Our True Freedom from the Law (Torah)—Part 6
What is Our True Freedom from the Law (Torah)?
Introduction
In my previous article, Our True Freedom from the Law—Part 5, we discovered that throughout Romans 5:20–7:25 Paul is only discussing one specific function of the Law, its ability to stir up sin in a person’s life. Furthermore, we learned that this function of the Law is only operable in a person’s life when they are unsaved, in the unregenerated state. We also discussed the importance of these two findings which will help us reconcile these two opposing functions of the Law. First of all, we know the primary function of the Law is to ensure life to those who obey its dictates. We also know the Bible is full of positive statements about the blessedness of the Law in the lives of believers. However, the Bible also ascribes a negative function to the Law, its ability to stir up sin within a person’s life. If both of these two functions were operable simultaneously in the lives of believers, then our lives would be most miserable. Think about it. You love the Law, and you begin to obey it, but when you try to do that, it causes offenses/sins to abound/increase (Romans 5:20)! So, how is that going to work for us? Well, in Part 5 we learned a most marvelous truth. The Stirring up of Sin Effect of the Law is only operating in a person’s life when they are unregenerated, or unsaved. This function of the Law does not operate in the lives of the redeemed!
But this presents two new problems we have to come to terms with:
What is the cause or reason why offenses/sins are caused to abound/increase (the Stirring up of Sin Effect) in the lives of the unsaved?
How is this Stirring up of Sin Effect deactivated, overcome, or rendered null and void, once we become regenerated?
Well, it just so happens that Paul does an absolutely wonderful job of explaining the answers to these two questions, so let’s dig in.
Root Cause Analysis—Why does the Torah Cause the Stirring up of Sin Effect in Unbelievers?
In the business world, there is a concept called Root Cause Analysis that is implemented whenever problems or defects are found in a product that the company is producing for its customers. The last thing a manufacturer wants to do is to produce thousands of widgets or hundreds of thousands of pounds of a product only to find out, via complaints from their customers, that there is a problem with it! Once a defect in the product is detected, as the name implies, a company will initiate a number of industry initiatives to try to determine the root cause of the problem. Root Cause Analysis is one of the initiatives used to identify, you guessed it, the root cause of a problem. Why the root cause? Because some problems have multiple causes, sometimes two, three, or more. What’s most important therefore, is to find the root cause. What is that one cause, that if corrected, will lead to a successful remedy to the problem. One of the most famous tools to use for root cause analysis is a technique called the 5-Whys. The idea is to ask the question, “Why?” if possible, a minimum of five times in order to get at the root cause. The reasoning is simple. If we ask why a problem has occurred, and we only go through one iteration of that process, we may only arrive at a contributing cause and not the root cause. Therefore, we ask the question “Why?” until we arrive at the root cause.
Well beloved, it just so happens that the Apostle Paul implemented his own Root Cause Analysis to solve the problem of “Why does the Law cause offenses/sins to abound/increase in the lives of the unsaved?” Obviously, this is a huge problem, because Adonai wants his Law (Torah)—His commandments, teachings and instructions—to be a blessing to mankind. But if His commandments cause the sinner to become even more sinful . . . You get the picture. Paul does a masterful job of implementing his own root cause analysis. These are his results:
Let’s first look at Romans 7:8a:
But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire.
Here, Paul mentions the problem, “by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire.” As you can see, it is the stirring up of sin function of the Law operating in the life of the unsaved. Here’s the most important question. Where does Paul lay the blame; or put another way, to what does Paul ascribe the root cause? The answer is . . . sin! Paul states that the presence of sin is what took opportunity by the commandment to produce evil desire. Hmm…
Let’s take another look at Paul’s root cause analysis in Romans 7:8b:
For apart from the law sin was dead.
Notice how Paul states that sin was dead apart from the Law. In other words, until the Law came sin was not too active. The point is that we have two players in this game. Sin and the Law. Which one is causing the problem? Sin!
Romans 7:9 provides yet another example of Paul’s root cause analysis:
I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.
What do we see here? Two players in this match. This verse is saying exactly what Romans 7:8b said. Sin was given life when the commandment came. In other words, the issue is sin, not the Law. The Law is just an instrument that helps reveal the presence of the real problem, sin.
