Berean Study Bible Release from the LawPaul addresses fellow believers as members of God’s family and appeals to what they should recognize. 1Co 6:2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?… (for I am speaking to those who know the law), His readers understood the Mosaic Law and its binding claims upon those under it. Rom 2:17-20 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law… that the law has authority over a man The law governs a person’s conduct and holds him accountable before God. Rom 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says… only as long as he lives? Death ends the law’s jurisdiction over an individual, preparing for Paul’s explanation that believers have died to the law through union with Christ. 1Co 7:39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives.… For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. Marriage in both Jewish and Roman society established a recognized legal covenant, carrying mutual obligations and a lasting bond. Under the Mosaic Law, marriage was not a temporary arrangement but a union intended to endure throughout the husband’s life. Paul draws on this familiar reality to show that the law exercises authority over a person while that person lives. Gen 2:24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother… But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. Death ends the legal obligations of the marriage covenant, leaving the widow free from her former marital bond. This release signifies freedom from the legal obligations that were once binding. Paul uses this established principle to prepare for his explanation that believers, having died with Christ, are no longer under the Mosaic Law’s former claim and now belong to the risen Christ. 1Co 7:39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives.… So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; Marriage is a binding covenant, and a wife remained bound to her husband for as long as he lived. Entering another marriage during that time violated God’s command against adultery and disregarded the covenant established between husband and wife. Mrk 10:11-12 So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife… but if her husband dies, she is free from that law Death ends the marital bond and its legal obligations. The widow is no longer bound to her former husband and is released to enter a new marriage. 1Co 7:39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives.… and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. Remarriage after the death of a spouse is lawful and honorable. Paul uses this established principle to prepare for his explanation that believers, through union with Christ in His death, have died to the law’s former claim over them. 1Ti 5:14 So I advise the younger widows to marry, have children… Therefore, my brothers, Paul speaks to fellow believers as members of God’s household, united in Christ despite differences of background, status, or ethnicity. Rom 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy,… you also died to the law Through union with Christ, believers have been released from the Mosaic Law as the governing basis of their standing before God. Its authority to condemn no longer holds them. Gal 2:19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live… through the body of Christ, Jesus’ physical death on the cross bore the law’s penalty and fulfilled its demands. Those joined to Him share in the results of His death and spiritual unity as the body of Christ. Col 1:22 But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body… that you might belong to another, Freed from the former covenant obligation, believers now belong to Christ in a new covenant relationship marked by faith and obedience. 2Co 11:2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy… to Him who was raised from the dead, Christ’s bodily resurrection confirms His victory over sin and death and establishes Him as the living Lord of His people. Act 2:24 But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him… in order that we might bear fruit to God. Union with the risen Christ produces a life that honors God through righteous conduct, spiritual growth, and faithful service. Jhn 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you… For when we lived according to the flesh, Before regeneration, people lived under the control of their fallen nature, inherited through Adam’s sin. Human desires, thoughts, and actions were bent away from God and toward self-rule. Eph 2:3 All of us also lived among them at one time,… the sinful passions aroused by the law God’s law revealed sin and exposed the rebellion already present in the human heart. Rather than producing righteousness in those ruled by sin, its commands brought sinful desires into clearer expression. Rom 5:20 The law came in so that the trespass would increase;… were at work in our bodies, Sin operated through the whole person, directing members of the body toward disobedient actions. The problem was not with God’s law but with the sinful nature responding against it. Rom 6:12-13 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body… bearing fruit for death. Such a life produced deeds leading to death—alienation from God now and final judgment apart from Christ. Rom 6:21 What fruit did you reap at that time from the things… But now, Paul turns from the believer’s former bondage under the law to the present standing secured through union with Christ. Rom 3:21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God… having died to what bound us, Through Christ’s death, believers have died to the law’s claim over them, just as death ends a legal obligation. The law exposed sin and pronounced judgment but could not free sinners from either. Gal 2:19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live… we have been released from the law, Believers are no longer under the law as the means of righteousness or as a covenant that condemns them. Christ bore its curse and fulfilled its demands on their behalf. Rom 6:14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not… so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, Service to God now comes from inward renewal by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit enables obedience that flows from faith, love, and a changed heart. 2Co 3:6 And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant,… and not in the old way of the written code. The Mosaic Law stood as an external code that revealed God’s standard but could not transform those under it. Under the new covenant, God works within His people, producing the obedience the law required. Rom 2:29 No, a man is a Jew because he is one inwardly,…
