Romans 7
Romans 7 is the seventh chapter of the Epistle to the Romans in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is authored by Paul the Apostle, while he was in Corinth in the mid 50s AD, with the help of an amanuensis (secretary), Tertius, who adds his own greeting in . Text. The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 25 verses. Textual witnesses. Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are: Lifelong authority of the Law (7:1–4). The concluding discussion in chapter 6 on slavery and freedom leads to the  reintroduction of the topic of "the law and sin", that a believer has died not only to sin (6:3) but also to the law (verses 1–4). Writing to "those who know the [Jewish] Law, Paul says that the Law has authority over a man (only) "as long as he lives" (verse 1). Verse 1. Jewish Christians in Rome would have been familiar with the Hebrew Bible but many commentators recognise that "the whole Roman Church, whether Jewish or Gentile, would be familiar with it; many of them having been disciples of the synagogue, and all being directed constantly to the  use of the Old Testament by apostolic precept and example". William Robertson Nicoll, however, argues that "neither Roman nor Mosaic law is specially referred to: the argument rests on the nature of law in general". Marriage provides an example as stated in verse 2: Verse 3. The one who dies is the "law", metaphorically "the husband", so from that time, the wife (the believer) is no longer subject to his authority, that is "may not be judged a sinner" ('an adulterer') when remarrying. On the other hand, when the law has not died, one who disregards it (like a person  who has an affair) may be judged as a sinner. Verse 4. The conclusion 'you [therefore] have died to the law through the body of Christ' aligns with the statement in verse 1 that 'the law is binding on a person only during a person's lifetime'. The law provides knowledge of sin (7:5–25). A connection between 'law' and 'sin' was stated in the earlier parts of the epistle (Romans 3:20, 4:15, 5:13, and 5:20), but because this is regarded 'surprising and controversial' for most readers, Paul elaborated more in chapter 6 and 7, especially in verses 5–12 where the  law itself is said to be a cause of sin. Paul asks a rhetorical question in verse 7: Verse 25. The second part of verse may be paraphrased as 'Thus, left to myself, I serve...', which may better capture Paul's meaning. It should take account of Romans 8:1–7, as the person 'with [the] flesh' 'a slave to the law of sin' in this verse will be the believer 'not in the flesh' in chapter 8 (Romans 8:9) and is 'set free from the law of sin' (Romans 8:2). Therefore, the final sentence of this verse states 'the best claim  to be a description of believers' as it comes after Paul's Christian thanksgiving (verse 24).