The Regenerate View vs. the Unregenerate View
According to the “unregenerate view,” verses 14-24 (and even verses 7-13) are illustrating exactly what Paul had just explained: which is the affect of the Law on the carnal, unregenerate man—and the Jew more particularly—just as he had started out to say to them in verse one: “I am speaking to men [or Jews] who know the law,” and then again later: “we know that” (v. 14). And he also illustrates how that the law, though good, produces death in those who don't have the life of God in them (this is discussed in v. 13, and then illustrated for us by Paul in verses 16-17). And the actual turning point in Paul's life as an unregenerate Jew was in v. 25a, which leads us up to (after having temporarily left off from Romans 6 for the time being to reflect on chapter 7) the righteous life that is now ours in Christ in Romans 8:1-14.
The opposing view, which we will call the “regenerate view,” believes verses 14-24 (and some, even verses 7-13) to be Paul using his own experience as a Christian as an example to those who “know the law” (v. 1) at the actual time when Paul was writing this epistle. Those who hold to this view, claim that this demonstrates that Paul was still in bondage to sin, and not always able to do the things that he really wanted to do. Many commentators will also argue that Paul wasn’t really stating that he was actually sinning as a slave sold to sin, but only using it as a hypothetical argument. But how else are we to understand Paul’s words when he unequivocally, and without any such explanation to the contrary, speaks in no uncertain terms about being “sold as a slave to sin” (or, lit., “sold under the sin”)? And whether or not Paul sold himself as an active slave to sin, or was sold into sin’s deprivations by someone else, such as by Adam (which this perfect passive participle “sold” really denotes), it makes no difference as to the gravity of what Paul is most definitely asserting of himself at this point and time in his life. He not only says, “I am carnal (or fleshly), sold as a slave to sin,” but he also concludes that “what I want to do I do not do….I cannot carry out….I keep on” sinning (vv. 14-19). This hardly sounds like someone speaking hypothetically. It sounds to me like “literalists” who only want to be literal, where they want to be literal, because they cannot imagine Paul as a Christian continually (using the Greek "prasso" in verses 15 and 19) not being able to do that which he wanted to do. But remove this idea from the equation that Paul is speaking about his life as a believer, and all of this now begins to make more sense to us. Under the Law, Paul, as Saul, was a continual and habitual sinner; and he used the Law against coveting as a prime example of this.
Additionally, 1Cor. 3:1 and verse 3 are also often used as proof texts that Paul is speaking to carnal, worldly Christians in Romans 7 with a sinful nature, because here in First Corinthians the same Greek word “sarkinos” (v. 1; and also “sarkikos” v. 3) is used as it is in Rom. 7:14. But I would argue just the contrary. In Romans 7, Paul is speaking of a condition in which he was living before actually receiving Christ as his personal Savior, by stating, “I am carnal.” But in the case of First Corinthians, Paul is just saying that some believers were acting like carnal, worldly, and unregenerate people; it was not that they really were carnal, unbelieving and worldly people. This is the difference that is to be delineated here. One (the Romans 7 man) was carnal; the other (believers at Corinth) were acting like carnal people.
For example, Paul says to the Corinthians: “Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life” (NLT). Even though they were spiritually changed believers, Paul had to address them “as” if they were unbelievers who belonged to the world. The New Living Translation used here above expresses this idea very well. In addition, verse 3 states: “Are you not acting like mere men?” (NIV), or, as the NLT reads: “like people of the world?” The fact of the matter is that they were not the “mere men” of the world that Paul was using as an example, but were only acting like them. There are no other similarities to be drawn here between those in the epistle to the Romans and those in the epistle of 1Corinthians, other than in the fact that: (1) what is being described in Romans is the lifestyle of the ungodly before coming to Christ; and, (2) that their lifestyle is not to be mimicked after one becomes a Christian. It is no different today. And furthermore, wouldn’t it be hypocritical of Paul if he were telling the Corinthians to quit being sarkinos or sarkikos (fleshly and carnal), if that is indeed what he was still affirming of himself on a continual basis in Romans 7? Again, how could Paul tell them to stop doing something if he was in fact actually doing it himself? Think about that for a moment! It just doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. Jesus said we can only take the log out of someone else’s eye, after we have removed the one from our own eye. And it was even Paul who said to the unregenerate Jews in his epistle to the Romans, “at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things….You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?” (2:1, 21-23).
Similar to Paul addressing the Corinthians, in 1Jhn. 2:16 and 1Pet. 2:11 the apostles are telling believers not to succumb to the lifestyles of the ungodly. John speaks of “everything in the world [note, not "in us"]—the cravings of the sinful man [not the saint], the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what he [not us] has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world” (NIV); whereas, Peter speaks of abstaining from the fleshly, worldly and carnal lusts that the world throws at us and which “war” or battle against our souls. Verse 11 of Peter's epistle reads, again in the NLT, “Dear friends, I warn you as temporary residents and foreigners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.” Here, again, the idea is to be understood of something not necessarily that we are inwardly warring against, but what we are outwardly warring against as described in the following verses here in Peter's epistle that we are to keep away from—similar to Joseph keeping away from Potiphar’s wife. So, these Corinthian believers were no longer “fleshly” within, as is the condition of the person being described in Romans 7, but they were outwardly acting like those who are fleshly.
Now this is not to say that we do not have inward mental struggles and conflicts over our fleshly bodies, but this is not what is necessarily being emphasized in these above verses. The outer temptations and fiery darts or trials that try to seduce us and take us out are what is predominantly being depicted in these texts. Expositor’s Bible Commentary succinctly has this to say with regards to verse 11 mentioned above in Peter's epistle:
The issue is whether we are to understand Peter as teaching that the sinful desires war against a part of a person (his soul) or against the whole person. Peter’s usage of pshyche elsewhere favors the understanding “against the person” in this location….Peter’s exhortation means that the Christian is not to participate in pagan immorality” (vol. 12, p. 232).For example, as Christians we are called upon to abstain from fornication, adultery, homosexuality, drunkenness, witchcraft, idolatry, hatred, rage, and the like. These are the things that “war” against the whole person. Satan cannot attack us from within, but he can tempt and entice us from without. The battle isn’t raging so much within us, as it is from without. Our inward man is being renewed day by day, while our outward man (our fleshly body) is perishing while it vies for control over our lives. This is what the Bible says to us. Our inward new man, controlled by the Spirit, puts to death and mortifies the outward deeds of the body. And we just have to now “reckon ourselves dead to sin” and “alive unto God” (Rom. 6:11). This is the inheritance of the saints in light. It is absolute and unqualified victory in Jesus, our Savior forever! We do not have to settle for anything less! Just “reckon” it so, says Paul. For “they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Gal. 5:24). As such, they make no provisions for the flesh. “Let not sin reign in your mortal body,” cries Paul! (Rom. 6:12). Our old man inside who was prone to sin has been crucified, so that we can put off the misdeeds of the body of the flesh (Rom. 6:6).
And if all that were not enough, let us now think on these things:
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.…YOU USE TO BE slaves to sin….You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness….Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life” (Rom. 6:6-7, 17-22).Please click here for part four.
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