Commentaries:
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Romans 7:9
What Paul means by "I was alive once without the law" is that, at one time, he without the knowledge of what the law meant. It was "when the commandment came" that he understood. At this point, Paul knew that he was as good as dead because he had broken the law (Romans 6:23).
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Seven)Related Topics: Death as Wages of Sin | Death Penalty | Law as Spiritual Mirror | Law as Standard of Judgment | Law Defines Sin | Law Illuminating Sin | Sin Produces Death | Sin's Consequences | Sin's Effect | Sin, Consequences of | Sin, Deceitfulness of | Sin, Malignant Power of
Romans 7:9-14
Notice that it was not the law that killed him but sin! Plain, simple truth—sin slew him. By contrast, Paul says that the law was ordained to life. It is holy, just, good, and spiritual. That is very clear.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Nine)Related Topics: Death as Wages of Sin | Death Penalty | God's Law | Law as Spiritual Mirror | Law as Standard of Judgment | Law Defines Sin | Law Illuminating Sin | Law is Holy | Law is Spiritual | Sin Produces Death | Sin, Consequences ofOther Forerunner Commentary entries containing Romans 7:9:
Hosea 7:1-4
Romans 6:4
Romans 6:14-15
Romans 10:1-3
2 Corinthians 3:6
Galatians 2:19
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What Does Romans 7:9 Mean?
Paul once lived without knowledge of what the law meant, but when the commandment came, he understood. At that point, he recognized he was as good as dead because he had broken the law. It was not the law that killed him but sin; sin slew him. The law itself was ordained to life, being holy, just, good, and spiritual. Before conversion, Paul did not even understand what sin is, as he admitted he did not know until the Word came. Upon conversion, for the first time, he gained a clear and true understanding of what sin is. When he said "I died," it means he repented and was baptized in the water, buried.