I was previously alive without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
Truth to Learn
Without an understanding of what sin is, we feel innocent of it, but when we understand what it is, we realize our guilt.
Behind the Words
The word translated “alive” is dzaō, which means “to have life.” In early Greek writings this word was rarely used except in the present or past imperfect tense (I am alive or I was alive). For the other tenses, the verb bioō was used. This verb means “to spend one's existence or to pass one's life.” It is from this verb that we derive our English word "biography," the narrative of how one spent his life.
The word “without” is translated from the adverb chōris, which means “separately or apart from.”
“Revived” is from the Greek word anadzaō, which is made up of ana, meaning “again” and dzaō, which we just saw means “to have life.” Hence, anadzaō means “to have life again” or “to come back to life” or “to be revived.”
Meaning Explained
This is another difficult verse, perhaps the most difficult so far because it is not clear what Paul means by the two expressions, “I was alive” and “I died.” There has been much discussion amongst Biblical scholars throughout the ages, but there is little consensus other than this: When Paul claims to have been alive, he must mean that he had a certain kind of peace, he felt innocent and secure, and he was free from the convictions of his conscience. That is, he believed himself to be righteous. When he says that he died, therefore, it must mean the opposite to his being alive. In other words sin reigned, producing its condemning effects leading to guilt and misery.
So, what Paul is telling us in this verse comes from personal experience. There was a time when he felt confident in his own righteousness. But as he learned more about the Law, he discovered how much of a sinner he really was, and the effect was that he no longer believed himself to be righteous. In other words, he realized that he was a sinner under God’s condemnation.
This, I believe, is the first step towards salvation and a victorious Christian life for all of us. Unless and until we realize that we are not righteous, that we are sinful and lost, we cannot be saved. Once we realize our own depravity, however, we need to discover what it is that will take that depravity and its guilt away, and only the blood of Jesus Christ can accomplish this. Therefore, realizing that we are a sinner and in need of salvation, we find that the only way to receive forgiveness is to humble ourselves before the mighty hand of God and ask Him to forgive us. Then, we learn that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin, and all we have to do is to accept His payment for our sin and He saves us.
Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, He was buried as proof of His death, and He rose again as proof of His righteousness.
Application
Do you believe that you are a sinner in need of salvation? Do you believe that Christ died to pay the penalty for your sins?
In God's service, for His glory,
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