The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 187

not tho law, but the lust of sin (.-a 1ra0~µcm1, such e. Jifo " when we were in tbo fleeh," ...,,, &µ.ap.-,wv, vor. 5); tho wife, the s01J,l; ~nd our P?wer or doin 6 M now, are brfofly tho new husband, Ohrist, Auguetino, who mt,mated m preparation for what foll,,w3, le the author of this view, puts it thns: ~t rloee not seem necessary to conclude-as I< Cumergotrie.eint, anima,, te.nquammulier; is done by those who adopt intEorpretation paesio-nes peccatorum tanq uam 'llir ; et 1,ez (4) of what precedes-that the illustration tanquam Zez viri; non ibi pcccatie mortuis, of the marriage bond is meant to be kept up t~nque.m viro morluo libcrnri nnimam dicit, in these two verses. ~ed ipeam e.nime.m mori peccato, et liberari Ver. 5.-:For when we were in the flesh, a· loge, ut sit olteriue viri, i.e. Christi, cum the pasei0111 of sine which were through the mottun fuerit pecca~, quod fit, cum adhnc Le.w did work in our members to bring blonentibue in nobis desideriie et incita- forth fruit Dllto death. In the flesh. to which mentis qnibusdnm ad pcccandum, non obedi- might be opposed in the Spirit ( cf. eh. viii. mus tnmen, nee coneentimus, mente servi- 9), denotes onr state when under the power entes legi Dei •• (Aug., ' Prop.,' 33). Beza, of sin, before w& had risen to a new life in taking up the view of Augustine, puts it Christ; it ie virtually the same 83 what is somewhat differently, and more clearly, thus: meant by being under the Law, 9.3 is shown " There are two marriages. In the first, the by the opposed expreSi!ion in ver. 6, KOT7/p- old man is the wife; predominating sinful -,,f,811µ.•11 e,ro TOU v&µou. What is signified desires, the husband; transgressions of every by " the passions of sins " being " through. kind, the offspring. In the second, the new the I.Aw" will be considered DI1der vers. 7 man ie the wife; Christ, the Husband; e.nd e.nd 8. the fMJ,ita of the Spirit (Gal. v. 22) are tho Ver. 6.-But now (meaning,ae things are, children." This explanation being still not at the present time, as is shown by the apparently open to the objection that, in the aorist following) we havs been (properly, illustration, the wife continues the same, but we ,cere) delivered (Ka..,,pyf,871µ.,11, the same not so that which corresponds to her in the verb as in ver. 2; see note on that verse) application, Olshausen explains thus : "In from the Law, having died to that wherein man the old man is distinguished from the we were held ; so that we serve in newness new without prejudice to the unity of his per- of the Spirit, !I.lid not in oldness of the letter. sonality, which Pan! subsequently (ver. 20) In the word "serve" (6ouAeveiv) we observe signilies by l,-,J,. Th.is true personality, the e. resumption of the idea. of eh. vi 16, seq., proper self of me.n, ie the wife, who in the where we were regarded under the aspect of .oatural stll.te appears in marriage with the old being still bond-servants, though to a. new man 1.e.ud, in intercourse with him, generates me.ster. There the apostle intimated that sills, the end of which is death (eh. vi. 21, 22). be WD,l! bnt speaking ho.manly in de.cribing Dut in the death of the mortal Christ this our new allegiance to righteousness as bond- old me.n is dead with him : and, e.s the indi- service, such e.s we bad once been under. vidual man is grafted by faith into Christ. Here be intimates the true character of onr his old man dies, by whose life he was new service by the nd..li.tion of the word;,, holden under the Law." The commentator ,,, /CCIU,OT7jTI ,n,roµ.trros' Kai OU ra.\.<Uonrn on the Epistle in the ' Spe11ker's Commen- These CLTe chMa.Cteristi.c and sig- ,-p'1µ.µ.a.-os. tnry' adopts this expl11nation, with tlie re- nificant expressions. "Spirit" and "letter" mo.rk that "St. Paul's npplice.tion of the nre similarly contr.1sted (eh. ii 29: 2 Cor. figure is quite clear, if we follow bis own iii. 6). "Spir:tum literre opponit, quia a.nte- guido.nce." The view rests me.inly on, nnd quam ad Dei ,·oluutatem voluntas no.strn certuinly derives some support from, ver~. per Spiritum ranrtum formate. sit, non hab~- 5 11nd 6, if rega.rded o.s carrying out the a.p- mus in Lege nisi e:s:ternam literom; qme plico.tion of the figure. Others, however, iu frreuum quideru e:s:ternis nostri.i nctic>oibus view of the difficulties of the whole po.ssage, injicit, oonoupiscientiie e.utem uostr,u fun>- may prefer to content themselves with ex- rem minime cohihet. NoYitatem vero Spiri- phmo.tion (8), o,s conveying a.s precise nn tui att,·ibuit, quia in locum veteris hominis idea. as mo.y possibly have been even in tho suocedit: ut litern Yetus dicitur qud) in- apostle's mind when he wrote. Commen- terit per Spiritus rcgeneratiouem" (Calnn). tators may sometimes go beyond their office Otherwise, with regard to tk'tme&J and old- in e.ttributiug to their author moro exact- ness, "Vctnst11tis et novitatis ~o,-ubulo ness of thought than bis words iu themselves P,mlus spect.\t duo testament,," (Bengd). imply. It ie to be observed thnt the l'Oll• Tbat tl10 latter iden way have sugge,ted eluding ox;ircssion in ver. 4, "tha.t wo should the expressions seems not uuli.kely from 2 bring forth fruit unto God," brings us back Cor. iii. 6-1S (cf. nlso Heh. viii. 6-13). to the mu.in p11rport of this wholo sortion, ~'or in both thcso pas&lgeS the i<le,, of the which begins e.t oh. vi. I, viz. tho obligo.tion verso botore us outers. nud in both tho ,>hi of I\ holy life on Christians. In vor~. 5, 6, and now COH'lll\nts t\N couln\:!t,,,l with which follow, tho hindronoo to our foiug regar,l to it. It WI\Y be ouough hero io -.ay  THE EPIS'l.'LE OF PAUL TO THE ROMAN8. tott, vii.1-25,