Romans 7:14: The Spiritual Law (Jewett)

Greek: Οἴδαμεν γὰρ ὅτι ὁ νόμος πνευματικός ἐστιν, ἐγὼ δὲ σάρκινός εἰμι πεπραμένος ὑπὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. (THGNT)

Robert Jewett (Romans Commentary in Hermeneia Series) writes regarding Romans 7:12: "it seems likely that Paul intends to imply that the Torah was created, activated and authorized by the Spirit."

ὁ νόμος πνευματικός ἐστιν

Compare Romans 7:12; 8:4.

Jewett says ἐγὼ in Rom. 7:14 is emphatic; for a similar use of Οἴδαμεν, see 1 John 5:19 although John does not use γὰρ in that verse.

σάρκινός ("fleshly") could be used in a special Pauline way here. See Jewett, page 461; compare Rom. 7:5.

To add to Jewett's observations, he also notes (461): "For Paul, to be 'fleshly' refers not primarily to the material nature of humans but to opposition against God, for it was precisely in his own zealous advocacy of the law that Paul found himself in such opposition. In his striving to demonstrate his righteousness under the law, he found himself caught in the throes of sin."

For the expression, εἰμι πεπραμένος ὑπὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, see Leviticus 25:39; Isaiah 50:1; Jewett 461-2. Paul's use of the article (τὴν ἁμαρτίαν) is also unique.

πεπραμένος is the perfect participial form (m/p) of πιπράσκω: the term in Rom. 7:14 is evidently a metaphor for slavery.

Compare Jan Jambrecht, "Grammar and Reasoning in Romans 7,12 and 7,13-14," Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses, Vol. 80 (December 2004).