Romans 3:19

3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under ¹  the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

Romans 7:7

7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! Certainly, I ²  would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else ³  if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” ⁴ 

Romans 7:18

7:18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. ⁵ 

Romans 8:26

8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, ⁶  but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.

Romans 11:2

11:2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew! Do you not know what the scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?

Romans 11:22

11:22 Notice therefore the kindness and harshness of God – harshness toward those who have fallen, but ⁷  God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; ⁸  otherwise you also will be cut off.

¹ tn Grk “in,” “in connection with.”

² sn Romans 7:7-25. There has been an enormous debate over the significance of the first person singular pronouns (“I”) in this passage and how to understand their referent. Did Paul intend (1) a reference to himself and other Christians too; (2) a reference to his own pre-Christian experience as a Jew, struggling with the law and sin (and thus addressing his fellow countrymen as Jews); or (3) a reference to himself as a child of Adam, reflecting the experience of Adam that is shared by both Jews and Gentiles alike (i.e., all people everywhere)? Good arguments can be assembled for each of these views, and each has problems dealing with specific statements in the passage. The classic argument against an autobiographical interpretation was made by W. G. Kümmel, Römer 7 und die Bekehrung des Paulus. A good case for seeing at least an autobiographical element in the chapter has been made by G. Theissen, Psychologische Aspekte paulinischer Theologie [FRLANT], 181-268. One major point that seems to favor some sort of an autobiographical reading of these verses is the lack of any mention of the Holy Spirit for empowerment in the struggle described in Rom 7:7-25. The Spirit is mentioned beginning in 8:1 as the solution to the problem of the struggle with sin (8:4-6, 9).

³ tn Grk “I would not have known covetousness.”

⁴ sn A quotation from Exod 20:17 and Deut 5:21.

³ tn Grk “For to wish is present in/with me, but not to do it.”

⁴ tn Or “for we do not know what we ought to pray for.”

⁵ tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two clauses more than can be easily expressed in English.

⁶ tn Grk “if you continue in (the) kindness.”