Section 7:7–12

It is sin that is bad, not the laws

In the last section Paul said that believers died to the law of Moses (7:4), that it is obsolete (7:6), and that it arouses sinful passions (7:5). In this section Paul answered a possible wrong conclusion that someone might make from what he just said. Someone might think that Paul meant that the law is sinful. But Paul clearly indicated that he did not think that. The laws of Moses point out what is sin, and sin causes people to want to do the things that the law says are sin. Sinning leads to death. The laws of Moses are holy and good. But the commandments make it clear what sin is and at the same time arouse sinful passions. Those passions lead to death.

Here are other possible headings for this section:

What about the Laws ⌊of Moses⌋ and sin?
-or-
God’s Law Reveals Our Sin (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Sin deceives us but the law is holy

General Comment on 7:7–25

Paul used the word “I” in this section and 7:13–25 too. There are at least seven different ways that scholars think what Paul meant by “I” here. Here are the five main ones:

(1) Paul was referring to himself as a Christian, implying all believers think the same way and have the same struggles.

(2) Paul, as a believer, spoke of his experience before he believed. He spoke generally enough so that other people can see that they had similar struggles. Paul then spoke about where we stand as believers regarding these struggles in chapter 8.

(3) It refers generally to anyone who is not a believer but wants to be a good person by following the law. Paul used “I” to make the struggles in these verses more personal. Chapter 8 then explains the victory that believers have in contrast to the person of 7:7–25.

(4) Paul was referring to Adam and from that all people.

(5) Paul was referring to the history of Israel.

It is recommended that you use “I” in these verses.

Paragraph 7:7–10

7:7a

What then shall we say?: The word then indicates a connection to previous verses. Here it introduces the question “What shall we say?” In some languages it is more natural to have the word then first. For example:

Then/Therefore, what shall we say?

This is a rhetorical question. It draws attention to what Paul said next. See how you translated this clause in 6:1.

7:7b

Is the law sin? Certainly not!: This is a rhetorical question and its answer. It emphasizes that the law is not sin. Translate these words with that meaning. Here are some ways:

• As a rhetorical question and its answer. See the examples in the notes below.

• As a statement. For example:

Surely ⌊we should not say⌋ that the law is sin.
-or-

⌊We should not say⌋ that the law is sin. No way!

Is the law sin?: At the beginning of this question the words “Shall we say” are implied from 7:7a. In some languages it is natural to leave those words off, since they were just said in 7:7a. In other languages these words must be added here for a natural question. For example:

⌊Shall we say⌋ that the law is sin?

In 7:5 Paul said that the law aroused our sinful passions. Someone might misunderstand Paul’s words and then think that the law is bad. Here Paul referred to that thinking with this question. He showed that this thinking was clearly wrong with the words “By no means” after this question. Here are other ways to translate this question:

Is the law itself sinful?
-or-
do you think that I say that God’s law is bad?
-or-
is it right ⌊to say/think⌋ that the law is evil?

the law: This probably refers to the Law of Moses here. For example:

the Law (Good News Translation)
-or-
Moses’ laws (God’s Word)

Certainly not!: The Greek is literally “May it not be.” It indicates a very strong “no.” The law is not sin. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

Not at all!
-or-
By no means! (English Standard Version)
-or-
Of course not! (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
No, indeed!

See how you translated this phrase in 3:4 or 6:2. Note that “Surely” and “No way” in the As a statement examples in the first note of 7:7b translate the words Certainly not! here. If you used “Surely” or “No way” there, do not translate these words here.

7:7c

Indeed: This word indicates that in Greek “I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law” is connected with Paul saying that the law is not sin (7:7b). In some languages this connection can be implied. For example:

If there were no law,…

I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law: The Greek is literally “I did not know sin except through law.” It indicates that only through law did Paul know what sin was. But after he heard the law he knew what things were wrong to do. In some languages it is easier to understand the meaning without using the word not twice. For example:

I only knew ⌊what⌋ sin ⌊was⌋ through ⌊hearing⌋ the law

I: Paul used himself as an example of anyone in this connection of law to sin.

7:7d–e

For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”: These words refer to a situation that did not happen, but which Paul spoke of to make his point about the law and sin clear. Some languages have a word, phrase, or special grammar to indicate that. For example:

Had-it-been-that the law had not said, “Do not covet,” it would-have-been-that I would not have been aware of coveting
-or-
if, contrary-to-fact, the law had not said, “Do not covet,” then, contrary-to-fact, I would not have been aware of coveting

7:7d

For: Here this word introduces an example. For example:

For example, (God’s Word)

The Greek here is actually two words: “and for.” The word “and” here indicates emphasis. For example:

Indeed, for example

coveting: This word refers to desiring to possess for oneself something that belongs to someone else.

7:7e

the law had not said: Paul made law the subject of “speak.” In some languages it is more natural to refer to God speaking here. For example:

⌊God in his⌋ laws had not said

Do not covet: This is one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:17). It is a command to not covet. In some languages it may be helpful to explain that it is from the Old Testament. For example:

the law ⌊in the Scriptures⌋ had not said: “Do not covet.”

These words are a quote of Exodus 20:17. If you indicate the location of quotes from the Old Testament with cross-references, you may want to do so here.

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