SEV Biblia, Chapter 7:4
Así tambin vosotros, hermanos míos, sois muertos a la ley en el cuerpo del Cristo, para que seis de otro, del que resucit de los muertos, para que fructifiquemos a Dios.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Romans 7:4
Verse 4. Wherefore, my brethren] This is a parallel case. You were once under the law of Moses, and were bound by its injunctions; but now ye are become dead to that law-a modest, inoffensive mode of speech, for, The law, which was once your husband, is dead; God has determined that it shall be no longer in force; so that now, as a woman whose husband is dead is freed from the law of that husband, or from her conjugal vow, and may legally be married to another, so God, who gave the law under which ye have hitherto lived, designed that it should be in force only till the advent of the Messiah; that advent has taken place, the law has consequently ceased, and now ye are called to take on you the yoke of the Gospel, and lay down the yoke of the law; and it is the design of God that you should do so. That ye should be married to another-who is raised from the dead] As Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth, the object of God in giving the law was to unite you to Christ; and, as he has died, he has not only abolished that law which condemns every transgressor to death, without any hope of a revival, but he has also made that atonement for sin, by his own death, which is represented in the sacrifices prescribed by the law. And as Jesus Christ is risen again from the dead, he has thereby given the fullest proof that by his death he has procured the resurrection of mankind, and made that atonement required by the law. That we should bring forth fruit unto God-we, Jews, who believe in Christ, have, in consequence of our union with him, received the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit; so that we bring forth that fruit of holiness unto God which, without this union, it would be impossible for us to produce. Here is a delicate allusion to the case of a promising and numerous progeny from a legitimate and happy marriage.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also , etc..] Here the apostle accommodates the foregoing instance and example to the case in hand, showing, that the saints were not under the law, the power and dominion of it; since that, as when a man is dead, the woman is loosed from that law by which she was bound whilst he lived, that she may lawfully marry another man, and bear children to him without the imputation of adultery; so believers being dead to the law, and the law dead to them, which is all one, they are loosed from it, and may be, and are lawfully married to Christ, that they may bring forth the genuine fruits of good works, not in order to obtain righteousness and life by them, but for the honour and glory of God; in which account may be observed, an assertion that the saints and children of God are become dead to the law , and that to them, as in ( Romans 7:6), and can have no more power over them than a law can have over dead persons, or a dead abrogated law can have over living ones. They are represented as dead to sin, and dead with Christ, ( Romans 6:2,8); and here, dead to the law, as in ( Galatians 2:19), and consequently cannot be under it; are out of the reach of its power and government, since that only has dominion over a man as long as be lives the law is dead to them; it has no power over them, to threaten and terrify them into obedience to it; nor even rigorously to exact it, or command it in a compulsory way; nor is there any need of all this, since believers delight in it after the inward man, and serve it with their minds freely and willingly; the love of Christ, and not the terrors of the law, constrains them to yield a cheerful obedience to it; it has no power to charge and accuse them, curse or condemn them, or minister death unto them, no, not a corporeal one, as a penal evil, and much less an eternal one. And the way and means by which they become dead to the law, and that to them is, by the body of Christ ; not by Christ, as the body or substance of the ceremonial law; (see Colossians 2:17); since that is not singly designed, but the whole law of Moses; but by the body of Christ, is either meant Christ himself, ( Hebrews 10:10 9:14), or rather the human nature of Christ, ( Hebrews 10:5), in which the law meets with every thing it can require and demand, as holiness of nature, which is the saints' sanctification in Christ; obedience of life, which is their righteousness; and sufferings of death, which is the penalty the law enjoins, whereby full expiation of sin is made, complete pardon is procured, and eternal redemption obtained; so that the law has nothing more to demand; its mouth is stopped, it is not in its power to curse and damn believers, they are dead to that, and that to them: the reason why the law is become so to them, and they to that, is, that ye should be married to another ; or that ye should be to another, or be another's; that is, that ye should appear to be so in a just and legal way; for they were another's, they were Christ's before by the Father's gift, and were secretly married to him in the everlasting covenant, before he assumed their nature, and in the body of his flesh bore their sins, satisfied law and justice, paid their debts, and so freed them from the power of the law, its curse and condemnation, or any obligation to punishment; all which was done in consequence of his interest in them, and their marriage relation to him; but here respect is had to their open marriage to him in time, the day of their espousals in conversion; to make way for which, the law, their former husband, must be dead, and they dead