God’s Law Is HolyPaul anticipates the conclusion some might draw from his teaching that the law exposes and even provokes sin. He addresses the objection directly so that the law’s God-given purpose is not misunderstood. Rom 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather… Is the law sin? The law is not evil or opposed to God’s righteousness. It reveals God’s standard and exposes the rebellion already present in human hearts. 1Ti 1:8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it… Certainly not! Paul rejects the accusation without reservation. The problem lies not in the law, but in sin, which misuses what is holy. Rom 3:4 Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar.… Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. Apart from God’s commands, sin may remain hidden or be treated as harmless. The law brings guilt into view by identifying conduct and desires that violate God’s will. Rom 3:20 Therefore no one will be justified in His sight… For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” Coveting reaches beyond outward behavior to the desires of the heart. By citing the command against coveting, Paul shows that God’s law exposes inward sin as well as visible acts. Exo 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.… But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, Sin works against God’s good command by turning a clear boundary into an occasion for rebellion. In Eden, the command concerning the forbidden tree became the point at which temptation drew Adam and Eve toward distrust and disobedience. The law is holy, but human sinfulness resists God’s authority. Rom 5:20 The law came in so that the trespass would increase;… produced in me every kind of covetous desire. The prohibition against coveting exposed desires already rooted in the heart and stirred them into open conflict. What God forbids becomes attractive to the sinful nature, revealing that rebellion is not merely outward conduct but includes inward desires that seek fulfillment apart from God. Exo 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.… For apart from the law, sin is dead. Sin existed before the law was given, but without God’s stated command its character as transgression was not fully exposed. The law brings sin into the light, showing its guilt and demonstrating humanity’s need for deliverance. Rom 4:15 because the law brings wrath.… Once I was alive apart from the law; Paul recalls a time when he did not grasp the law’s condemning force. Though raised in Judaism and later trained as a Pharisee, he had once considered himself secure before God. Rom 5:13 For sin was in the world before the law was given;… but when the commandment came, God’s command exposed not only outward conduct but the sinful desires of the heart. The law given through Moses defined sin and made Paul’s guilt unmistakable. Exo 20:1-17 And God spoke all these words:… sin sprang to life Sin was not created by the commandment; it was already present in fallen human nature. The commandment gave sin occasion to display its rebellion against God. Jas 1:14-15 But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires… and I died. Confronted with his guilt, Paul lost confidence in his own righteousness and recognized himself as under the sentence of spiritual death. The law reveals sin and condemns the sinner, but it cannot give life. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God… So I discovered Paul recounts his own experience to show how the law exposed the reality of sin within him. Psa 19:12 Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me… that the very commandment God gave the Mosaic Law to Israel as a holy standard for covenant life and righteous conduct. Exo 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.… that was meant to bring life Obedience to God’s commands was associated with life, blessing, and fellowship with Him. Lev 18:5 Keep My statutes and My judgments, for the man who… actually brought death. Because sin seized upon the commandment and produced disobedience, the law revealed guilt and condemnation rather than providing the power to overcome sin. 2Co 3:6 And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant,… For sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, Sin exploits God’s prohibition to stir the fallen desire to resist him. The commandment is righteous, but it exposes the rebellion already present in the human heart. In Eden, the serpent twisted God’s command and drew Eve toward what God had forbidden. Rom 5:20 The law came in so that the trespass would increase;… deceived me Sin makes disobedience appear desirable and harmless while hiding its ruin. Adam and Eve received the promised knowledge through rebellion, but it brought guilt, alienation, and judgment rather than life. Gen 3:13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this… and through the commandment put me to death. The law reveals guilt and the death sin deserves; it does not create sin or provide deliverance from it. By exposing condemnation, it shows the need for the forgiveness and new life found in Christ. 2Co 3:7 Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved on stone…… So then, the law is holy, Paul concludes that the Mosaic Law itself is not the cause of sin. Given by God to Israel, it expresses His holy character and sets apart His people by revealing His standards. Psa 19:7 The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul;… and the commandment is holy, God’s commands, including each individual statute within the broader law, are pure in purpose and authority. They expose sin by defining disobedience, showing humanity’s need for redemption. 2Pe 2:21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way… righteous, The Law is just and upright, establishing a true standard for human conduct. Its judgments reflect God’s moral order rather than human preference, providing a fair and just measure of right and wrong. Psa 119:172 My tongue sings of Your word, for all Your commandments… and good. The Law was given for the good of God’s people, restraining evil and directing them toward what is right. Though it cannot save sinners, it points beyond itself to the need for Christ. 1Ti 1:8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it…
