1: Know
ye not brethren for I speak to them that know the law how that the law has
dominion over a person as long as they live 2: For the woman who has a
husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he lives but if the
husband be dead she is loosed from the law of her husband 3: So then if
while her husband lives 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[1] 4:
Wherefore my brethren you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ
that you should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead
that we should bring forth fruit unto God 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 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[2] 7:
What shall we say then Is the law sin God forbid No I had not known sin but by
the law for I had not known lust except the law had said You shall not covet 8:
But sin taking occasion by the commandment worked in me all manner of cravings For
without the law sin was dead 9: For I was alive without the law once but
when the commandment came sin revived and I died[3] 10:
And the commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death 11:
For sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me and by it slew me 12:
Wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good 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 14: For we know that the law
is spiritual but I am fleshly sold under sin 15: For that which I do I
allow not for what I would that do I not but what I hate that do I 16:
If then I do that which I would not I consent unto the law that it is good 17:
Now then it is no more I that do it but sin that dwells in me 18: For I
know that in me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing for to will [good
intention] is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not 19:
For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do 20:
Now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwells in
me 21: I find then a law that when I would do good evil is present with
me 22: For I delight in the law of God after the inward man 23:
But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and
bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members 24:
O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death 25:
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord So then with the mind I myself serve
the law of God but with the flesh the law of sin[4]
[1] A few scriptures pertaining to divorce:
1 Corinthians 7:12-16, Jeremiah 3:8, Ezra 10:3, Matthew 5:32, Matthew
19:9, (this is by no means a comprehensive list). Jesus permitted divorce
under certain circumstances. Paul permitted divorce under certain
circumstances. Under the Old Covenant, divorce was permitted (and even
commanded on a few occasions), but Jewish tradition (not the scriptures
themselves) favored husbands while leaving betrayed wives with little to no legal
or socially acceptable recourse. Jewish husbands, on the other hand, were free
to do as they wished with virtually no consequences. They had a nasty habit of
putting away their wives without divorcing them Malachi 2:14-15,
thus avoiding a divorce settlement. God condemned this, calling it treachery. Many
Bible translations erroneously translate the words, “Putting Away,” as divorce,
when the words do not always refer to divorce, but rather to a putting away without divorce. Putting away a
wife (only husbands did this) without divorcing her, left a couple married—no divorce had taken place. And while
the husband was free to take another wife (wives) without cultural censor, the wife
who was put away was left in desperate straits. If she had no friends or family
who would take her in, a woman had virtually no way to survive in ancient
economies. She needed a man to support
her, else she was condemned to either servitude or prostitution. A case in
point might be the Woman at the Well, who had obviously—at some point in her
life—been a woman of good character and reputation (we know this because she
had been highly marriageable. five men
had esteemed her highly enough to make her their wife). But, at some point, this
woman who had always been a wife,
ended up living with a man who was not her husband. Had she been widowed four
times and the fifth husband put her away without divorcing her? That is
entirely possible, given her history of respectable marriage and the completely
opposite circumstances Jesus eventually found her in. Whatever happened, this
woman, who had obviously lived an upright life through five marriages
(otherwise it is doubtful anyone would have married her at all), chose to make herself
a cultural outcast by living with a man she was not married to. Based on her
history of being a wife, this final choice was likely due to desperation—not to
basic immorality. Although the religious crowd scorned and feared her,
divorce/co-habitation was not the end of God’s purpose for this rejected
woman’s life. Jesus broke tradition by seeking her out and keeping a divine
appointment with her (and he must of
necessity go through Samaria John 4:4). He saved her and called
her to preach his gospel.
[2] Where the Spirit of the Lord is there
is liberty!
[3] This can refer to nothing else than
when the writer was an infant and young child, before the age of
accountability. During that brief period of life, little ones are alive to God.
Jesus said the same when he picked up the the young child and said whoever
causes one of those “little ones who believe” to stumble, get off easy if their
only punishment is having a [giant] millstone tied about their necks and are
cast into the sea.” Jesus said, execution by drowning would be the better thing
for those who turned little ones from the faith connection God allows all
babies to be born with. Paul wrote the time eventually arrived when the "commanded
came,” and he died. This is a reference to the day his conscience was awakened,
and he became aware of right and wrong—that is the age of accountability (It
came for this writer at age six. Corrie Ten Boom said it came for her at age
five. The actual age is likely different for each individual, younger for some, and older for others). This verse,
answers the question of whether or not babies go to Heaven. The answer is, Yes.
When David and Bathsheba’s child died, David said, “I will go to him but he
shall not come to me.” David certainly knew that his infant was with God. This
verse of scripture, underscores the urgency of evangelizing (and discipling) children—who are usually very open to receiving
Christ at young ages when presented with the gospel. When this writer’s
children were very young, they were presented often with the Good News of the Risen
Savior, and chose to pray the prayer of faith at ages, five, five, and eight (respectively).
This writer also has an infant who went to be the Lord at the tender age of one
day. This verse gives her much comfort and hope, as, along with the Psalmist,
she can say, “I will go to him…”
[4] Paul was honest about being in the same
quandary with all people, of violating his conscience, from time to time, when
his good intention was to obey God. How many say, along with Paul, I want to do
right, but I seem to do wrong. Everyone! If we were perfect and sinless, we
would have no need of a Savior. Even after we are Born Again, if we say we have
no sin, the Bible says we are liars, and the truth is not in us. The good news
is, that we can confess our sins (to God [agree with him that we have sinned]),
and when we do that, He promises forgiveness and cleansing from all unrighteousness.
Additional commentary pending for this
chapter. Questions and comments are welcome.
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