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what was paul's background that shaped his understanding of law, sin, and flesh?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Romans 7:7-13

“What then shall we say? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting, unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead. I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. The commandment, which was for life, was found to be to me unto death. For sin, finding occasion through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good. Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good, might become exceedingly sinful.”

This passage is from Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome, likely written around 57 AD from Corinth. In this section of Romans, Paul is wrestling with the role of the Law of Moses, exploring how it relates to sin and salvation through faith in Jesus.

What does it mean for something good, like a moral guideline, to inadvertently highlight a deeper problem within us?

Then — the setting

Paul (originally Saul) was a Jew from Tarsus, a major Hellenistic city, and a Pharisee, a strict Jewish sect dedicated to observing the Torah. He trained under Gamaliel, a highly respected rabbi in Jerusalem, which means he had extensive knowledge of Jewish law, traditions, and scriptural interpretation. This background instilled in him a deep reverence for the Law as God's holy word and a meticulous approach to its application. Before his conversion, he was zealous in persecuting followers of Jesus, viewing them as a threat to the purity of Judaism and the Law. This intense commitment to the Law profoundly shaped his later understanding of its purpose, its limits, and its relationship to sin and grace.

Across the Testaments

This passage is in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, the Law (Torah) is presented as a gift from God to Israel, intended to guide them in righteousness and maintain their covenant relationship with Him. It's often portrayed as life-giving (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). Paul, however, while affirming the Law's goodness and holiness, interprets it through the lens of human fallenness, arguing that it highlights sin rather than provides the power to overcome it. The New Testament, particularly through Paul, posits that while the Law reveals God's standards and human failure, it cannot grant salvation, which is achieved through faith in Christ (Romans 3:20-22).

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Galatians 3:23-25
Paul describes the Law as a 'guardian' or 'disciplinarian' that led to Christ.
Philippians 3:4-6
Paul details his impressive Jewish credentials before his conversion, underscoring his deep legal background.
Romans 8:1-4
Paul contrasts the Law's inability to save with the Spirit's power to free from sin and death.

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