WHICH DIED?

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 13, 1862

THE no-Sabbath men affirm that Paul teaches in Rom. vii, 6, that we were delivered from the law by its abolition, or death, at the crucifixion of Christ. The verse reads as follows,—

"But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."

This text taken alone, at first sight, with those who wish to have the law abolished, seems to teach what they would like to have it teach. But here are several facts worthy as especial notice.

1. Rom. vi, and vii, set forth the law as the means of conviction of sin necessary to true repentance, in connection with baptism, in a manner to establish its perpetuity. Hence Paul does not contradict his plain teachings in these two chapters, in verse 6 of the latter. Paul does not contradict Paul. But if we make him say in this verse that the law died at the crucifixion, and in the very next verse say, "I had not known sin but by the law," we have him convicted of sin by a law that had been dead about four years. This would make Paul a teacher of nonsense. Consistency will lead honest men to avoid such contradictions, even if thereby they are led into the truth.

2. The marginal note of the text under consideration will help those who love to see harmony in the word, and want the truth. We will give the text with the marginal reading. "But now we are delivered from the law, being dead to that wherein we were held," &c. This shows which died. And we see a beautiful harmony with other declarations in these two chapters. Verse 4. "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law." Verse 9. "I was alive without the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died." Chap. vi, 6. "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him." Also Col. iii, 3. "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Verses 9, 10. "Ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man." Gal. ii, 20. "I am crucified with Christ." There is not an intimation here that the law died; but rather, the apostle teaches the death of what is called "the old man;" and the law is the very instrument by which this is accomplished. The first and second husbands of chap. vii, 2, 3, illustrate the old man and new man mentioned in Col. iii, 9, 10. The old man is the carnal mind, the new man is the mind of Christ. The woman, in Paul's illustration, could not be legally married to the second man until the death of the first. Neither can the new man be put on till the death of the old man. Now let Paul say what is instrumental in slaying, or crucifying, and putting off, the old man. Hear him. He says, "I was alive without the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died." So far then from the law of God dying, it is the very instrument by which the old man is slain, and put off, preparatory to the putting on of the new man, which is Christ the Lord. Here the no-Sabbath men have made a most egregious mistake.

3. 'Aποθανόντες ἐν ᾧ κατειχόμεθα. "We being dead, or having died, to that in which we were held."

We know of no translation of Rom. vii, 6, that gives a rendering essentially different from this but the received version, which in most editions has the marginal reading above given.

Macknight renders, "But now, having died with Christ, we are released from the law, by which we were held."

Wakefield translates, "But now we have been released by death from that law, by which we were held."

Wesley renders, "But now are we freed from the law, being dead unto that whereby we were held."

Sawyer translates, "But now we are released from the law by which we were held, having died."

Whiting translates, "But now are we separated from the law, being dead to that by which we were held."

Campbell renders, "But now are we loosed from the law, having died in that by which we were tied."