Romans 7:1 - As long as you live

The term “law” here could apply specifically to the Mosaic Law, or Paul could be referring to law in general. Given that many of his readers were from a Gentile background law in general seems more likely, but given that Paul has been arguing about the place of the Law the Mosaic Law seems more appropriate. It is possible to make sense of the passage with either interpretation, and actually isn’t that crucial. For the principle of law applies to all. The argument in Romans has moved from being right with God on to how we can live a good life. How do we live for God? The human way of doing this is to have a set of rules or laws and to try and keep these by human effort. This was the way the Jews tried, and of course it was the Law that they tried to obey. Now the Law was, and is, good, but it was never intended as the means of salvation. However, as human beings we are deeply wedded to the way of law. This was particularly true of the Jews and the Law, but is true of all human beings. But the law has authority over someone only as long as they are alive. Our dying with Christ was a central part of the argument in chapter 6, and it remains so in this chapter.