Spurgeon On Romans 7:14-25

Charles Haddon Spurgeon believed Romans 7:14-25 to be the Christian's experience, and said that the one who does not recognize this experience in himself is:

•  "evidently mistaken, and I believe willfully mistaken; for any ample-hearted, candid mind, reading through this chapter, could not fall into such an error."
  
• "I am afraid you are not a living child of God."
• "I will tell you the reason of your false peace. You have not the grace of God in your hearts."

This is a clear example of why we do not idolize preachers, but rest wholly on correct exposition of the Word of God. Charles Spurgeon was incorrect in his interpretation of Romans 7:14-25. He, like many before him throughout the centuries, interpreted Romans 7:14-25 via experientialism. You cannot interpret Scripture based upon your experiences!

Anyone educated in hermeneutics, exposition, exegesis, logic, critical thinking, context, and possessing common sense, reading through Romans chapters 6 through 8 will easily be able to notice that Romans 7:14-25 cannot possibly be referring to a Christian experience. First, you have the context to deal with. Second, you have the Greek grammar to address. Third, you have the original Greek words to consult. Last, you have the verb usage to consider.

If you contrast the typical experiential interpretation of Romans 7:14-25 against chapters 6 and 8, you have a colossal problem. Look at what Paul says to his audience in chapters 6 and 8, and then look at what you are claiming chapter 7:14-25 is teaching. It is contradictory! It makes Paul to be a hypocrite. In chapter 6, Paul tells his audience, "Consider yourselves dead to sin," "Do not present the members of your body as instruments of unrighteousness," "Sin shall not be master over you," and that they have "been freed from sin." In chapter 8, Paul tells his audience, "Jesus has set you free from the law of sin," "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God," and "If you are putting to death the deeds of the body, by the Spirit, you will live." Yet he apparently says in chapter 7 that he never does the good he knows he ought to do, but always does the evil he knows he ought not to do?

After Paul says, "Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more," he then begins a series of rhetorical questions (6:1; 6:15; 7:7; 7:13), provides strong denials against these questions (6:2; 6:15; 7:7; 7:13), and then proceeds to give an answer (6:2-14; 6:16-7:6; 7:7-12; 7:13-25) to the looming questions he knows his audience has with regard to the statements he has made (5:20; 6:14; 7:5-6; 7:9-11). The rhetorical question he asks in verse 13 is not answered in verse 13, and then gears switched to discuss whether or not a Christian still sins. 1 John addresses this question rather clearly!

According to Thayer's Greek Lexicon, the Greek word translated as "sold" in verse 14 means "to be entirely under the control of the love of sinning." Does that sound like a Christian to you? Verse 15 uses the Greek word prasso followed by the Greek word poieo, and in verse 19 the usage is reversed. Prasso means "to habitually practice" while poieo means "to purpose." In other words, in verse 15 Paul says, "I am not habitually practicing good, but I purpose to do evil," and in verse 19 he says, "I do not purpose to do good, but I habitually practice evil." Does any of that sound like a Christian?

All through Romans 7:14-25, which, in context, begins with a rhetorical question asked in verse 13, and is thus the complete answer to the rhetorical question, the language is not that of a Christian! Read what Paul says in 7:7-8, and then look at what is being said in verses 15 and 19. The Law said not to covet. The good he wanted to do—not covet, he found all he could do was covet. The bad he did not want to do—covet, he found he was not able to prevent. Romans 7:14-25 is a man in relation to the Law. It is not a Christian!

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, like many before him, and many after him, was completely and utterly wrong concerning this passage. Likewise, people misinterpret Galatians 5:17, which states that the Spirit and the flesh are opposed to one another "so that you may not do the things that you would do." Without the Spirit, you would be doing these things. Tell me, in a dog fight between the flesh and the Spirit, who do you think will win? The Spirit! Hands down every time. If this is the Christian experience, I would be curious to see Spurgeon's interpretation on 1 John 3.

Those who tend to ignore the context of Romans 7 and the surrounding chapters and interpret it through experience, tend to also use it as an excuse for living in sin: "Well, you know, the good I want to do I don't do, and the bad I don't want to do I do." It becomes a convenient excuse for those living in sin who have a false assurance of salvation. Out of Spurgeon's error, he then levels false accusations against those who would see it differently (and correctly) from him. Charles Spurgeon may have been a gifted preacher, but nevertheless he was not God. Everything he spoke or wrote was not golden, nor was it the Gospel truth. He had some mistaken interpretations and held to some erroneous beliefs. Do not be a personality follower! Do not idolize any man, not even myself. In all things, be like the Bereans and search the Scriptures, studying to make yourself approved unto God, rightly dividing the word of truth. The only person you should be following and imitating is Christ Jesus.