Struggling with SinGod’s law is good because it reveals His righteous will. Yet when Paul encountered its commands, he saw that he had violated them and stood guilty before God. 2Co 3:6 And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant,… Certainly not! The law did not cause death. Sin was the cause, using the good commandment to expose rebellion and bring its penalty into view. Rom 3:4 Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar.… But in order that sin might be exposed as sin, The commandment uncovered sin’s true character. What might appear to be ordinary human failure was shown to be defiance against God’s holy standard. Rom 3:20 Therefore no one will be justified in His sight… it produced death in me through what was good, Sin brought physical and spiritual death through the law because the law declared God’s judgment on transgression. The problem was not with God’s commandment but with sin within mankind. 1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. By confronting sinners with God’s holiness, the law reveals the full seriousness of sin and the need for deliverance from its power and penalty. Rom 5:20-21 The law came in so that the trespass would increase;… We know that the law is spiritual; God’s law is spiritual, comes from His holy character, and expresses His righteous will. It exposes sin, defines what is good, and shows the standard humanity cannot meet by its own strength. Rom 8:2 For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life… but I am unspiritual, Paul contrasts the purity of God’s law with the weakness of fallen human nature. Though he recognizes and approves of what is right, he still experiences the pull of sinful desires. Rom 8:7-8 because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God… sold as a slave to sin. Sin’s power has deeply affected mankind since the Fall, producing a bondage no person can break apart from God’s deliverance. The law reveals this captivity but cannot itself free the sinner; freedom comes through Jesus Christ. Jhn 8:34 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you,… I do not understand what I do. Paul describes the painful inconsistency between his renewed desire to obey God and the sin that still works within him. Though God’s law is good, human effort cannot remove the power of sin. Pro 20:24 A man’s steps are from the LORD, so how can… For what I want to do, I do not do. Knowing God’s will does not by itself give a person the strength to carry it out perfectly. The law exposes sin and reveals the need for deliverance beyond self-discipline or moral resolve. Gal 5:17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit… But what I hate, I do. Sin drives people to acts they recognize as wrong, even when they sincerely oppose them. Paul’s struggle prepares for his conclusion that rescue comes through Jesus Christ and that freedom from condemnation and the power of sin is found in the Spirit. Rom 1:28-32 Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God,… And if I do what I do not want to do, Paul acknowledges the painful inconsistency of acting against what he knows is right. The problem is not with God’s command but with sin still working in human nature. His unwillingness to sin shows that his inner judgment agrees with God’s standard. Gal 5:17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit… I admit that the law is good. The law faithfully reveals God’s righteous will and exposes sin for what it is. Though the law cannot free a person from sin’s power, it remains holy and good, directing humanity to its need for deliverance. 1Ti 1:8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it… In that case, it is no longer I who do it, Paul distinguishes his renewed desire to obey God from the remaining corruption of his fallen nature. He does not deny personal responsibility for sin, but describes the real conflict within the believer between obedience to God and the impulses of the flesh. Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live,… but it is sin living in me that does it. Sin remains a powerful presence in human nature because of Adam’s fall. Though believers belong to Christ and have been given new life, they still struggle against indwelling sin until final redemption. Paul’s words prepare for his conclusion that deliverance from this conflict comes through Jesus Christ. Rom 6:12-14 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body… I know that nothing good lives in me, Paul openly acknowledges the corruption of fallen human nature. Sin has affected every part of man, leaving no native righteousness capable of pleasing God or producing true holiness. Psa 14:3 All have turned away, they have together become corrupt;… that is, in my flesh; The flesh is humanity in its fallen condition, marked by weakness, rebellion, and the lingering presence of sin. Even in a believer, the flesh remains opposed to God’s will. Rom 8:8 Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God. for I have the desire to do what is good, Paul’s desire reflects a mind informed by God’s law and a heart that recognizes the goodness of obedience. He does not deny the reality of that desire, but he recognizes its limits. Psa 40:8 I delight to do Your will, O my God; … but I cannot carry it out. Human resolve cannot overcome sin’s power. The conflict exposes the need for deliverance beyond the self, fulfilled through Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. Jhn 15:5 I am the vine and you are the branches… For