Romans 7:11, “For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me,” ascribes death to the sin in the unregenerate heart, not the Law. So likewise, we read in Romans 7:13b, “But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful,” how the problem is sin, and the result was the abounding or increasing of sin. In the final analysis, the root cause of the Stirring up of Sin Effect of the Law is sin in the unregenerated heart. Paul goes out of his way to explain that the problem is NOT THE LAW! The root cause of the problem is sin. Let me summarize what Paul has done throughout Romans 6-7:
He has identified a problem that is operable in the lives of those who are unsaved, or unregenerated (according to Romans 7:5, “For when we were in the flesh”). That problem is that sin becomes even more sinful. Sin is stirred up!
He has also identified the root cause—sin. The reason why sin stirs up in the heart of the unsaved is because of the sin that is in their lives.
Thus, Paul has performed classic root cause analysis. He successfully identified the real problem/issue at hand, and he has determined the root cause. Awesome! The root cause, sin, is also identified in 1 Corinthians 15:56:
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
You see beloved, when a sinner is confronted with Adonai’s holy Word, it’s like an inevitable reaction occurs. As soon as Adonai’s commandments reach the unregenerated heart, sin is stirred up. It’s somewhat similar to what happens when you tell a child not to do something. That’s when the temptation really begins. Why? Was there something evil about your commandment? No! Wasn’t your commandment for the good of the child so they can enjoy life to it fullest? Yes! So, if the child takes a cookie from a cookie jar after you told him not to, would you blame the command you gave to the child? Of course not! Yet this is exactly what Christians do when they say that Yeshua set us free from the Law because it caused sin to increase within us. This simple example helps you see that the problem is not with the commandment (Law), it’s with the sinner (sin). This example will also help you see why Paul wrote the following:
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. 9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. 12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good (Romans 7:7-12).
Notice how Paul is protecting the Law from those who would try to blame it for this unfortunate situation, whereby people become more sinful in their actions. In Romans 7:7 he asks, “Is the law sin?” In Romans 7:12 he states, “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” Why does he make these two statements? Because he understands people will try to blame the Law. Therefore he’s trying to defuse their argument up front because blaming the Law is preposterous, since the root cause of the problem is sin! Yet that’s what people do, ministers, pastors, teachers, and lay people alike. People blame the Law despite Paul’s clear teaching to the contrary.
The Law of Sin and Death
At this point I’d like to clarify what I mean by the Stirring up of Sin Effect of the Law. I have used that term until this point because it so aptly describes how the Law is used by sin to cause people to abound/increase in offense/sin. Furthermore, the phrase stirring up of sin easily captures the essence of Romans 5:20:
Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.
Actually, Paul gives this effect a specific name. Paul describes the Stirring up of Sin Effect of the Law as the law of sin and death.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1).
You see that? The Stirring up of Sin Effect of the law that I’ve been hammering away at is called the law of sin and death by the Apostle Paul. How do I know that? First of all, listen to the phrase Paul uses and think about it. What does sin lead to? Death! In case you’re still not convinced, let’s read Romans 5:20-21:
Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Notice the phrase Paul used in Romans 5:21, “as sin reigned in death.” How does sin reign in death? It reigns in death because sin leads to death.
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come) (Romans 5:12-14).
Furthermore, notice how the phrase as sin reigned in death found in Romans 5:21 is obviously thematically connected to and a continuation of his thought from what he said in Romans 5:20, “where sin abounded.” The idea here is that wherever sin abounds, death will abound, because sin leads to death, its inevitable consequence. So, it makes total sense that the law of sin and death in Romans 8:2 is a phrase coined by Paul to explain the Stirring Up of Sin Effect of the Law introduced to us in Romans 5:20-21. The bottom line is that when Paul uses the phrase “as sin reigned in death” in Romans 5:21, he is speaking of the sin that resulted from offenses/sins abounding/increasing in Romans 5:20. And I have aptly described the sin that results from the Romans 5:20 process as the Stirring Up of Sin Effect. Thus, quite conclusively and plainly, the Stirring up of Sin Effect = the law of sin and death that Paul speaks of in Romans 8:2. Now that we really know what the meaning of the law of sin and death is as taught by Paul, let’s look at how others describe the law of sin and death.
In Romans 8:1–2, the apostle Paul says: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” In reading these verses, it's apparent that there are two different types of law that Paul is talking about—the “law of the Spirit of life” and the “law of sin and death.” Since he says that the “law of the Spirit of life” sets us free from the “law of sin and death,” we can gather that it is better to be under the law of the Spirit, but what does this all mean?
