It should be noticed that Paul does not speak in this verse of his body as being evil, but rather of a law at work in his body which controls it and so subjects it to sin. He is not attempting to use psychological terminology, nor is he setting the body over against the mind as though one were evil and the other innately good. Rather, he is reflecting on his own experience and the experience of mankind in general, and is trying to point out that even though he approves of what is right, he is unable to do what is right in his own strength. Although he does not look upon the body as being sinful in itself, he does realize that the body is the battlefield where the struggle against desire, sin, and death is fought. And he realizes that he, like all other men, has become a prisoner to the law of sin which is at work in his body.

The use of law in verse 23 parallels its use in verse 21, namely, as “principle.” If a translator can retain “law” in this type of context, it is useful to do so, since this may provide a key to other uses of “law,” especially in the first two sections of this same chapter.

In my body may be best translated in some languages as “inside of me.” Otherwise body might be understood only in the physical sense. In order to contrast this with the law that my mind approves of, it may be useful to translate the first sentence of verse 23 as follows: “But I see a different law operating in me—a law which is against the law that I approve of in my mind.”

The law of sin may be rendered as “the law concerning sin” or even “the law which results in sin.”

The final clause, which is at work in my body, must refer to the law and not to sin. In some languages one may say “it is this law which is in me.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .