"a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.
Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God." (Romans 7:2-4)
Cast of characters:
Woman = Paul's brothers, Israel (and the Gentile church grafted on) [thanks Chris]
First husband = The first Adam, the old humanity, Jesus Christ "in the likeness of sinful flesh" (Rom 8:3)
Second husband = The last Adam, the new humanity, Jesus Christ in his "spiritual body" (1 Cor 15:44)
Law = marriage covenant between Israel and the first Adam, the bond that unites
Spirit = marriage covenant between the church and the last Adam (Rom 7:6), the bond that unites
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The law was the equivalent of a marriage certificate binding us to Adam. "All that was his, is yours" it declares. All his death and all his sin.
But Adam died on the cross, and if we believe that then we can get remarried without breaking the law. If we don't believe that then we'll keep living in the house of death instead of moving in with our new husband into the house of life which is ours by faith.
The Spirit promises us that we are united to the risen Christ in marriage. "All that was his, is yours" it declares. All his life and all his righteousness.
hey dave, just a quick hello to say im reading & enjoying your blogging at the moment, you're quite prolific - I honestly can't keep up, but am storing it up. I really like this one, but would like to see it nuanced to israel. My personal opinion is that first and foremost "brothers" refers to literally, israel by flesh; until christ becomes the firstborn of "many brothers" in ch. 8. (whence derivitavely we can speak as the "we" in Christ). Ps I also have been arriving at an intruiguing conclusion that the Eve references are about the deceptive satanic authority of legalism; and that we are now the bride of Christ, not the deceived bride of Adam. Hence the infamous 1 tim 2 passage, the Eph 5 passage (where the word which washes us is the gospel) and the 1 cor 6 passage about being joined to the lord, and the 2 cor 11 passage about not being like eve... are all radical passages not about what michael jensen calls a "thick complementarianism" ie about the order of things in the old creation, but actually the very opposite: radical new creation, that we the bride must not be deceived as Eve was. I think your reading of Rom 7 corresponds exactly to that. Just a comment. The only one I can muster!
ReplyDeleteps have you heard Simon Gathercole on 'sin in God's economy' in Romans 1 & 7? As someone who's just watched the kite runner and seen the brutal tyranny of law in our day and age, I'm very glad to say that God has consigned all to disobedience that he may have mercy on all; even though sin tried to cover its tracks, the law showed it to be utterly sinful & became an instrument of revelation of the truth of grace rather than a hiding & surpressing of it. (by the way, in line with the rest of my reading of paul, i'm now increasingly convinced that whenever Paul says 'the truth' or 'the word of the truth' or even 'the word' he means the gospel (not the scriptures, nor the general truth of creation) but the truth of God which demands the obedience of faith. Hence Rom 1 is about israel (whose the adoption by predestination) suppressing the truth of the gospel (the insanity of which is testified to by creation & the whole story of law). Well there's another bleat.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris. Quantity not quality at the moment on the blog front. And wrong priorities... I'm thinking of having a blogging fast actually.
ReplyDeleteYou are obviously right about brothers... another dropped ball. I've amended my post! Although should probably change it more.
I like the link with Eve. You've mentioned that a few times. Very helpful point that ties together a lot. You've mentioned 1 Tim 2 a few times, but I still don't understand how what you say would work itself out, but think you're onto the answer... would you mind expanding? I'd appreciate if you laid out systematically what you thought on Eve in the NT. I've tried but I can't do it myself. I think I get it in 1 Cor 6/2 Cor 11, but not sure on 1 Tim 2 (which my pastor has as his text in 2 weeks!)
Other random things I can muster comment on:
Agree about the word in Eph 5.
I have heard Gathercole before on your suggestion. And promptly forgotten what he said. Probably should listen again at some point.
Sorry I can't agree with you on Rom 1. Agree that 'word' usually means the gospel, but less sure about 'truth' on its own. But my reading of Romans proceeds on basis that there is a increasing intensity of revelation from general, to law, to Christ (see this post). Rom 1 seems so focused on the universality of sin.
Bleat away, Lewis is a good example to follow.