The chapter headings in “my” Bible are the chapter headings written by the translators of the KJV and included in that version as a part of that version. The chapter headings in “your” Bible are fraudulent and radically incorrect—making the Apostle Paul out to be a worse sinner after his baptism than before!
Many years ago, I was called upon to teach a yearlong Bible study of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. This was well before I acquired my education in the exegesis of the Greek New Testament, and therefore I purchased thirteen commentaries on Romans to assist me in my study and teaching of the epistle.
As I was teaching on chapter 6 and paying very close attention to it, chapter 7:14-25 came to my mind and I began to see for the first time the stark contrast between what Paul wrote in chapter 6 and what he wrote in chapter 7. I prayed about this contrast and the Holy Spirit very clearly and unmistakably told me that the experience in chapter 7:14-25 was not Paul’s experience as a Christian. I had never heard that teaching before, and out of curiosity, I checked to see what the thirteen commentaries on Romans had to say about the issue. Twelve of the thirteen commentaries said that Romans 7:14-25 was a depiction of Paul’s experience as a Christian; the other commentary avoided the issue.
I found myself knowing what the Holy Spirit had taught me but not only not having any academic support for that teaching, but an abundance of academic support for an opposing view! Consequently, I prayed, “But God, ….”, but God was not at all pleased with this prayer and He firmly rebuked me for my lack of faith. I knew then, for an absolute and incontrovertible fact, that it was the Holy Spirit who had spoken to me, and that what He said was true. Therefore, when it came time for me to teach on chapter 7:14-25, I expressly taught that experience in chapter 7:14-25 was not Paul’s experience as a Christian.
Some time later, I purchased the six-volume commentary on the Bible by Adam Clarke; and out of curiosity, I checked to see what he had to say about chapter 7:14-25 in Romans and read,
It is difficult to conceive how the opinion could have crept into the Church, or prevailed there, that “the apostle speaks here of his regenerate state; and that what was, in such a state, true of himself, must be true of all others in the same state.” This opinion has, most pitifully and most shamefully, not only lowered the standard of Christianity, but destroyed its influence and disgraced its character. It requires but little knowledge of the spirit of the Gospel, and of the scope of this epistle, to see that the apostle is, here, either personating a Jew under the law and without the Gospel, or showing what his own state was when he was deeply convinced that by the deeds of the law no man could be justified, and had not as yet heard those blessed words: Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way, hath sent me that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, Act_9:17.
As I am typing this post, I now have in my private library 268 commentaries on Romans—including every exegetical commentary on the Greek text of that epistle that has ever been published in English (and there are many of them). All thirteen of the commentaries on Romans that I owned back then were purchased from a Christian bookstore that specialized in writings by Reformed authors. Moreover, all thirteen of the commentaries on Romans that I purchased back then were written by men who chose to listen to Reformed theology rather than the Holy Spirit.
For the first three centuries after Paul wrote his epistle, chapter 7:14-25 was understood to be the words of an unregenerate Jew striving to obey the law but finding that he is unable to do so. Paul is here putting himself in the place of such a Jew in order to “connect” with such Jews and assist them in accepting his teaching of justification apart from the works of the law. This rhetorical device, known as “speech in character,” was commonly used in ancient Greece and is used today around the world.
Saint Augustine was aware of this and interpreted chapter 7:14-25 accordingly. However, during his debates with Pelagius, he changed his mind and taught that in chapter 7:14-25 Paul was writing about himself as a Christian. This second, and very incorrect view, is found in the Retractions of Saint Augustine. The Roman Catholic Church continued to understand chapter 7:14-25 as did the Greek Fathers of the Church, and they still do today. However, the early Reformers, especially Luther and Calvin, abandoned the interpretation of the Greek Fathers of the Church—being less than thrilled with the idea of agreeing with the Romans Catholics—and down to this day most Lutherans and Calvinists believe as did Luther and Calvin. Independent scholars with no system of theology to bow down to correctly recognize in chapter 7:14-25 the words of an unregenerate Jew striving to obey the law that he delights in but finding that he is unable to do so
Joseph Smith, having had a very limited education and no knowledge of such a rhetorical device misunderstood chapter 7:14-25 and felt a need to defend the Apostle Paul. To do so, he foolishly “corrected” chapter 7:14-25 by writing,
Rom 7:14 For we know that the commandment is spiritual; but when I was under the law, I was yet carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15 But now I am spiritual; for that which I am commanded to do, I do; and that which I am commanded not to allow, I allow not.
Rom 7:16 For what I know is not right, I would not do; for that which is sin, I hate.
Rom 7:17 If then I do not that which I would not allow, I consent unto the law that it is good; and I am not condemned.
Rom 7:18 Now then, it is no more I that do sin; but I seek to subdue that sin which dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:19 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but to perform that which is good I find not, only in Christ.
Rom 7:20 For the good that I would have done when under the law, I find not to be good; therefore, I do it not.
Rom 7:21 But the evil which I would not do under the law, I find to be good; that, I do.
Rom 7:22 Now if I do that, through the assistance of Christ, I would not do under the law, I am not under the law; and it is no more that I seek to do wrong, but to subdue sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:23 I find then that under the law, that when I would do good, evil was present with me; for I delight in the law of God after the inward man.
Rom 7:24 And now I see another law, even the commandment of Christ, and it is imprinted in my mind.
Rom 7:25 But my members are warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:26 And if I subdue not the sin which is in me, but with the flesh serve the law of sin, O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:27 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord, then, that so with the mind I myself serve the law of God.
It does not require a Ph.D. in literary analysis from the University of Chicago to see the striking differences between this writing and the writing of Paul.