Romans 7 Footnotes

7:15-25 This section is hotly debated. In one view, the internal struggle was Paul’s personal Christian experience, which mirrored that of others. In Christ, all Christians want to do what pleases God (vv. 18,22) but find themselves frustrated in their efforts because of the lingering presence of sin’s power at work within (vv. 17,20,23). The struggle continues in this age, with progress and victory possible only through the power of the Holy Spirit (8:2,5,11) and ultimately when Christ returns (8:23). Alternatively, some scholars argue that here Paul spoke of the position of Jewish people (and thus of himself as a formerly unbelieving Jew) living in frustration under the law. In this view Paul described the unbeliever’s struggle, experiencing defeat apart from Christ. He was a slave to the law of sin (see 7:25 and 8:2) and struggled with the body of death (see 7:24 and 6:6).