How does Romans 7:2 illustrate the binding nature of marriage under God's law? Setting the Verse in Context Romans 7 opens with Paul explaining how believers are released from the Mosaic Law through union with Christ. To make that clear, he chooses marriage—an institution everyone understands—as his illustration. Romans 7:2 “For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage.” The Key Phrase: “Bound by Law to Her Husband” • “Bound” (Greek déo) pictures something tightly tied, fastened, inescapable. • “By law” signals that this isn’t merely social custom; it is a covenant God Himself recognizes. • Paul treats the marriage bond as just as real—and just as legally binding—as any civil statute, but with divine authority behind it (Genesis 2:24; Proverbs 2:17). Why Death Ends the Bond • God designed marriage as a lifelong covenant (Malachi 2:14). • Physical death severs earthly obligations (Romans 6:7); hence the spouse is “released.” • Paul’s logic: only when the life‐long partner dies can remarriage occur without violating God’s ordinance (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:39). Supporting Passages • Genesis 2:24—“The two shall become one flesh” confirms the permanent oneness God declares. • Matthew 19:5-6—Jesus echoes Genesis and adds, “What God has joined together, let no man separate.” • 1 Corinthians 7:10-11—Paul restates the Lord’s command: a wife is not to leave her husband; reconciliation is the goal. • Mark 10:9—Again Christ affirms that human courts can’t nullify what God established. Implications for Believers • Marriage is covenant, not contract: it rests on God’s unchanging law. • Vows made before God carry enduring weight, shaping how spouses forgive, persevere, and seek reconciliation. • The death clause underscores grace: just as death ends marital law, Christ’s death frees believers from condemnation under the Law, enabling new life in Him (Romans 7:4). Takeaway Summary Romans 7:2 uses the permanence of marriage to show that under God’s law a husband and wife remain united as long as both live. That binding nature reflects God’s covenantal faithfulness and frames Paul’s larger teaching: only death releases from the law—whether the law of marriage or the Law of Moses—so that new, God-ordained relationships may begin. |
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