The Power to Diagnose but Not Cure | Romans 7:14-25

Scripture

• Romans 7:14–25

About this sermon

Introduction: We come, now, to one of the most debated sections in the book of Romans. The most popular way to interpret this section has varied over the years. In more recent times, there is a definite favorite when it comes to the way that these verses are understood and taught. But in ancient times, during the first 300 years of the church’s history (some exceptions but not many) we say that the most popular view of these verses was on the other side of the ledger. The major question, throughout the ages, has been “who exactly is Paul describing in verses 14-25?” What kind of person, what kind of spiritual condition, is envisioned in what he writes? We can describe, in a basic way, the history of interpretation with three possibilities. There are varieties of nuance that exist within all these positions, but this is a basic view of it. Before I discuss those possibilities, let me just tell you what I’m aiming to do today. *I will give you a brief overview of the interpretation of this passage. *I will discuss my own view, and how we will be making our way through these verses. *And then I will discuss some implications that we face when one adopts the view of the passage that I have taken. Next week we will begin to walk through the passage verse by verse. HOW THESE VERSES HAVE BEEN INTERPRETED There are three ways that these verses have been understood. THEY DESCRIBE AN UNREGNERATE PERSON They describe someone who is natural, fleshly, “in the flesh,” and how that kind of person meets with the law of God. Some would see this person as Paul himself, giving a history of his life, now from the vantagepoint of salvation. Some would see this as Paul, but Paul standing in solidarity with his Jewish kinsmen. So, it is Paul giving voice to what was the experience of all unregenerate Jews under the law of Moses. Those are just two examples among others, but however specific one might attempt to be, the general position is that this is an unsaved person. THEY DESCRIBE THE REGENERATE PERSON AT HIS VERY BEST What Paul describes is the experience of every Christian, regardless of maturity or devotion. This is the struggle, the frustration, that every believer meets with on this side of glorification. In fact, taking this view, Paul is giving us a description of his own experience at the very time that he wrote this epistle. Those who take this view note how Paul has now switched to present tense descriptions beginning with verse 14. THEY DESCRIBE THE REGENERATE PERSON BUT WITH SOMETHING LACKING This view says that indeed Paul is describing the experience of someone who is saved, but it is the experience of someone who is missing what sanctification is about. They have the Spirit, but they are engaging the law of God in the old spirit, in the old way. This would be the legalist, according to some. Or this would be the person, in the view of some, who has not yet experienced something like they would call the baptism of the Spirit. This is the new believer. This is the immature saint, who has not yet moved into the realities described in the 8th chapter. “You need to get beyond Romans 7 and begin living in Romans 8!” would be the attitude. THE HISTORY OF THE THREE VIEWS As I referred to earlier, during the first 300 years of the church’s history, the view was almost unanimous that these verses referred to the unregenerate person. Augustine was the one who signaled a shift on that question. He too began there, but then he changed his view, and understood this to refer to a regenerate person. This was a view that Luther embraced whole heartedly. And today that is where most reformed interpreters land. They believe that this is Paul describing his own struggle, indeed all our struggle, until the day of glorification. Some notable exceptions, in more modern times, would be Martin Lloyd-Jones, and Douglas Moo, to name two. THE REASON FOR ONGOING DEBATE Why is this debate still ongoing? It is ongoing because this is not an easy passage. It is bothersome when someone takes a very difficult thing and declares that it really should be simple for everyone.