20
ButδὲifεἰwhatὃI do notοὐwant,θέλωthisτοῦτοI do,ποιῶit is no longerοὐκέτιIἐγὼwho doκατεργάζομαιit,αὐτὸbutἀλλὰthe sinἡ ἁμαρτίαthat dwellsοἰκοῦσαinἐνme.ἐμοὶ
Romans 7:20
Study it in the app“But if what I do not want, this I do, it is no longer I who do it, but the sin that dwells in me.”
Paul describes the inner war: he wants the good and does what he hatesTemptation
With the Greek beneath
Romans 7:20, word by word
- wantθέλωthelō
want
To have the desire or the resolve for something.
Where else “thelō” appears- I doποιῶpoiō
do
To carry out an action or cause an effect.
Where else “poiō” appears- who doκατεργάζομαιkatergazomai
commit
To carry out something, often evil.
Where else “katergazomai” appears- the sinἁμαρτίαhamartia
sin
Doing what God does not want, and the guilt it leaves.
Where else “hamartia” appears- that dwellsοἰκοῦσαoikousa
dwell, live
Dwell, live in a place; also live with someone.
Where else “oikousa” appears
The context
19For I do not do the good that I want, but the evil that I do not want, this I practice.
20 · This verse (above)
21So I find this law: that, when I want to do the good, evil is present with me.
To study Romans 7 in a group
1. What it says
What does Paul say he does and does not do, and how does he feel about it? (vv. 15-19, 24)
2. What it means
Why do you think Paul describes his inner struggle so frankly? What answer does he give at the end? (vv. 21-25)
3. How I live it
Paul admits his inner struggle without hiding it. To whom could you confidently tell a struggle of your own?