How does Romans 7:21 relate to the concept of original sin? Text and Immediate Context Romans 7:21 : “So this is the principle I have discovered: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” Paul writes within a larger argument (7:7-25) where he contrasts the goodness of God’s Law with the sin that indwells fallen humanity. His lament progresses from the Law’s exposure of sin (vv. 7-13) to the internal conflict between renewed desire and entrenched corruption (vv. 14-25). Verse 21 distills that conflict into a single axiom: an intrinsic moral antithesis operative in every human even after conversion. Theological Definition of Original Sin Original sin is the inherited moral corruption and guilt imputed to all humankind through Adam (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22). It encompasses: 1. Judicial guilt before God (Romans 5:18). 2. An innate bias toward evil (Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9). 3. The inevitability of personal sin (1 Kings 8:46; Romans 3:23). Paul’s Anthropology: Solidarity with Adam Romans 5-7 forms one sustained thought unit. In 5:12-19 Paul traces condemnation and corruption to Adam. Chapter 6 answers the objection that grace licenses sin; chapter 7 exposes why the battle continues: sin’s principle remains resident in mortal flesh. Hence 7:21 functions as experiential proof of the doctrinal assertion of 5:12—original sin is not merely historical but existential. Historical Theology • Irenaeus (Against Heresies 3.23.8) acknowledged inherited corruption, citing Romans 7. • Augustine developed the term “concupiscentia” from Romans 7:8-25, calling 7:21 “the law of sin” binding all descendants of Adam. • The Council of Orange (AD 529) codified that human will, “wounded through Adam,” requires prevenient grace; Romans 7 was the key proof-text. • Reformers (Luther’s Bondage of the Will; Calvin’s Institutes 2.2) grounded total depravity in 7:21’s depiction of internal slavery. Inter-Canonical Parallels • Psalm 51:5 – congenital sinfulness parallels Paul’s “law in my members.” • Isaiah 64:6 – universal impurity supports Paul’s inability to produce unalloyed good. • John 3:6 – “flesh gives birth to flesh,” echoing Paul’s sarx-centric struggle (Romans 7:18). • Ephesians 2:1-3 – deadness in trespasses correlates with 7:21’s constant presence of evil. Systematic Implications 1. Necessity of Regeneration – If evil accompanies every intention, only new birth can implant a counter-principle (Romans 8:2-4; John 3:3). 2. Ongoing Sanctification – Original sin’s residual presence necessitates lifelong mortification (Romans 8:13). 3. Christological Solution – Romans 8:1-4 resolves 7:21 by uniting the believer to the Second Adam whose obedience overcomes the first Adam’s legacy. Archaeology and Manuscript Support • P46 (c. AD 175-225) contains the Romans text with negligible variance at 7:21, demonstrating stable transmission. • Dead Sea Scroll notions of yetzer haraʿ (“evil inclination,” 1QS 11:9) show Second-Temple Jewish recognition of an internal sin principle, lending cultural context to Paul’s wording. Objections Answered 1. “Romans 7 depicts pre-conversion Paul only.” Yet the delight in God’s Law (v. 22) and service “with my mind” (v. 25) cohere with regenerate experience; unregenerate man is “hostile to God” (8:7). 2. “Original sin contradicts human freedom.” Scripture affirms compatibilism: humans act freely according to their nature; 7:21 describes that fallen nature. 3. “Evolution negates a historical Adam.” Genetic-entropy models, mitochondrial Eve data, and the global dispersion pattern fit a single-pair origin within a young-earth framework, reinforcing Paul’s Adam-Christ parallel (Romans 5; 1 Corinthians 15). Practical and Pastoral Application Believers who battle persistent sin should not despair; 7:21 diagnoses the malady universal to Adam’s race. Victory lies in the Spirit-empowered life of Romans 8, culminating in glorification free of original sin’s presence (8:30). Recognition of 7:21 fosters humility, dependence on grace, and compassionate evangelism toward those still enslaved. Conclusion Romans 7:21 crystallizes the operative reality of original sin: even the renewed will confronts in-dwelling evil rooted in Adam’s transgression. Far from a mere theological abstraction, original sin explains the pervasive moral tension of human experience and magnifies the necessity and sufficiency of Christ’s redemptive work. |
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