Romans 7:7-13

7:7

“Sin” is ‘amartia “falling short”

“Not have known” is awareness of sin and personal experience with sin

“Do not covet” or “Do not Desire”

• Fallen Desire leads to acts that violate commandments #-9
• Do not covet is not about not coveting things but about not having sinful desires.

7:8

“opportunity”

• A military term for “base of operation”
• The base would be where the invasion or operation began from
• This base would then also be the source of supplies

“Dead” (see verse 9 where it sprang to life) means:

• Dormant
• Like a seed
• Inactive

“is” not in Greek. Could just as well be “was” and make it personal.

7:9

“Alive apart from law” is not true but it seemed that way from Paul’s pre-Christian days

Paul was a son of a Pharisee (Acts 23:6)

Paul was from the strictest sect of Pharisees (Acts 26:6)

Before Christ Paul considered himself to be faultless (legalistically faultless, Phil. 3:6)

Paul the Pharisee was self confident and so “alive”

Paul after being exposed to the law was hopeless and so “dead”

7:10

Law Brings Life Leviticus 18:5

If there was no sin in man:

Paul ------à LIFE ß-------------Law

Since there is sin in man:

Paul (with sin nature)----------àSIN. . .DEATHß-----Law

7:11

“Deceive” 2 Cor 11:3 and 1 Tim. 2:14

2 Cor. 3:6 – The Letter Kills

7:12

Gives the answer to the question in 7:7

7:13

Law is not sin. Sin in man prevents him from life.

But Law did expose the problem

Paul (like mankind) thinks he is keeping the law when in reality man is being deceived by the sin nature and the law exposes mans ultimate corruptness since man can not hide his desires and covetousness.