Release from the Law
(Galatians 3:15–25)

1 Ἢ (Or) ἀγνοεῖτε (are you⁺ ignorant), ἀδελφοί (brothers), γινώσκουσιν (to those knowing) γὰρ (for) νόμον (the law) λαλῶ (I speak), ὅτι (that) ὁ (the) νόμος (law) κυριεύει (rules over) τοῦ (the) ἀνθρώπου (man) ἐφ’ (for) ὅσον (as long as) χρόνον (the time) ζῇ (he lives)? 2 ἡ (The) γὰρ (for) ὕπανδρος (married) γυνὴ (woman) τῷ (to the) ζῶντι (living) ἀνδρὶ (husband) δέδεται (is bound) νόμῳ (by law)· ἐὰν (if) δὲ (however) ἀποθάνῃ (should die) ὁ (the) ἀνήρ (husband), κατήργηται (she is released) ἀπὸ (from) τοῦ (the) νόμου (law) τοῦ (of the) ἀνδρός (husband). 3 ἄρα (Then) οὖν (therefore) ζῶντος (in the being alive) τοῦ (of the) ἀνδρὸς (husband) μοιχαλὶς (an adulteress) χρηματίσει (she will be called) ἐὰν (if) γένηται (she becomes) ἀνδρὶ (unto a man) ἑτέρῳ (another)· ἐὰν (if) δὲ (however) ἀποθάνῃ (should die) ὁ (the) ἀνήρ (husband), ἐλευθέρα (free) ἐστὶν (she is) ἀπὸ (from) τοῦ (the) νόμου (law), τοῦ (so as) μὴ (not) εἶναι (to be) αὐτὴν (for her) μοιχαλίδα (an adulteress) γενομένην (having become) ἀνδρὶ (unto a man) ἑτέρῳ (another).

4 Ὥστε (Likewise), ἀδελφοί (brothers) μου (of me), καὶ (also) ὑμεῖς (you⁺) ἐθανατώθητε (have been put to death) τῷ (to the) νόμῳ (law) διὰ (through) τοῦ (the) σώματος (body) τοῦ (-) Χριστοῦ (of Christ), εἰς (for) τὸ (-) γενέσθαι (to become) ὑμᾶς (you⁺) ἑτέρῳ (unto another), τῷ (unto the One) ἐκ (out from) νεκρῶν (the dead) ἐγερθέντι (having been raised), ἵνα (so that) καρποφορήσωμεν (we should bear fruit) τῷ (-) Θεῷ (to God). 5 ὅτε (When) γὰρ (for) ἦμεν (we were) ἐν (in) τῇ (the) σαρκί (flesh), τὰ (the) παθήματα (passions) τῶν (-) ἁμαρτιῶν (of sins) τὰ (that were) διὰ (through) τοῦ (the) νόμου (law) ἐνηργεῖτο (were working) ἐν (in) τοῖς (the) μέλεσιν (members) ἡμῶν (of us) εἰς (to) τὸ (the) καρποφορῆσαι (bearing of fruit) τῷ (-) θανάτῳ (to death)· 6 νυνὶ (Now) δὲ (however) κατηργήθημεν (we have been released) ἀπὸ (from) τοῦ (the) νόμου (law), ἀποθανόντες (having died) ἐν (to) ᾧ (that by that) κατειχόμεθα (we were bound), ὥστε (so as) δουλεύειν (to serve) ἡμᾶς (for us) ἐν (in) καινότητι (newness) πνεύματος (of the Spirit) καὶ (and) οὐ (not) παλαιότητι (in oldness) γράμματος (of the letter).

