Some Key Words (8/22/00-8/23/00)

Not know (agnoeo [50]):

not to recognize, to be unacquainted with, to be mistaken, or misunderstood, to be ignorant, to have no discernment; not to know, not to understand, to err or sin through mistake, to be wrong; not to know due to lack of information or intelligence, to ignore through disinclination

Know (ginosko [1097]):

to know experientially - as opposed to intuitively, to know, perceive, to understand, be conscious of, discern, distinguish, approve, acknowledge; to learn to know, come to know, know by perception, to understand, to become acquainted with; to know absolutely

Married (hupandros [5220]):

subject to a man, married; in subjection under a man, a married woman

Bound (deo [1210]):

to fasten or tie, to bind as with a chain or cord, to oblige by moral or religious obligation, to determine to be obligatory; to tie, fasten, to throw into chains, to put under obligation, to be bound to one as husband or wife, to forbid, prohibit; to bind literally or figuratively

Joined (ginomai [1096]):

to become, to be made or formed, to be or become, to be done or performed, fulfilled, accomplished; to come into existence, to come to pass, to arise, to come upon the stage, to be wrought, to become, to be made; to cause to be, to become or come into being

Free (eleutheros [1658]):

One capable of movement, the free one, unconstrained, unfettered, independent, separate from; one who is not a slave, freed, exempt, unrestrained, not bound by obligation; unrestrained, not a slave, exempt from liability

Sinful (hamartia [266]):

missing the true end and scope of our lives, an offense relative to God - emphasizing our guilt; to be without a share in, to miss the mark, be mistaken, wander from righteousness and God's law; a sin

Passions (pathema [3804]):

suffering, that which is suffered, affliction, a passion or affection; what one has suffered or suffers, an affliction or passion, an enduring; something undergone - as hardship or pain or emotion or influence

Released (katargeo [2673]):

to make to cease, to make void, do away with, put an end to, a complete non-temporary ceasing; to render idle, inactive, inoperative, to cause to have no further effect, to deprive of force, to cause to cease, put an end to, do away with, to terminate all intercourse with one; to render entirely idle and useless

Bound (katecho [2722]):

to hold fast, to possess, seize, detain, restrain, to bring a ship toward shore; to hold back, to hinder, to check a ship's headway, head the ship, to hold fast, keep secure, to take, possess; to hold down

Serve (douleuo [1398]):

to be in a servant's position and act accordingly, to be subject, to serve in subjection to, to put one's dependence into effect, to obey; to do service, to submit to, to yield obedience, to give oneself up to; to be a slave whether voluntarily or not

Newness (kainotes [2538]):

renewal, a qualitatively different thing; newness, in the new state of life the Holy Spirit puts in us to lead to eternal life; renewal

Spirit (pneuma [4151]):

wind, to breathe, blow, breath, the spirit which is invisible, immaterial and powerful like the wind, that part of man which perceives, reflects, and feels, the character, the inward man, the Holy Spirit; a movement of air, breath, the vital principal of life, the rational spirit which thinks, feels, and decides, the soul, simple essence devoid of matter, life giving spirit, the human soul, a higher spirit, a demon, the Spirit of God; a current of air, a spirit, the rational soul, the vital principle, God, the Holy Spirit

Oldness (palaiotes [3821]):

age, antiquity, existing a long time, something belonging to the past; oldness [used only in this verse, I think]; antiquated

Letter (gramma [1121]):

that which is written, a character, a letter, a book, a writing, the literal and outward sense of the law, learning gained from books; any writing, a letter, sacred writings, learning, a writing

 

Paraphrase: (8/22/00)

1 You know the law, so you must realize that the law only rules the living. 2 Just so, the laws of marriage are only binding on a woman so long as her husband is alive; if he dies, she is legally free of the bonds of marriage. 3 If she were to be joined to another while her husband yet lived, she would be an adulteress; but if she were joined to another after his death, she would not be so. 4 In the same way, through Christ you have been made as dead to the Law, and are now joined to another, to the risen Christ, so that we may be useful for God. 5 In the flesh, we were wed to and aroused by the Law, and the works we did bore fruit for sin and death. 6 But by death we have been released from the bonds of Law, and serve now in the newness of the Spirit, rather than the dead ways of the letter in which we used to serve.

Key Verse: (8/22/00)

7:6 - We are released from the Law. We no longer do what it requires because it is required. We now serve in a new spirit, we still do our best to live by the Law, for it is the command of our beloved husband. No longer from fear, but from love. Thereby the fruit of our effort is no longer sin and death.

People Mentioned: (8/22/00)

N/A

Some Parallel Verses (8/24/00)

7:1

Ro 1:13 - Paul wants the brethren to know that he long planned to come visit, but had been prevented so far.

7:2

1Co 7:39 - Husband and wife are joined for life, but should the husband pass, the wife is free to remarry within the Lord's family.

