Paul has stated and illustrated the principle that the law only has authority whilst a man is alive. When a man dies the law is rendered idle. He then applies this statement to Christians, especially to Hebrew Christians – ‘those knowing law’, (Romans 7 v 1). ‘So then my brothers, you also were put to death, the law by means of the body of the Messiah penetrating into you becoming another, the having been aroused from out of the dead, in order that we begin and continue to bear the fruit of God’, (Romans 7 v 4).
OK Hold on to your hats and take a deep breath….
Paul says that Christians, including Jewish Christians who know the law, have been put to death and therefore the law is rendered idle. Earlier, Paul has said that Christians are ‘planted together with the Messiah so as to be coming forth the resemblance of His death…knowing this, that our old human appearance was crucified together with [the Messiah], in order that the body of self-forfeiture and loss is brought to an end. We are no longer serving self-forfeiture and loss’, (Romans 6 v 5, 6).
What does Paul mean when he says that the Christian’s ‘old human appearance was crucified’? What is the Christian’s ‘old human appearance’? A polarising difference exists between Christians and unbelievers. The natural, inherited constitution of every individual is described in Scripture as the ‘old human appearance’, or as the ‘natural, sensuous earthy man’, or the ‘old and ancient self’. Within our ‘old human appearance’ we are earthy, sensuous individuals who rely on our sense of the tangible. Impulses within our physical flesh lead us to a condition in which we don’t take hold of and welcome the Breath of God. That which is of the Breath of God seems to be dull, absurd foolishness. We don’t have a natural ability to perceive, recognise or be persuaded to the point of obedience regarding the Messiah and or what is of the Breath, no matter how hard we may try. The theological principle is this:
That which is of the Breath of God is discerned, distinguished, examined and apprehended only through the assistance of the Breath of God
We may understand the words and concepts in Scripture, but no matter how educated and intelligent we may be, we remain without persuasion when it comes to what is true to the facts with regard to God, His Messiah and the intangible unseen realm. We remain in, and prefer, darkness to light and thus we remain unbelievers, penetrating toward the judicial condemnation of God.
But once God brings forth those He has selected, they are described as being a ‘new formation’ - they are no longer who they once were. Having been effectively being brought forth, a fundamental change has taken place within them, which means that they are not the same as they we were before – ‘our old human appearance was crucified together with [the Messiah]’ (Romans 6 v 6). This happened to them and was completed in the past, when they were effectively brought forth. Thus Paul says here in Romans 7 v 4 – ‘my brothers, you also were put to death’, you Jews who know the law and whom God as brought forth by means of the Messiah – you also were put to death, your ‘old self’ was crucified together with the Messiah.
The next phrase is more difficult to translate and I consider that many translations are misleading. Translators are forced to add words in English that are not present in the Greek text, in order to convey the interpretation that they consider Paul intended. But I have presented what the Greek text says – ‘the law by means of the body of the Messiah penetrating into you becoming another, the having been aroused from out of the dead’. All the word studies and lexicons fail to make mention of the word ‘law’ – ‘nomos’ – in this particular verse. It would seem that they are unable to determine the particular or specific meaning of the word ‘law’ in this verse. Translators and commentators add the English word ‘to’, thereby giving us the phrase - ‘you were put to death to the law’. But the word ‘to’ is not there in the original Greek.
So what is Paul saying? I consider that Paul is saying that the law – the written codes of divine law – by means of the body of the Messiah penetrates into them becoming another. Christians are placed in union with the Messiah by means of the Breath. Their ‘old self’ is crucified, put to death together with him, because of their union with him. But the law is fulfilled or brought to completion by means of the body of the Messiah, the Lamb of God without stain or blemish, and therefore, Christians are roused up to Life with him, again because of their union with him. In this way they are judicially approved, and the law penetrates into them becoming ‘another’ – a ‘new self’.
What does this mean? It means that those whom God has brought forth are ‘the having been aroused from out of the dead’. The rousing up from out of the dead has already begun. Christians are no longer ‘under the law’ because they have been crucified with the Messiah and their ‘old self’ has died and therefore the law has been rendered idle. But because of their union with the Messiah they are also ‘roused up from out of the dead’ to a position of divine approval, because the law has been fulfilled and completed by means of the body of the Messiah. The law, being fulfilled, penetrates into Christians becoming ‘the roused up from the dead’ at this present time because of their union within the Messiah. ‘If therefore then anyone [is] within the Messiah, [they are] a fresh, new, unused formation. The beginnings are coming near – look! Fresh, new, unused is caused to come into being’, (II Corinthians 5 v 17). This has happened in order that ‘we begin and continue to bear the fruit of God’.
….and breathe out and relax.
