Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - Romans 8:2 - 8:2

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Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - Romans 8:2 - 8:2


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

2. ὁ γὰρ νόμος τ. πν. κ.τ.λ. The life in Christ Jesus is the new life of and in men, Christ’s life in them, their life in Christ. This life has its instrument or vehicle, as it were, in the new spirit that is in men, new, because the result of their spirit being in union with and invigorated by Christ’s Spirit (Rom 8:9). This new or renewed spirit has its own law regulating its true condition, just as the old spirit had (Rom 7:21): and this law is embodied in the life and character of Christ; its first utterance is justification by faith which at once liberates a man from the tyranny of sin and death and dictates a corresponding manner of life; cf. n. on Rom 6:16-23. It is very remarkable that S. Paul should use this word νόμος to express any condition of the new life: it at least shows how far he is from having worked out a complete technical vocabulary. “He is using ν. here in the sense of Torah which is very much wider than ν. as ordinarily interpreted.” J. H. A. Hart. In τ. πν. τ. ζ. there is a reference to Gen 2:7 : this is a new creation; cf. 2Co 5:17.

ἐν Χρ. Ἰ. Closely with ζωῆς; the whole phrase describes the ‘new man.’

ἠλευθέρωσεν. Sc. as soon as it came into action. Cf. Rom 6:4; Rom 6:8; Rom 6:11.

ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τ. ἁ. κ. τ. θ. Either (1) the law imposed by sin, cf. Rom 7:23; Rom 7:25, or (2) the law which gave sin its opportunity, cf. Rom 7:11. The first is more in accordance with usage in c. 7; yet it obliges us to take νόμος in a different sense from Rom 8:3.