7:3

7:4

Ro 6:2 - If we are dead to sin, how can we continue in it? Ro 8:2 - In the Spirit's law of life we have been freed from the law of death, in Christ's power we are freed from sin's power. Gal 2:19 - Through the law itself came our death to the Law, allowing us to live to God [because understanding of the Law - real understanding leads to realization of our need for Christ.] Gal 5:18 - We are led by the Spirit, not the Law. Col 1:22 - In His flesh - by real physical death on the cross - He has reconciled us with God, so that He may present us as an acceptable holy offering to God.

7:5

Ro 8:8 - We cannot please God in our flesh. 2Co 10:3 - We may walk in and live in this fleshly body, but it is not the means by which we battle. Ro 6:13 - We must stop presenting ourselves to opportunities to sin, presenting ourselves always to God instead. No longer weapons of destruction, but rather weapons of life. Ro 6:21 - Our past actions had no benefit for us, for they all led to death, Ro 6:23 - for death is the pay for soldiers of sin, but life is a gift given to soldiers of life.

7:6

Ro 6:2 - We cannot continue to live in the sin we have died to. Ro 6:4 - As Christ walked anew upon His resurrection, so we too, can walk in newness [qualitative difference] of life. Ro 2:29 - True circumcision is an accomplishment of the Spirit upon our hearts, not an accomplishment of men on our skins. The latter fulfills the letter of the commandment, but does nothing toward its meaning in our life.

 

New Thoughts (8/25/00)

Christ came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it (Mt 5:17). He also declared that not one letter of that law would pass from existence (Mt 5:18). Yet here, Paul says that we have been released from that very Law, that it has not further effect on us. How can both of these things be true? The answer lies in what we've been freed to do. We have been freed to become wed to the very author of that law, and He does not change. What we tried to do in the past, we did from fear and necessity - if we don't do this, God's gonna get us. We tried and tried, knowing by the law that the slightest mistake was worthy of a death sentence. Yet all along, the point was for us to learn that we couldn't possibly avoid that sentence on our own. Every one of us had earned that penalty for ourselves. Christ, in His death, paid that penalty, He ransomed us from the jailhouse of sin. Yet, the rules remain in effect. The same goals for behavior are laid before us, the same efforts required of us. But, no longer to avoid the penalty, for the penalty has been covered. We now do it out of love for our husband, as a willing service to our lord.

Let's put some definitions back in to verse 6: But now, we have been released from the Law - it has been rendered entirely idle and deprived of power, having died to that by which we were hindered and held back, that which checked our headway, so that we give ourselves up to, yield obedience to, and put our dependence into effect in a qualitative difference of life guided by the Spirit, and not the antiquated ways of the literal and outward sense of the law, which belong to the past. We were bound by the Law, now we serve its author. We were caught up in trying to do all those requirements and getting lost in trying to keep up with them all. Now, we serve its author, and are made privy to the guiding principles behind that Law. We understand in our hearts that - as Scripture says - all of the Law is summed up in the twin commandments to love our God and love our neighbor. That's it. And looking back into 1 John (1Jn 3:16-17, 1Jn 4:20-21, 1Jn 4:11), and looking forward into James (Jas 1:22, Jas 1:27, Jas 2:14-17) it is made abundantly clear that such love of our neighbors must take action when faced with a need. Lip service won't do. We have been freed from the bonds of the Law - the fear it drove us by, for the perfect love of God has driven out that fear. But we are bound by bonds of love for our God, our Savior, our Husband, to do the very works that the Law required. The difference lies in the motivation. What we used to do out of fear of reprisal led only to death because it was doomed to failure. What we do now, we do out of love, and we do knowing it can only be accomplished by the Holy Spirit within us, and Christ's own power operating through us, and is assured of success in His time, as it is in His will. His will is that we should show His love to the world, not declare it, not tell them about it, but show it to them by our actions.

I asked at the top of this study if I was faithful to my husband to be, if I was playing the harlot. I think I can rephrase that now as "in what ways am I not showing His love to those around me. How often do I fail to demonstrate His care, and rather demonstrate my own prideful nature." The answer to one is the answer to the other. Somehow, it doesn't seem so bad when it's phrased this latter way. It hurts less. Yes, God, I missed an opportunity. Yes, God, I let my old nature slip out there, didn't I? Gosh, I'm sorry. I'll try harder next time, really I will. Father, help me to remember, the reality of the mistake. Yes, Lord, I've disobeyed again. Yes, Lord, I've been unfaithful to You, and bound myself in service to myself. I've been sleeping around on You, God, and lying with other masters. Father, this is me. You know it. I know it. This is me, that just seems to hit a wall when it comes to sharing my faith with others, when it comes to declaring Your truth to the lost. Yes, I can sometimes remember to help out one who is in need. I can offer sympathy to one who's hurting. I think I even do it from a proper motivation. But just as often, I'm too caught up in "my own problems" to do anything about the pain around me. Help me, oh Father, teach me, Dad, to remember your will for my life in all things, in all situations. You never once put Yourself first, You set us a perfect example. Help me, Lord, to learn that lesson and remember it. Help me, oh God, when I feel so many things crowding in on me, to continue to do Your will and not my own, to continue to demonstrate Your love by my actions, rather than demonstrating my petulance. Forgive me, oh Lord, for my unfaithfulness and take me back.