What Is Your Interpretation?

Digging4Truth · #1 03-19-2009, 11:37 AM

What is your interpretation of this scripture?

Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

shawndell · #2 03-19-2009, 11:52 AM

I thank God who is robed in the flesh of Jesus our God.So then with the mind of God I myself serve the love of God;but if I lose to the flesh I serve the law of sin.

mfblume · #3 03-19-2009, 02:46 PM

This is a summary of what Paul wrote earlier in the chapter explaining the trials and tribulations of someone trying to serve God by keeping rules and enforcing their will power to do God's will. While their minds are fully intent on doing God's will, using rules and will power through the means of their fleshly power actually causes failure and they instead serve the law of sin and death.

It is a summary of what we read as follows when Paul described the mind wanting to do God's will but finding the flesh moving him to do evil instead.

Romans 7:15-23 KJV For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. (16) If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. (17) Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. (18) For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (19) For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. (20) Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. (21) I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. (22) For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: (23) But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Paul stated earlier on in the chapter that we must not only choose to serve God, but the manner in which we try to serve Him must be correct. Verses 15-23 show the incorrect manner of utilizing only will power and, thereby, using flesh. That is oldness of the letter. The correct manner in which to serve God is through newness of the Spirit.

Romans 7:6 KJV But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

So, basically Paul listed the erring manner of serving in oldness of the letter using fleshly will power alone, and then summarized how such an endeavour is futile in the verse you first quoted.

mfblume · #4 03-19-2009, 03:31 PM

After we read the last verse you quoted in Chapter 7, the reference to the flesh in that verse is picked up again in chapter 8 verse 1. And here Paul indicates that the method of serving God using flesh is wrong and brings condemnation, so we must stop walking after the flesh in order to serve God. This is where I came to understand the verse to be saying what I offered.

(Rom 7:25) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (8:1) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

The message to be had is that if serving God using flesh causes us to manifest actions contrary to the Law of God that our minds are willing to fulfill, then stop serving God after the flesh -- stop walking after the flesh. Instead, walk after the Spirit. And this brings us back to 7:6.

(Rom 7:6) But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

8:2 said that there is a law of the Spirit of life. This is a MEANS and METHOD with which to serve God correctly. This is the "newness of the Spirit" mentioned in 7:6. If we live by that law and method, we will find that sin cannot conquer us as it does every time we serve God in oldness of the letter by walking after the flesh.

mfblume · #5 03-19-2009, 03:45 PM

Digging,

You've touched upon one of the greatest passages in the bible, as far as I am concerned. I have sought and prayed for understanding of it for decades! And I think I touched upon the meaning.

BTW, the I THANK GOD statement is the answer for the prvious verse's question about who would deliver Paul from the body of death. God would! How? Through Christ. And I believe that is a direct reference to the following:

(Rom 7:4) Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

It refers to the work of the cross when we read "through Jesus Christ" in 7:25. And THAT information is detailed in Romans 6:1-13. Our baptism into HIS DEATH frees us, but only so much as we KNOW these things and understand them. Hence, Paul repeated "KNOW YE NOT?" in chapter 6.

I love this issue more than any other, as far as post-salvation spiritual marturity.

Digging4Truth · #6 03-19-2009, 03:49 PM

MB... thanks for your replies. I will read them more closely a little later on. I need to move on at the moment.

I will be teaching this weekend and I will have a lot of scripture in Romans to bring the point out.

During my study I ran across this scripture and it had never caught my attention before like it did today.

Spiritual Maturity (especially dealing with how to begin a process of spiritual maturity.) is actually my subject.

I appreciate your thoughtful input.

mfblume · #7 03-19-2009, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

MB... thanks for your replies. I will read them more closely a little later on. I need to move on at the moment.

I will be teaching this weekend and I will have a lot of scripture in Romans to bring the point out.

During my study I ran across this scripture and it had never caught my attention before like it did today.

Spiritual Maturity (especially dealing with how to begin a process of spiritual maturity.) is actually my subject.

I appreciate your thoughtful input.

Wonderful!

I really got into this passage a while back in teaching a lesson called "WHAT IS 'WALKING AFTER THE FLESH?'". I emphasized how most think walking after the flesh is committing fornication and lying and murdering, etc. And they are involved! But the context of the phrase in Romans is saying that "walking after the flesh" is also trying to serve God in oldness of the letter. And that is described in detail in 7:15-23.

It is online here , if you are interested:

PART 1) http://rightlydividingtheword.com/videos/jan2109.php
PART 2) http://rightlydividingtheword.com/videos/feb1109.php

Neck · #8 03-19-2009, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

What is your interpretation of this scripture?

Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

If my young son were to have asked me this question my answer would be..

We know in our minds, what we need to do and not to do. We sometimes end up doing the things, we know we should not do. But because Christ died for our sins, we have forgiveness. For that I thank God...

Digging4Truth · #9 03-19-2009, 06:51 PM

Indeed.

I find it very interesting that this verse ends an entire run of scriptures about how when I try to do good evil is with me and what I want to do I cannot...

And the very next scripture is...

Rom 8:1 [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

*AQuietPlace* · #10 03-19-2009, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Indeed.

I find it very interesting that this verse ends an entire run of scriptures about how when I try to do good evil is with me and what I want to do I cannot...

And the very next scripture is...

Rom 8:1 [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

That almost makes me want to shout!