Whe law of God commands us to do what we cannot do in ourselves, condones nothing of our failure, commends itself to our conscience, but condemns us before God. O praise Him for His matchless grace!
One cannot travel far along the Romans Road without bumping into the word “law.” In fact, it occurs 52 times in the book. In each case, the word is nom’-os with only three exceptions: in Romans 2:12, the first two uses are the negative anomos, meaning “without law”; in 9:4, it is the compound nom-oth-es-ee’-ah, meaning law-giving.
The word nomos is defined as “anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command.” However, in general useage, ethos was retained for unwritten customs, while nomos was used for codified laws “decreed and used as the established standard for the administration of justice” (Vine).
As we carefully examine the contexts of the various times the word “law” is used, it would appear that the apostle Paul finds it useful to express a spectrum of related ideas. However, distinguishing the sometimes subtle differences is obviously important if we are to carefully follow his arguments.
LAW IN GENERAL
Paul begins in 2:12 (the first two references) with a broad use of the word, meaning “a prescribed standard of righteousness” without distinguishing what that standard or its source might be. This also seems to be the useage in the first and last occurrence in 2:14, in 3:27, and in the second occurrence in 4:15.
THE WAY SOMETHING WORKS
In Romans 7:21, Paul writes, “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.” Here he is using the word “law” as a force or influence that impels an action. This also is the sense in verse 23a. We also see this idea in 7:23, “the law of sin,” and in 8:2, where the animating influence of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus breaks the domination of sin and death (much like the “law of gravity” is overcome by a bird in flight through a superior law in the bird—the law of life).
THE MOSAIC LAW
When used with the definite article, “the Law” is used for that given by the Lord to Israel at Sinai, but it primarily refers to the moral precepts (2:15, 18, 20, 26, 27; 3:19; 4:15; 7:4, 7, 14, 16, 22; 8:3, 4, 7). Without the definite article (2:14a; 5:20; 7:9) it is “stressing the Mosaic law in its quality as ‘law’” (Vine).
THE BOOKS OF MOSES
As well, the apostle uses “law” the way it is often used by the four Evangelists. By metonomy, it refers to the Pentateuch, those books authored by Moses which contain the law. For example, we read of a righteousness which is: “witnessed by the law and the prophets” (3:21).
THE TWO EQUATIONS: THE PRINCIPLE OF LAW
Most importantly, the apostle explains the two ways in which one may attempt to find peace with God. One is by the principle of law; the other by the principle of grace. The principle of law may be written as follows:
command + penalty if you break it (no power to live it) The principle of grace is so different: command + power to live it (no penalty)
The principle of law can only condemn; it has no power to transform. Yet by the principle of grace, apart from law, we are now able to fulfill “the righteousness of the Law” (Rom. 8:4).