God is. #3) We would try to figure out just how little we could
do and still be His wife! We cannot understand the sub-
conscience. We think we know ourselves, but in many cases we
don't understand ourselves at all! If we can't understand
ourselves, how could we understand God's method of
determining when we should be put away or divorced from His
covenant?
So, what is the answer? We will do our part. God has given us
the mind to obey Him, both the physical mind and the holy spirit.
We will let God do His part and not second guess about how it
would be impossible for God to monitor our sins and therefore,
we should not worry about sinning as God has done it all for us!
If God knows the number of hairs on our heads, with the great
number that falls out daily and the great number that is
replenished; and if God knows when the sparrow falls to the
ground, we need not worry about how He monitors and
determines our future in regard to our daily sins.
Home
Commentaries
Chapters:
One
Two
Three
Four
Four Continued
Five
Six
Seven
Seven Continued
Eight
Eight Continued
| Further Clarification of the Marriage Covenant Symbology |