I do not do the good I want to do. Paul describes the conflict within a person who recognizes God’s righteous standard yet finds human nature weakened by sin. Since Adam’s disobedience, sin has affected every part of humanity, including the will and actions. The good he desires is obedience to God’s law and the holiness God requires. Gal 5:17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit… Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do. Sin remains an active power in fallen human nature, producing conduct that contradicts what the mind knows to be right. Paul’s struggle exposes the inability of the law to free a person from sin’s control. Deliverance comes through Jesus Christ, who forgives sin and gives believers new life through the Holy Spirit. Jas 1:14-15 But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires… And if I do what I do not want, Paul describes the continuing conflict between obedience to God and the lingering pull of the flesh. Though the believer delights in God’s law, human weakness remains a real source of struggle. Gal 5:17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit… it is no longer I who do it, Paul does not deny personal responsibility for sin. Rather, he distinguishes his renewed inner desire to obey God from the sinful nature that resists that desire. Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live,… but it is sin living in me that does it. Sin remains present in the believer’s mortal life, exerting influence until final redemption. Its presence reveals the need for continual dependence on God’s grace and the Spirit’s work of sanctification. Rom 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body… So this is the principle I have discovered: Paul summarizes a repeated reality in his own experience: knowledge of God’s will and sincere desire to obey it do not remove the believer’s continuing conflict with sin. The struggle is personal and persistent, revealing the need for God’s deliverance. Rom 3:20 Therefore no one will be justified in His sight… When I want to do good, His desire reflects agreement with God’s righteous standard and the inward longing to live in obedience. Yet willing what is right does not, by itself, supply victory over the power of indwelling sin. Gal 5:17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit… evil is right there with me. Sin remains an active presence in mortal life, opposing obedience even when the heart desires to honor God. Until final redemption, believers must contend with this conflict while depending on Christ rather than their own strength. Jas 1:14-15 But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires… For in my inner being Paul acknowledges that, as one renewed by God, he genuinely desires to obey Him. His inward self recognizes the goodness of God’s will, even while sin remains active in his mortal life. Eph 3:16 I ask that out of the riches of His glory… I delight in God’s law. God’s law reveals His righteous standards, and Paul affirms that his heart approves of them. Yet his continuing conflict with sin shows that knowledge and desire alone cannot deliver him, preparing the way for his dependence on Jesus Christ. Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law… But I see another law at work in my body, Paul describes an active power within fallen human nature that resists obedience to God. Though the believer’s inner life desires righteousness, the body remains affected by the consequences of the Fall. Gal 5:17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit… warring against the law of my mind A real conflict continues between the mind, which recognizes and approves God’s will, and the sinful impulses that oppose it. The language portrays an ongoing battle rather than a passing temptation. 2Co 10:4-5 The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the flesh.… and holding me captive to the law of sin Sin exerts a powerful influence, seeking to enslave and direct human conduct away from God. Paul’s words expose the inability of human effort alone to overcome sin’s dominion. Jhn 8:34 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you,… that dwells within me. Sin is not merely an outward force but a corrupting presence within human nature. Its persistence reveals the believer’s need for deliverance and the final redemption still to come. Mrk 7:21-23 For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts… What a wretched man I am! Paul expresses the misery of a person who recognizes God’s holy standard yet cannot overcome sin by personal effort. The law exposes guilt and the corruption that remains in fallen human nature. 1Ti 1:15 This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance:… Who will rescue me The cry recognizes that deliverance cannot come through the law or human resolve. Only God can free sinners from sin’s power and judgment. 2Ti 4:18 And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action… from this body of death? The mortal body remains subject to weakness, suffering, and death because of sin’s entrance into the world. Paul’s words anticipate the redemption Christ provides, including the future resurrection of the body. Rom 8:23 Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits… Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! Deliverance from sin and death comes from God through Jesus Christ alone. The law exposes sin but cannot free a person from its power; Christ provides the rescue Paul has sought. 1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory… So then, with my mind I serve the law of God, Paul summarizes the conflict within the believer. His renewed inner desire agrees with God’s righteous law and seeks to obey it. Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant I will make with the house… but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. Human weakness and the remnants of the fallen nature continue to resist that desire. The struggle remains real, showing the need for the Spirit’s power and the final redemption still to come. Rom 8:2 For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
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