We have to first look back to Romans 7 in order to understand the difference. The law of the Spirit refers to the good news of the gospel and the new life of faith in Christ that we can live through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. When Paul references the law of sin and death, He is talking about the Old Testament Law of God. The Law itself is “holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12). Once sin was defined when the Law was given, it stirred up the natural human tendency toward rebellious behavior. The
reason Paul calls it the law of sin and death is because under the Old Testament Law, the sure result of the Law is sin and the only just end for any one of us would be death; it is impossible for us to keep the Law perfectly (Romans 7:10–11; cf. Romans 3:23; 6:23). [1]
As you can see from the example above, the author is convinced that the law of sin and death spoken of in Romans 8:2 is the Law! This is not unusual. Please note the following similar conclusion from another author.
What is the “law of sin and death”? In these verses, Paul contrasts two laws: the law of the Spirit and the law of sin and death. The law of the Spirit is the gospel or good news of Jesus, the message of new life through faith in the resurrected Christ. The law of sin and death is the Old Testament Law of God. The Law is holy, just and good (Romans 7:12), but, because we cannot keep God’s Law on our own, the result is only sin and death for those under the Law.[2]
Fortunately, this type of conclusion is not always the case. There are Christians who understand that the law of sin and death is NOT the Law (Torah). This author is using common sense as well as good exegesis to reach his conclusion that the law of sin and death is not the Law (Decalogue).
The theme of this article has furnished the basis for a great deal of discussion and difference of opinion in theological circles. The common opinion in the popular Protestant denominations is that “the law of sin and death” is the decalogue, and that when men are married to Christ they are free from any obligation to render any further obedience to the ten commandments. In fact, the conclusion has been drawn that it is adulterous to do so. Seeming plausibility for this conclusion is found in Romans 7:1-4. In this article we shall discuss the subject from both the negative and the positive side.
What It is Not.—The “law of sin and death” is not the decalogue. It is true that the decalogue defines sin (Rom. 7:7) and that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23), but the law that defines sin is not the law of sin and death. Paul says, “So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” Rom. 7:25. Here in the same verse two laws are mentioned,— “the law of God” and “the law of sin.” Paul further says: “I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” Rom. 7:22, 23. Note that “the law of sin” is declared to be another law, not the law of God.
God's law, the ten commandments, is “holy, just, and good,” and spiritual: Such a law could not possibly be the “law of sin” that works in the members of a man (Rom. 7:5, 23) before he is united to Christ. (See Rom. 7:4.) Paul asks, “Is the law sin?” In this verse, he is speaking directly of the law that says “Thou shalt not covet.” In answer to his query, “Is the law sin?” he says, “God forbid.” Therefore we must draw the conclusion that whatever “the law of sin and death” may be, it is not the decalogue.[3]
Notice how the author above notes the glaring inconsistency in the argument of those who would say that the Law is the law of sin and death. Remember, in Romans 7:7 Paul asks the question, “Is the law sin?” The obvious answer is an emphatic, “Certainly not!” If so, then how could Paul immediately turn around in Romans 8:2 and call the Law (the Torah) the law of sin and death?
At this juncture it is now time to add our sixth foundational truth that will help us understand Paul’s seemingly negative statements about the Law.
Foundations for Understanding the True Meanings of Paul’s
Statements Suggesting We Are No Longer Under the Law
#6—What is the Root Cause for the Stirring up of Sin Effect (the Law of Sin and Death)?—The Torah stirs up sin in a person’s life because of the sin in their life. But for the sin in a person’s life, the Torah would not stir up sin. Thus, the root cause for the Stirring up of Sin Effect (the law of sin and death) is SIN, not the Law!
Implementing Effective Corrective Actions
We now have one more foundational truth to discover, which will enable us to truly understand what Paul meant when he made statements such as “we are free from the Law.” And this last foundation is just as important as the others. We have determined the root cause of why the Law stirs up sin within the heart, but that only brings us halfway to our ultimate solution. It’s great that we’ve found the root cause, but we still have one more task to accomplish. We have to implement the appropriate corrective action that will prevent recurrence of the problem—the Stirring Up of Sin Effect. Only then will the Law be able to accomplish its purpose as a love gift to Adonai’s people, a heritage for the children of Israel and the Gentiles who join with them, providing an abundant source of life to those who obey its commands. Imagine with me for a moment. What would happen if we correctly identified the root cause but implemented a corrective action that did not adequately address it? That would be disastrous. If we knew the root cause but implemented a corrective action that did not address it, then we are no better off than not knowing the root cause!
