Romans 7

[Hanseng]

Ever notice that the first few verses don't actually make sense? Using the marriage analogy, one would expect Paul to say that the law dies so we can be married to Jesus. He says we die so we can marry another. Logic would require us to understand that we were first  married to the law. When the law dies, we are then free to marry Jesus. But Paul says we die, so we can marry another. Verse 6 again says we died to that which held us captive [thelaw]. If Paul is saying that the death we experience through our connection to Jesus and our new life through the resurrection of Christ, the law has not died; consequently, we would still be in adultery if we marry Jesus while the law lives.

Anyone have any insight here? I'd like to know what Cranfield says in his Shorter Commentary on Romans.

[Hanseng]

Simple solution the issue described above is that we are man who dies. The married man and woman are our conflicting inner natures. One is the inner man, the law of our mind that delights in doing God's will. This is the woman in the marriage analogy. The husband who dies is the law of sin in our members. When that dies, we can be married to Christ.

Maybe not perfect but it makes sense that way.

[Hanseng]

The key to understanding Paul in the opening verses of Romans 7 is Romans 6:6:
6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Compare this to Romans 7:4:  4  Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, [even] to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

"Our old man is crucified with him" is another way of saying "ye are dead to the law." "That henceforth we should not serve sin" is another way of saying "we should bring forth fruit unto God." The destruction of the body of sin is what allows us to be married to another.