ACC ~ Romans 7 v4

YOU HAVE DIED TO THE LAW. ORIGEN: When we were in the flesh and living according to it, we were unable to serve the newness of the Spirit on account of those sins which the law itself, which was in our members, nourished in order that they might bear fruit to death. … But when Christ died for us and we died to sin along with him, we were set free by him from the law of sin in which we were held, and now we can serve the law of God in newness of Spirit and not in the dead form of the law. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

THEODORET OF CYR: In order not to offend the Jews or to give those heretics who reject the Old Testament any encouragement, Paul did not say that the law had come to an end but rather that we have died to the law by the saving grace of baptism. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

YOU ARE NOW FREE TO BELONG TO ANOTHER. AMBROSIASTER: Since the Savior allowed the devil to crucify his body knowing that this was for us and against him, Paul says that we have been saved by the body of Christ. For to die to the law is to live to God, since the law rules over sinners. Therefore the one whose sins are forgiven dies to the law; this is what it means to be set free from the law. We receive this blessing through the body of Christ, for by giving up his body the Savior conquered death and condemned sin. The devil sinned against him when it killed him even though he was innocent and entirely without sin. For when the devil claims a man for himself because of sin, he is found to be guilty of the thing he accuses him of. Thus it happens that all who believe in Christ are delivered from the law, because sin has been condemned. For sin, which is of the devil, has been conquered by the body of Christ. Now he has no authority over those who belong to Christ, by whom he has been conquered. For because Christ was sinless yet was killed as if he were guilty, he conquered sin by sin—that is to say, he defeated the devil by his own sin. And what he allowed to get into the devil he condemned, thereby destroying the penalty which had been decreed because of the sin of Adam.When he rose again from the dead an image of new life was stamped upon those who believe in him, so that they cannot be bound by the second death. For this reason we have died to the law by the body of Christ. Thus whoever has not died to the law is still guilty, and whoever is guilty cannot escape the second death. … Whoever perseveres in the grace of Christ belongs to God and is worthy of the promised resurrection. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

CHRYSOSTOM: Paul’s conclusion does not tally with his premise, for what the context would require is: “so the law does not rule over you, for it is dead.” Instead of saying this openly, Paul only hints at it by expressing himself the other way round. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 12.

THAT YOU MAY BEAR FRUIT. PELAGIUS: Paul was reluctant to tell the Jews that the law was dead, but what he dared not say out loud he leaves to be understood. … A man bears fruit for God when his works of righteousness like fruit break out in blossom, then grow into fruit, and finally become fully ripe, for no fruit is forever in blossom. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

DIED TO THE LAW THROUGH THE BODY OF CHRIST. THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: The phrase “in order that we” should be read as: “and so we shall”. … For Paul wants to say that once we have been established in this life we shall bear the fruits of righteousness for God,since we have been changed from our behavior under the law.

It is most remarkable that Paul says that we have died not through baptism but through the body of Christ. For Adam was the beginning of this life, and Christ is the beginning of the life to come. So, just as in this life we have everything in common with Adam, so also in the next life we shall have everything in common with Christ, beginning with his resurrection. We are said to be a part of the Lord’s body because we share this with him. So just as we have been metaphorically born again by baptism, Paul says that we have become a part of Christ’s body by sharing in the resurrection which is typified by baptism. PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.

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