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NASB | Romans 7:19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 7:19 For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. |
Subject: Experience or Scripture? |
Bible Note: Greetings Doc! Allow me to touch upon a couple of quick points! 1) Straw man? You wrote as a response to my question about whether or not we are slaves to sin: "Easy. Purpose to go the next 24 hours living in full compliance with the Word, without sin. Your success will demonstrate your freedom. Your failure will demonstrate your captivity. Repeat the experiment as many times as necessary." Was the basis of your answer Scripture or experience? 2) Always or never? You wrote: "The words "ALWAYS" and "NEVER" do not appear in the text in Romans 7." Let's look at the text. Rom. 7:15 - " I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." The verbs translated as 'do' here are Present, Active, Indicative, 1st Person, Singular. The primary point of emphasis in Greek verbs is 'kind' of action, not 'time' of action. The 'kind' of action stressed by the present tense is continuous action. Paul even makes the point clearer in Rom. 7:19 - "For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. " So, while the words 'never' and 'always' are not in the text, the thought clearly is present. Or, would you suggest that Paul is saying that sometimes he does do the good that he wants to do? 3) Definition of terms. Allow me to clarify my position. By 'no longer slaves to sin', I mean that the flesh no longer controls me and I can live in obedience to God as I walk in the Spirit. As Rom. 6 makes clear, this does not mean that I CANNOT sin. It simply means that I CAN not sin, if I choose to walk in the Spirit. Rom. 8:9 makes it clear - "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." Prior to salvation, Paul could not choose to NOT sin. He was it's slave. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |