An Adulteress Romans 7:3

Paul the apostle told the people in Rome, “the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives”, and he used the example, “for the woman which has an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he lives; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband”. In chapter seven and verse three of Romans, Paul asked the Romans, “if, while her husband lives, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress” where we read:

So then if, while her husband lives, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

The verse begins, “So then if, while her husband lives, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress:” Paul began with the words, “so then if” which means “therefore and wherefore whether”, “while her husband lives” which means “during the time the married woman's man”, “she be married” or “the woman becomes the wife” “to another man” or “to a different male human being”, “she shall be called” which means “the woman will assume, take and be known as” “an adulteress” or “as unclean, idolatrous and playing the harlot”. Paul shared how a woman who marries another man while having a husband who is living, will be known as an “idolatrous harlot”.

The verse goes on to say, “but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.” Paul continued with the word, “but” or “moreover and” “if her husband” which means “whether the married woman's male human being” “be dead” which refers to “is lifeless, perished and slain”, “she is free” which means “the married woman is set at liberty, manumitted, unrestrained and not bound by obligation” “from that law” which means “apart and separated from the rule that states the married woman must continue with her husband while he is living”; “so that she” or “with the result being that the married woman” “is no adulteress” which means “is not an idolatrous harlot”, “though she be married” or “even thought the married woman becomes wedded and married” “to another man” which means “to a different male”. Paul added that if the married woman's “husband” died, she no longer was subject to the “law” of being married to the man, and she would not be an “idolatrous harlot” when she “marries” a “different man”.

When we consider these words of Paul, we see how the “law of marriage” applied to the woman only as long as her “husband” lived. When the “husband” died, the woman was no longer “subject” to that “law”, and when she married another man, she was not considered an “adulterous woman”. In like manner, Jesus Christ “fulfilled” the “law of God” and issued in “God's grace” or “unmerited favor”. Freedom from the “law of God” was obtained and now all who “believe and trust” in Jesus are “set at liberty” from the penalty or “obligation” of “the law”.

Next time we see Paul tell his readers, “you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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