ACC ~ Romans 7 v6

NEW LIFE IN THE SPIRIT. ORIGEN: Some people have wrongly interpreted “the new life of the Spirit” as if it meant that the Spirit himself was new and did not previously exist or teach the prophets of old. Such people do not realize how greatly they are blaspheming! For the same Spirit is in the law as in the gospel. He dwells eternally with the Father and the Son and is eternal just as they are. It is not that he is new but that he makes believers new when he leads them out of their former sins to a new life and a new obedience to the religion of Christ, turning carnal people into spiritual ones. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

DISCHARGED FROM THE LAW. CHRYSOSTOM: Once again Paul spares the flesh and the law. He does not say that the law was discharged or that sin was discharged but that we were discharged. How did this happen? It happened because the old man, who had been held down by sin, died and was buried.HOMILIES ON ROMANS 12.

THE OLD LAW CONSUMED WITH AGE. AMBROSIASTER: The law is called the “law of death” because it punishes the guilty and puts sinners to death. It is therefore not evil but righteous. For although evil is inflicted on its victims by the law, the law itself is not evil, because it executes wrath justly. Therefore it is not evil to sinners but just. But to good people it is spiritual. For who would doubt that it is spiritual to forbid sin? But because the law could not save men by forgiving sin the law of faith was given, in order to deliver believers from the power of sin and bring those whom the law had held in death back to life. For to them it is a law of death and it works wrath in them because of sin.

Although Paul regards the law as inferior to the law of faith, he does not condemn it. … The law of Moses is not called old because it is evil but because it is out of date and has ceased to function. … The old law was written on tablets of stone, but the law of the Spirit is written spiritually on the tables of the heart that it might be eternal, whereas the letter of the old law is consumed with age. There is another way of understanding the law of the Spirit, which is that, where the former law restrained evil deeds, this law which says that we ought not to sin even in our hearts is called “the law of the Spirit,” because it makes the whole person spiritual. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

NOT UNDER THE OLD WRITTEN CODE. AUGUSTINE: The law is only a written code to those who do not fulfill it in the spirit of charity to which the New Testament belongs. TO SIMPLICIAN ON VARIOUS QUESTIONS 1.17.

NATURAL AND WRITTEN LAW. [PSEUDO-] CONSTANTIUS: Here the word law means both the natural and the written law. … Paul now makes mention of both the written and the natural law, because the written law contains the natural law as well. THE HOLY LETTER OF ST. PAUL TO THE ROMANS.

DEAD TO THAT WHICH HELD US CAPTIVE. PELAGIUS: We have died to the sin for which we were held by the law, and now we serve according to the demands of spiritual grace, not according to the written law. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: Now everything has changed, Paul says. We have died to this life and are no longer under any obligation to keep the law. Our life no longer has anything in common with that, because we have been renewed by the power of the Spirit and have become different people. We have crossed over from this present life to life eternal and cannot tolerate any captivity of the flesh. … What is more, we who follow Christ are much better off than those who are governed by the law. PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.

THEODORET OF CYR: Paul continues in his cautious manner, for he does not say that the law is abolished but rather that we have been set free from it. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

GENNADIUS OF CONSTANTINOPLE: Paul sets “Spirit” against “letter,” “newness” against “oldness,” and by these names shows us how different the two things are. PAULINE COMMENTARY FROM THE GREEK CHURCH.