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Romans 7:14-25 – Dangerous Motivations for Studying
It is dangerous, even if necessary, to study a text because of the use or misuse of that text by others. The result is that instead of reacting to the text itself, we react to a person’s use or misuse of that text. That puts a person in between us and the text. That can lead to reacting to false interpretations instead of simply understanding the text itself. And that can lead to not emphasizing the true interpretation, but mainly emphasizing the wrong interpretation.
For example, in Romans 7:14-25, Augustine’s early view was that these verses described an unregenerate person. Due to his theological battles with Pelagius over the freedom of will and other topics, he changed his opinion and decided that these verses describe the struggle that a Christian endures.
When our motivation for study is to prove others wrong, or to correct misinterpretations, our motivations must be subjected to the text itself. What is right is more important than who is wrong.
Another dangerous motivation in studying is to submit the text to our subjective experiences. Christians struggling with sin want to find Paul struggling too in Romans 7:14-25. Whether the text describes Paul’s spiritual weakness or not, is beside the point. I cannot put my experiences in between me and the text. And yet, there is the need to apply the scriptures to my life. The sequence is to let the word change my life; not let my life change the word.
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