Now I have a question for you that I’m sure you’ll answer correctly. We’ve discovered that the root cause of the law of sin and death (the Stirring up of Sin Effect of the Law), as being sin in the heart and minds of unbelievers. Okay, great! It’s time to implement corrective action so we can get some sinners saved. I’m going to suggest two corrective actions below for implementation to prevent the Law from stirring up sin in the average sinner’s heart. Now I want you to decide which one is the most effective and appropriate corrective action that will deal a death blow to the root cause—sin—and remedy the problem it creates—the law of sin and death.
Get rid of the Law. If you get rid of the Law there will no longer be a Stirring up of Sin Effect in a sinner’s heart. Furthermore, the Law is the vehicle through which the law of sin and death operates.
Get rid of sin in the heart of the unbeliever. If we take sin out of the heart of the unbeliever, then when the Law is given to them there will be no basis for the Stirring up of Sin Effect to cause sin and death.
Okay guys make me proud of you! Which answer did you choose? Hopefully, option number two. And guess what? That’s exactly what Adonai does! Romans 6:1-11 explains how the corrective action works by explaining how Adonai removes the sin from the unregenerated heart. Let’s take a look at Romans 6:1-11:
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For
he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In order for the Law to fulfill its intended purpose, Adonai first has to remove sin from the human heart. Adonai does this by the process of regeneration. In this process, the old you, the sinner you, the unregenerated you, the you who was dead in trespasses and sins, the you who once walked according to the course of this world, the you who walked according to the prince of the power of the air, the you who conducted yourself in the lusts of our flesh, the you who fulfilled the desires of the flesh and of the mind, the you who were by nature a child of wrath, died. That old you was the problem, because you were by nature a sinner, born in the image of Adam. This is what Romans 6:1-11 is all about. It’s teaching us how Adonai removed sin from within us by removing the old man. Please note the following.
According to Romans 6:2, “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it,” you died. Which you? The YOU that was made a sinner in the image of Adam!
According to Romans 6:3-4, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life,” you were baptized into Yeshua’s death. Why? Because the YOU that was a sinner made in the image of Adam died!
According to Romans 6:5, “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,” we were united in the likeness of Yeshua’s death. Why? Because the YOU that was a sinner made in the image of Adam died!
According to Romans 6:6, “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him,
that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin,” the old man was crucified. Which old man? The old unregenerated YOU that was sinful was crucified.According to Romans 6:7, “For he who has died has been freed from sin,” YOU have been set free from sin because your sin was the problem that caused the law of sin to be active within you when the Law entered your heart. The effective corrective action was to remove sin from you just as Romans 6:7 says! So it’s true that a part of you really died—the old man who was the sinner.
According to Romans 6:8, “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,” YOU died with Messiah.
According to Romans 6:11, “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord,” your death in Messiah was utterly effective, causing you to become dead to sin! Adonai’s corrective action to prevent the Stirring up of Sin Effect in you has been successful.
Now we can add our last foundational truth that will enable us to understand what Paul meant when he mentioned a few seemingly negative aspects of the Law.
Foundations for Understanding the True Meanings of Paul’s
Statements Suggesting We Are No Longer Under the Law
#7—What is the Proper Corrective Action to Prevent the Law from Stirring up Sin in a Person’s Heart?—The solution to the problem of the Torah stirring up sin is to remove the root cause, which is sin in the heart of the sinner. Adonai does this through the process of regeneration, where you, the old man, dies through your identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua.
What Did Paul Mean When He Said, “We Are Free from and Dead to the Law”?
The bottom line is that because of the death of the old YOU and your regeneration unto new life, the Law can no longer stir up sin within you (the law of sin and death is broken), and now the Law can have its intended effect on you, to be a source of blessing, longevity, goodness, grace, kindness, power, and LIFE! So, as you see beloved, Romans 6:1-11 is a statement of the corrective action needed to prevent the law of sin and death from operating within you whenever you come face to face with Adonai’s commandments. You have been freed from the law of sin and death. The Law no longer causes offenses/sins to abound/increase within you. You know what? I guess you could say . . .
YOU ARE DEAD TO THE LAW!
Yes, you are no longer under the Law but under grace according to Romans 6:14!
Yes, you have become dead to the Law according to Romans 7:4!
