Is Paul arguing for ignorance of the law in Romans 7?

[Kenny]

There are some sinful ideas which most people don't awake to unless we hear about it, first. For example we have all heard of bank robbery, and this inspires in us an imagination of how to rob a bank. What if we had never heard of a bank robbery?

It is a question tangent to Paul's discussions about sin. Romans 7 he says:

[Rom 7:7-11 NIV] 7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "You shall not covet." 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.​

Is Paul suggesting that Christians need not learn the law? In his opinion is it only going to awaken us to dark deeds, or is this not his opinion? For those who answer I suggest at least reading chapters 7 and 8 before answering. Remember that this was once a single letter, and chapters have only been added after the fact. Thank you.

As you have mentioned, we can't just read a chapter because there were no "chapters" so we must read it in the fullness of the message of Romans.

Since the law, though good, condemned all people even the Gentiles (Romans 2) we can say that Rom 3 "ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

The real message is found at the beginning of chapter 7 as he gives an analogy for those who do know the law. That if the husband dies, the woman is free to marry. (The message isn't about marriage and divorce but rather about relationship with God).

The analogy is that we died when we accept Jesus Christ. The Law (or any law) was our husband but when we give our life to Jesus, we are dead and the life that we now live is united with Jesus "grace" Christ. The Law now is not relevant to our life but rather the life that we live is now married to Jesus "Grace" Christ.

In this relationship of grace, our failures of the law are no longer relevant because mercy and grace trumps the law of sin and death (Romans 8).

The Law is still alive but because we that died to the Law, we are now free to live in the Spirit of Life.

If, as we are now married to Jesus "Grace" Christ, we go back to The Law as the modem for relationship, then we are committing spiritual adultery as we are now married to another.

 

[Muffled]

That happens today also. In some modern Jews communities they can not even turn off/on the light switcher on Shabbat.

I believe Jesus called it straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel.