Romans 7:1
Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
Romans 7:1 (KJV)
Context
Paul wrote Romans to believers in Rome, addressing the righteousness of God, salvation by grace through faith, and the role of the law. This verse opens a passage where he explains how believers are freed from the law through Christ’s death.
Meaning
Paul addresses the “brethren,” fellow believers, especially those knowledgeable about the Mosaic law. His question, “Know ye not,” assumes they already understand the principle he is about to state: the law has dominion over a person only as long as they live. This means the law’s authority is temporal, not eternal; it binds only during earthly life.
The law’s dominion applies to those under it, particularly Jews or those who choose to live by it. This reflects the Jewish understanding that the law is binding and governs life. Paul’s point prepares for the teaching that death breaks the law’s jurisdiction, so believers, united with Christ in His death, are released from the law’s condemnation.
Biblical connections
This principle is foundational for Paul’s argument in the following verses that believers have died to the law through the body of Christ, enabling them to serve in newness of spirit. The law is not evil; it reveals God’s holiness, but it cannot give life or righteousness. The believer’s new life is empowered by the Spirit, not by the law.
Application
For believers today, this means living in the freedom Christ provides, serving God in the new way of the Spirit, not the old way of the written code. It warns against attempting to be justified by the law, which only brings death. The law still reveals God’s holiness, but it cannot give life or righteousness.
Reflection
This verse underscores the necessity of Christ’s death as the means of liberation from the law’s curse. It calls us to embrace our union with Christ, knowing that the law’s dominion over us has ended, and to live in the Spirit’s power.
