- Joined
- May 27, 2023
- Messages
- 7,192
- Reaction score
- 6,193
- Points
- 175
- Faith
- Christian/Reformed
- Country
- US
- Politics
- conservative
"But sin, seizing and opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead."
Casually read, this passage can be, and has been, used to deny original sin, and/or claim that sins were not judged or people condemned before the Law was given to Moses and Israel. At the very least it can produce a bit of a paradox. So out of curiosity I asked ChatGPT to produce analysis of it from Reformed theologians. The following is all the work of AI form Chat, but it is interesting.
Romans 7:8–10 is a crucial passage in Paul’s discussion of the law, sin, and death. Reformed theologians have long reflected on these verses, especially in relation to total depravity, the role of the law, and spiritual death. Here's the passage (ESV):
Casually read, this passage can be, and has been, used to deny original sin, and/or claim that sins were not judged or people condemned before the Law was given to Moses and Israel. At the very least it can produce a bit of a paradox. So out of curiosity I asked ChatGPT to produce analysis of it from Reformed theologians. The following is all the work of AI form Chat, but it is interesting.
Romans 7:8–10 is a crucial passage in Paul’s discussion of the law, sin, and death. Reformed theologians have long reflected on these verses, especially in relation to total depravity, the role of the law, and spiritual death. Here's the passage (ESV):
Romans 7:8–10 (ESV): 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.
9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.
10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.
Key Themes in Reformed Analysis
1.
Reformed theologians, such as John Calvin, stress that the law is good, but sin corrupts its use:Calvin argues that the law reveals and provokes sin—not because the law is evil, but because human nature is corrupt.John Calvin (Commentary on Romans 7:8):
“The law is not the cause of sin, but rather sin, taking occasion by the law, is stirred up and excited. For our depraved nature cannot bear to be restrained; the very prohibition kindles the desire.”
2.
Robert Haldane, another Reformed commentator, connects this passage to the doctrine of total depravity:Haldane sees the law as functioning to expose and even incite sin in the unconverted, showcasing the depth of man’s depravity.Robert Haldane (Exposition of Romans):
“The Apostle is here describing the operation of the law on the unregenerate heart. Sin, he says, wrought in him all manner of concupiscence. This is the effect of the law on man in his natural state—it stirs up, instead of subduing, sinful desires.”
3.
Reformed theologians have debated Paul's meaning in verse 9 ("I was once alive apart from the law..."). Many, like Charles Hodge, argue Paul is speaking representatively or experientially—not literally.Hodge interprets this as Paul's personal awakening to the law’s true demands, which shattered his sense of moral sufficiency.Charles Hodge (Commentary on Romans):
“This is commonly understood to refer to his own experience, and the transition from a state of self-righteous security to a conviction of sin and condemnation... He seemed to himself to be alive, i.e., safe and good, until the law in its spiritual power flashed upon his conscience.”
4.
Thomas Schreiner (modern Reformed Baptist scholar) in his Romans commentary underscores that the law reveals sin and condemns:Schreiner maintains that the commandment was meant to give life (as in Leviticus 18:5), but in practice, it exposes and intensifies sin in fallen humanity.Thomas Schreiner (Romans, BECNT):
“The law does not cause death by itself; rather, sin uses the law to deceive and kill. The promise of life through the law (v. 10) is nullified by sin’s power.”
Summary of Reformed Perspective
- The law is holy (cf. v.12), but it cannot save due to human sin.
- Sin is empowered by the law in the unregenerate, exposing total depravity.
- "Alive apart from the law" likely refers to a false sense of spiritual safety before conviction.
- The law’s intended life-giving purpose is thwarted by sin, leading to death.