Romans 7:14-25
7:17 a I am not the one doing wrong: Paul is not evading responsibility for his sin (see also 7:20 b). Rather, he is saying that because he genuinely wants to do what the law commands, some other factor must be causing him to do just the opposite. That factor is sin living in me. Paul experiences a divide between his will and his actions.7:18 c my sinful nature: See study note on 6:19. This phrase could refer to Paul’s former state as an unredeemed person or to a part of Paul that remains tied to the world and resists the will of God.
7:21 d principle of life (literally law): Paul is referring to a regular occurrence, such as when we speak of the “law of gravity.” The struggle between wanting to do what is right and instead doing what is wrong reveals a regular pattern operating in the human sphere.
7:22 e with all my heart (literally in my inner person): The Greeks used this phrase to denote the spiritual or immortal side of human beings (cp. 2 Cor 4:16 f; Eph 3:16 g).
7:23 h another power. ... This power (literally another law. ... This law): Paul plays on the word law in these verses. Opposed to God’s law (7:22 i) is another law, a ruling power that prevents Paul from submitting to God’s law even though he fully agrees with it.
7:24 j this life that is dominated by sin and death (literally this body of death): Sin is so invasive that it affects the whole person, particularly our interactions in the physical world.
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