God’s Law Is Holy

7 Τί (What) οὖν (then) ἐροῦμεν (will we say)? ὁ (Is the) νόμος (law) ἁμαρτία (sin)? μὴ (Never) γένοιτο (may it be)· ἀλλὰ (But) τὴν (-) ἁμαρτίαν (sin) οὐκ (not) ἔγνων (I knew) εἰ (if) μὴ (not) διὰ (through) νόμου (the law)· τήν (-) τε (then) γὰρ (for) ἐπιθυμίαν (covetousness) οὐκ (not) ᾔδειν (I would have been conscious of) εἰ (if) μὴ (not) ὁ (the) νόμος (law) ἔλεγεν (had said)· Οὐκ (Not) ἐπιθυμήσεις (you shall covet)· 8 ἀφορμὴν (The opportunity) δὲ (however) λαβοῦσα (having taken) ἡ (-) ἁμαρτία (sin) διὰ (through) τῆς (the) ἐντολῆς (commandment) κατειργάσατο (it produced) ἐν (in) ἐμοὶ (me) πᾶσαν (all) ἐπιθυμίαν (covetousness)· χωρὶς (apart from) γὰρ (for) νόμου (the Law) ἁμαρτία (sin) νεκρά (is dead).

9 Ἐγὼ (I) δὲ (however) ἔζων (was alive) χωρὶς (apart from) νόμου (the law) ποτέ (once)· ἐλθούσης (on having come) δὲ (however) τῆς (the) ἐντολῆς (commandment) ἡ (-) ἁμαρτία (sin) ἀνέζησεν (revived), ἐγὼ (I) δὲ (then) ἀπέθανον (died), 10 καὶ (And) εὑρέθη (was found) μοι (by me) ἡ (the) ἐντολὴ (commandment) ἡ (that was) εἰς (unto) ζωὴν (life), αὕτη (this) εἰς (unto) θάνατον (death)· 11 ἡ (The) γὰρ (for) ἁμαρτία (sin) ἀφορμὴν (the opportunity) λαβοῦσα (having taken) διὰ (through) τῆς (the) ἐντολῆς (commandment) ἐξηπάτησέν (deceived) με (me) καὶ (and) δι’ (through) αὐτῆς (it) ἀπέκτεινεν (killed me).

12 Ὥστε (So) ὁ (-) μὲν (indeed) νόμος (the law is) ἅγιος (holy), καὶ (and) ἡ (the) ἐντολὴ (commandment is) ἁγία (holy) καὶ (and) δικαία (righteous) καὶ (and) ἀγαθή (good).

Struggling with Sin

13 Τὸ (That which) οὖν (then) ἀγαθὸν (is good) ἐμοὶ (to me) ἐγένετο (did it become) θάνατος (death)? μὴ (Never) γένοιτο (may it be)· ἀλλὰ (But) ἡ (-) ἁμαρτία (sin), ἵνα (so that) φανῇ (it might be shown as) ἁμαρτία (sin), διὰ (through) τοῦ (that which is) ἀγαθοῦ (good) μοι (to me) κατεργαζομένη (is producing) θάνατον (death), ἵνα (so that) γένηται (might become) καθ’ (beyond) ὑπερβολὴν (excess) ἁμαρτωλὸς (sinful) ἡ (-) ἁμαρτία (sin) διὰ (through) τῆς (the) ἐντολῆς (commandment).

14 Οἴδαμεν (We have known) γὰρ (for) ὅτι (that) ὁ (-) νόμος (the law) πνευματικός (spiritual) ἐστιν (is)· ἐγὼ (I) δὲ (however) σάρκινός (fleshly) εἰμι (am), πεπραμένος (having been sold as a slave) ὑπὸ (under) τὴν (-) ἁμαρτίαν (sin). 15 ὃ (What) γὰρ (for) κατεργάζομαι (I carry out) οὐ (not) γινώσκω (I understand)· οὐ (not) γὰρ (for) ὃ (what) θέλω (I want) τοῦτο (this) πράσσω (I practice), ἀλλ’ (but) ὃ (what) μισῶ (I hate) τοῦτο (this) ποιῶ (I do). 16 εἰ (If) δὲ (now) ὃ (what) οὐ (not) θέλω (I want) τοῦτο (this) ποιῶ (I do), σύμφημι (I assent) τῷ (to the) νόμῳ (law) ὅτι (that it is) καλός (good). 17 νυνὶ (Now) δὲ (but) οὐκέτι (no longer) ἐγὼ (I) κατεργάζομαι (carry out) αὐτὸ (it) ἀλλὰ (but) ἡ (the) οἰκοῦσα (dwelling) ἐν (in) ἐμοὶ (me) ἁμαρτία (sin).