Yes, you have been delivered from the Law according to Romans 7:6!
Thus, when Paul makes these three statements in Romans 6–7, he is not saying that we are dead to the Law as a standard of righteousness! From our foundational truths we know Paul is speaking of only one function of the Law throughout Romans 6–7, its ability to stir up sin within an individual’s heart, a point he labored to teach us so that we would know the context within which the above statements are true. They are true within the narrow context of Romans 6–7, a context which is only dealing with the Law in its function to stir up sin, not in its function as a standard of righteousness.
Hopefully, now you see what Paul intended when he said, “We are no longer under the Law.” It is true we are no longer under the Law, but which aspect of the Law? All of it? Certainly not, for the entire context of Romans 6–7 pertains to only one function of the Law, its ability to stir up sin. That’s why the numerous equivalent expressions for Romans 5:20-21 keep making appearances throughout Romans 6–7, so that we can know, understand, believe and walk in the truth that we are free from this function of the Law, its ability to stir up sin, i.e., the law of sin and death.
I am by no means finished with this teaching. In the remaining lessons I will go through Romans 5:20–7:25 verse by verse examining Paul’s logic. We’ll also look at the outline of this section as well as its thematic arrangement, and every which way we slice, dice and dissect it, Romans 5:20–7:25 will continually teach us the exact same message we’ve learned here. We’re free from the Law in its function to cause sin to stir up within us. Once you look at Romans 5:20–7:25 in its outline form and in its thematic perspective, you will be absolutely amazed at how no matter which way we examine it, this portion of Scripture will teach the exact same lessons.
Below you will find a summary of our seven foundational truths which will help you truly understand what Paul meant when he said we are no longer under the Law.
Foundations for Understanding the True Meanings of Paul’s
Statements Suggesting We Are No Longer Under the Law
#1—What Is the Correct Biblical Worldview of the Tanakh (Old Testament)?—The Law is good and perfect. The Law is Adonai’s good, perfect, holy and eternal written revelation, given as a blessing and a heritage to the nation of Israel. It was originally written on stone tablets as part of the Mosaic covenant, whose primary message teaches us to love Adonai with all our heart, mind, body, soul, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves, and whose primary purpose is to be a source of life, blessing and goodness to His people. It was faithfully taught, lived and heralded by the apostles of Yeshua and is the basis of the New Covenant, which consists of Adonai’s Law written upon the hearts of His people.
#2—Does the Law Have Only One Function /Role /Purpose?—The Law has more than one function/role/purpose. In fact, it has many functions/roles/purposes, and the Scriptures specifically and carefully define these different functions /roles/ purposes. Context will determine the function/role/purpose of which the writer is speaking.
#3—What is the Primary Function of the Law—The primary function of the Law is to ensure that those who faithfully obey its commands live a long life on the earth.
#4—Which Function/Role/Purpose of the Law is Paul Referring to in Romans 5:20–7:25?—Romans 5:20–7:25 pertains to one function of the Law. Throughout Romans 5–7 Paul is specifically dealing with ONE limited function of the Torah, its ability to stir up sin in a person’s heart (The Stirring up of Sin Effect).
#5—When is the Stirring up of Sin Effect Active in a Person’s Life?—The Stirring up of Sin Effect of the Law is only operational in a person’s life when they are unsaved and in the unregenerated state.
#6—What is the Root Cause for the Stirring up of Sin Effect (the Law of Sin and Death)?—The Torah stirs up sin in a person’s life because of the sin in their life. But for the sin in a person’s life, the Torah would not stir up sin. Thus, the root cause for the Stirring up of Sin Effect (the law of sin and death) is SIN, not the Law!
#7—What is the Proper Corrective Action to Prevent the Law from Stirring up Sin in a Person’s Heart?— The solution to the problem of the Torah stirring up sin is to remove the root cause, which is sin in the heart of the sinner. Adonai does this through the process of regeneration, where you, the old man, dies through your identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua.
[1] “What is the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2)?” CompellingTruth.org, https://www.compellingtruth.org/law-of-sin-and-death.html.
[2] “What is the Law of Sin and Death, (Romans 8:2).” Got Questions.org, www.gotquestions.org/law-of-sin-and-death.html.
[3] French, W.R., Professor, Pacific Union College. “The Law of Sin and Death—Does ‘the law of sin and death’ refer to the decalogue?” Ministry International Journal for Pastors. https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1938/10/the-law-of-sin-and-death.