Wednesday 12 February 2014

Background

Just as Paul had to defend himself against those who said he wasgiving licence for people to carry on sinning, he also had todefend himself from accusations that he believed that the law issin. (This is understandable, given how closely he associated sinwith the law.) But he denied this and uses the sin of covetousnessas his prime example and defence. By covetousness, we are referringto desiring something which is owned by someone else.

It has been suggested that Paul fell on this example because itdescribes the sin of Adam in the Garden of Eden, who desired thefruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:1-7). We can see how Adam and Evewere innocent; then came the commandment not to eat the fruit,followed by the desire for the fruit and then the sin of eating it.Before the commandment came they did not particularly desire it andthey didn't know it was wrong to desire it. It was the serpent whopersonifies evil (or sin for our purposes) and as it says in verse11 "seizing an opportunity in the commandment, deceived me andthrough it killed me".

In verses 14-25 Paul describes an internal struggle aboutkeeping the law. These verses are not therefore about keeping thelaw per se for there are many laws which people are able to keep.For Jews the keeping of the Sabbath, laws of purity and other lawsare all kept, whilst today, most people do not steal or murder; allof which is done without too much internal struggle. Instead Paulis probably talking here about desire, taking again the theme ofcovetousness.

These verses are probably something to which we can all relate;that desire to be a better person, to be more loving and sensitiveand to say the right thing. And we can probably all relate to thatsense of frustration and guilt as we cry out with Paul: "Who willrescue me from this body of death?"

To Ponder

• How do you know the difference between good and baddesires?

• To what extent do you feel that sense of exasperation andfrustration described by Paul?