18 Οἶδα (I know) γὰρ (for) ὅτι (that) οὐκ (not) οἰκεῖ (there dwells) ἐν (in) ἐμοί (me), τοῦτ’ (that) ἔστιν (is) ἐν (in) τῇ (the) σαρκί (flesh) μου (of me), ἀγαθόν (good)· τὸ (-) γὰρ (for) θέλειν (to want) παράκειταί (is present with) μοι (me), τὸ (-) δὲ (but) κατεργάζεσθαι (to carry out) τὸ (the) καλὸν (good) οὔ (not)· 19 οὐ (Not) γὰρ (for) ὃ (that) θέλω (I want) ποιῶ (I do) ἀγαθόν (good), ἀλλὰ (but) ὃ (that) οὐ (not) θέλω (I want) κακὸν (evil) τοῦτο (this) πράσσω (I practice). 20 εἰ (If) δὲ (now) ὃ (what) οὐ (not) θέλω (I want) ἐγὼ (I) τοῦτο (this) ποιῶ (do), οὐκέτι (no longer) ἐγὼ (I) κατεργάζομαι (carry out) αὐτὸ (it) ἀλλὰ (but) ἡ (-) οἰκοῦσα (dwelling) ἐν (in) ἐμοὶ (me) ἁμαρτία (sin).

21 Εὑρίσκω (I find) ἄρα (then) τὸν (the) νόμον (law) τῷ (-) θέλοντι (wanting) ἐμοὶ (in me) ποιεῖν (to do) τὸ (-) καλὸν (good), ὅτι (that) ἐμοὶ (me) τὸ (-) κακὸν (evil) παράκειται (is present with)· 22 συνήδομαι (I delight) γὰρ (for) τῷ (in the) νόμῳ (law) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (of God) κατὰ (according to) τὸν (the) ἔσω (inner) ἄνθρωπον (man), 23 βλέπω (I see) δὲ (however) ἕτερον (another) νόμον (law) ἐν (in) τοῖς (the) μέλεσίν (members) μου (of me) ἀντιστρατευόμενον (warring against) τῷ (the) νόμῳ (law) τοῦ (of the) νοός (mind) μου (of me) καὶ (and) αἰχμαλωτίζοντά (making captive) με (me) ἐν (to) τῷ (the) νόμῳ (law) τῆς (-) ἁμαρτίας (of sin) τῷ (-) ὄντι (being) ἐν (in) τοῖς (the) μέλεσίν (members) μου (of me).

24 Ταλαίπωρος (Wretched) ἐγὼ (I am) ἄνθρωπος (man)· τίς (Who) με (me) ῥύσεται (will deliver) ἐκ (out of) τοῦ (the) σώματος (body) τοῦ (-) θανάτου (of death) τούτου (this)? 25 χάρις (Thanks be) δὲ (but) τῷ (to) Θεῷ (God) διὰ (through) Ἰησοῦ (Jesus) Χριστοῦ (Christ) τοῦ (the) Κυρίου (Lord) ἡμῶν (of us).

Ἄρα (Then) οὖν (so) αὐτὸς (myself) ἐγὼ (I) τῷ (with the) μὲν (indeed) νοῒ (mind) δουλεύω (serve) νόμῳ (law) Θεοῦ (God’s), τῇ (-) δὲ (but with) σαρκὶ (the flesh) νόμῳ (the law) ἁμαρτίας (of sin).