Romans 7:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Moreover, neither Paul nor anyone else ever seems to have called the commandment given in paradise a law. To make this clearer from the Apostle's own words, let us turn to the statements he made a little earlier.

Speaking with full attention to the Jews about life, he said: "Do you not know, brethren, that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? ... Therefore you have died to the law" (Rom 7:1, 4).

If this is said about the natural law, then it follows that we do not possess it. If this were true, we would be no wiser than irrational creatures. But this is not so, no indeed.

There is no need to dispute about the commandment given in paradise, lest we undertake a useless argument about what is acknowledged by all.

In what sense, then, does the Apostle say, "I would not have known sin except through the law" (Rom 7:7)? He does not mean complete ignorance, but the most exact knowledge.

If this is said about the natural law, what meaning have the following words: "I once lived apart from the law" (Rom 7:9)? For neither Adam nor any other man ever seems to have lived without the natural law.

At the very same time that God created Adam, He also implanted this law in him, making it a reliable companion for the whole human race. Besides, the Apostle nowhere seems to call the natural law a commandment.

Yet he calls this law a righteous and holy commandment, and a spiritual law. The natural law was not given to us by the Spirit, because barbarians, pagans, and all men possess this law.

From this it is clear that Paul, both above and below, everywhere reasons about the Mosaic Law. Therefore he also calls it holy, saying, "The law is holy, and the commandment holy, righteous, and good."

Although the Jews after the law were impure, unrighteous, and covetous, this does not abolish the dignity of the law. Likewise, their unbelief does not destroy faith in God. Thus from all this it is evident that the Apostle says this about the Mosaic Law.

They have no sense of sin, nor a conscience wounded by what has been done. But man, even if no one is present when he acts, is ashamed and fears what he dares to do, because conscience prepares an accusation against him. Can beings with such a nature live without law? For this reason God gave the commandment, so that man might know his own nature and fear the Lawgiver. One may also perceive the Lawgiver's love for mankind. He did not give some law difficult to fulfill, but one that could be kept with little toil. He allowed him to use all the trees, and forbade him to eat from one. He did this not because He begrudged him that one thing. How could this be so for Him who gave him authority over all? He did it to teach him the ordinances of servitude, to instill devotion to the Creator, and to give him, as a rational being, an occasion for exercise. If, after transgressing the commandment, he fell under the decree of death, this is an accusation not against Him who gave it, but against the transgressor. A physician who orders a sick man to abstain from cold drink does this not from envy, but with the sick man's health in view. If the man does not keep the order and drinks water, he brings harm upon himself, and the physician is not blameworthy. The Master God counted both Adam himself and his whole race worthy of every care for them. Passing over the rest, I come to the chief point. For Adam and for his race the Only-begotten Word became man. He put an end to the dominion of death, which had its beginning from Adam. He promised the resurrection and prepared the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus God both knew Adam's transgression and prepared the healing that was to come. Therefore the divine Apostle called the commandment holy, righteous, and good. It is holy, because it taught what was fitting. It is righteous, because it pronounced a just sentence on the transgressors. It is good, because it prepares life for those who keep it. Then he raises yet another difficulty.

St. Chrysostom cites the interpretations of some, who say that law means the natural law and commandment the commandment in paradise. He recognizes them as wrong and firmly proves by the flow of the argument that one and the same Mosaic Law is meant here.

Blessed Theophylact understands the statement in the same way. He only supposes that here the Apostle "distinguishes the law from the commandment as the general from the particular. In the law, one part consists of doctrines, and another of commandments. The doctrines of the law are holy, and the commandments concerning action are holy, righteous, and good."

"The commandment is holy and righteous and good." Such is the whole Old Testament order. It is holy, because it proceeded from the holy God, taught holiness, and guided toward it.

It is righteous, because it was given as law by the righteous God, established everything righteously, and righteously joined well-being with fidelity to Him, and suffering with infidelity.

It is good, because the good God laid it upon those who received it not for burdening them, but for the good order of life here and blessedness after death.

Blessed Theodoret writes: "The divine Apostle called the commandment holy because it taught what was proper; righteous because it justly pronounced sentence on transgressors; and good because it prepares life for those who keep it."

Oecumenius defines these qualities thus: "The law is holy because it preserved from impurity those who kept it; righteous because it rewarded those who fulfilled it with gifts and imposed punishments on transgressors. It is good because it did not punish transgressors with sufferings for its own pleasure or from anger, but for their salvation, good, and correction. It is also good because it rewarded small acts of right conduct with much, and admonished and punished those who sinned not according to the measure of their transgressions."

Blessed Theophylact adds: "Here the Apostle very clearly stopped the mouths of the Marcionites, Manichaeans, Simonians, and all who disparaged the Old Testament. From these words it is clear that the law and the commandment are enactments of the good and righteous God. They are not, as these heretics blasphemed, from an evil god."