to that, that so their marriage to Christ might appear lawful and justifiable; who is very fitly described by him, who is raised from the dead ; and is a living husband, and will ever continue so, will never die more; and therefore as the saints can never be loosed from the marriage bond of union between Christ and them, so they can never be loosed from the law of this husband; wherefore though they are dead to the law as a covenant of works, and as ministered by Moses, and are free from any obligation to it, as so considered, yet they are under the law to Christ, ( 1 Corinthians 9:21); under obligation, by the ties of love, to obedience to it, and shall never be loosed from it. The end of being dead to the law, and of being married to Christ, is, that we should bring forth fruit unto God . The allusion is to children being called the fruit of the womb, ( <19C703> Psalm 127:3 Luke 1:42), and here designs good works, the fruits of righteousness, which are brought forth by persons espoused to Christ, under the influence of the Spirit and grace of God; and they are unto God, that is, for the honour and glory of God; meaning either Christ the husband of believers, who is God over all blessed for ever; or God the Father, to whose praise and glory they are by Christ; and which is a reason and argument which strongly excites and encourages the saints to the performance of them: and let it be observed, that as children begotten and born in lawful marriage are only true and legitimate, and all before marriage are spurious and illegitimate; so such works only are the true and genuine fruits of righteousness, which are in consequence of a marriage relation to Christ; are done in faith, spring from love, and are directed to the glory of God; and all others, which are done before marriage to Christ, and without faith in him, are like spurious and illegitimate children.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - So long as a man continues under the law as a covenant, and seek justification by his own obedience, he continues the slave of sin in some form. Nothing but the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, can make an sinner free from the law of sin and death. Believers are delivered from that power of the law, which condemns for the sins committed by them And they are delivered from that power of the law which stirs up an provokes the sin that dwells in them. Understand this not of the law a a rule, but as a covenant of works. In profession and privilege, we ar under a covenant of grace, and not under a covenant of works; under the gospel of Christ, not under the law of Moses. The difference is spoke of under the similitude or figure of being married to a new husband The second marriage is to Christ. By death we are freed from obligatio to the law as a covenant, as the wife is from her vows to her husband In our believing powerfully and effectually, we are dead to the law and have no more to do with it than the dead servant, who is freed from his master, has to do with his master's yoke. The day of our believing is the day of being united to the Lord Jesus. We enter upon a life of dependence on him, and duty to him. Good works are from union with Christ; as the fruitfulness of the vine is the product of its being united to its roots; there is no fruit to God, till we are united to Christ. The law, and the greatest efforts of one under the law, stil in the flesh, under the power of corrupt principles, cannot set the heart right with regard to the love of God, overcome worldly lusts, or give truth and sincerity in the inward parts, or any thing that come by the special sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit. Nothing mor than a formal obedience to the outward letter of any precept, can be performed by us, without the renewing, new-creating grace of the ne covenant.
Greek Textus Receptus
ωστε 5620 CONJ αδελφοι 80 N-VPM μου 3450 P-1GS και 2532 CONJ υμεις 5210 P-2NP εθανατωθητε 2289 5681 V-API-2P τω 3588 T-DSM νομω 3551 N-DSM δια 1223 PREP του 3588 T-GSN σωματος 4983 N-GSN του 3588 T-GSM χριστου 5547 N-GSM εις 1519 PREP το 3588 T-ASN γενεσθαι 1096 5635 V-2ADN υμας 5209 P-2AP ετερω 2087 A-DSM τω 3588 T-DSM εκ 1537 PREP νεκρων 3498 A-GPM εγερθεντι 1453 5685 V-APP-DSM ινα 2443 CONJ καρποφορησωμεν 2592 5661 V-AAS-1P τω 3588 T-DSM θεω 2316 N-DSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
4. Are become dead (eqanatwqhte). Rev., more accurately, ye were made dead, put to death; because this ethical death is fellowship with Christ's death, which was by violence.Who was raised. An important addition, because it refers to the newness of life which issues from the rising with Christ. See ch. vi. 3, 11, 13, 22. Bring forth fruit. The figure of marriage is continued, but the reference is not to be pressed. The real point of analogy is the termination of relations to the old state.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
7:4 {Ye also were made to the law} (kai humeis eqanatwqete). First aorist indicative passive of qanatow, old verb, to put to death (#Mt 10:21) or to make to die (extinct) as here and #Ro 8:13. The analogy calls for the death of the law, but Paul refuses to say that. He changes the structure and makes them dead to the law as the husband (#6:3-6). The relation of marriage is killed "through the body of Christ" as the "propitiation" (#3:25) for us. Cf. #Col 1:22. {That we should be joined to another} (eis to genesqai heter"i). Purpose clause with eis to and the infinitive. First mention of the saints as wedded to Christ as their Husband occurs in #1Co 6:13; Ga 4:26. See further #Eph 5:22-33. {That we might bring forth fruit unto God} (hina karpophors"men twi qewi). He changes the metaphor to that of the tree used in #6:22.
