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Romans 7:7-12 – I Am Adam
Why does Paul use “I?” Who is he referring to? I would like to begin – and I know it is only a beginning – to answer why Paul uses the first personal pronoun “I.” I do not believe he is speaking solely autobiographically, but rather is identifying himself somewhat with Adam and therefore all of us with Adam. Let’s look at the text and then consider the original sin or sins, as being our sins as we reenact them in our lives.
Romans 7:7-12 NASB What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “YOU SHALL NOT COVET.” (8) But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. (9) I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; (10) and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; (11) for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. (12) So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
Can we see Genesis 3 in this? I think so, just as we can see Genesis 3 in Romans 1:18-23.
Paul asks, “Is the Law sin” (7:7)? Although Paul uses the article (ho nomos) I do not think we need to understand as “the Law” as “the Law of Moses” but rather law generally.
Law is not sin because law reveals sin. Sometimes something is sinful because the law of God says it is. Sometimes the law of God says something is sinful because it already is, for example by virtue of God’s creative order.
In the case of Adam and Eve, the law not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-3) revealed something sinful because God said it was sinful. The law to not eat of that tree taught Adam and Eve what was sin – disobeying God.
Why did Paul chose the particular sin of coveting (7:7)? Seeing the context of Adam (and Eve), I wonder if it is because the first sin involving the first couple involved coveting? She wanted to be like God.
In Romans 7, Paul often personifies sin; so who best fits that description? Satan. When we read “But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind” we can see the original story – Satan took opportunity through the commandment not to eat to produce coveting.
The “commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death” fits very well with the original commandment. The commandment not to eat was to result in life.
Then “Sin” personified (Romans 7:11) or Satan, took opportunity through the command, deceived Eve (but we know not Adam) and through it killed Eve and Adam. “Sin,” the Serpent, and Satan are the same.
The command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was holy and righteous and good. All of God’s commands are too.
While I understand there is not a perfect correlation, there appears to be enough. But maybe a perfect correction is not required. After all, Eve ate before Adam, but only Adam is mentioned in Romans five.
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