Oldness (3821) (palaiotes from palaios [word study] = old in the sense of worn out, decrepit, useless) describes obsoleteness, antiquatedness or oldness. Palaiotes describes one's characteristic state of being obsolete (or superseded). Romans 7:6 (the only use in Scripture) describes God's "planned" obsolescence regarding the law. The Spirit comes in the place of the letter. The letter is something belonging to the past and no longer has force since it belongs to an age and economy now past and gone. Thayer writes that palaiotes describes "the old state of life controlled by `the letter' of the law". Letter (1121) (gramma from grapho = engrave, write) describes a writing, a letter (including a letter of the alphabet), a note, legal code, etc. It referred to a document or letter one writes. The letter in this context is synonymous with the law. Now the external rules of conduct which represent only outward conformity to some standard, has given place in the believer to our response to the operation of the Holy Spirit, in Whom we are now to continually "walk" (Gal 5:16-note). Enabled by the Spirit of Christ believers can now serve the Lord, even "keeping the law", not because of being in bondage to the law, but because of the freedom in the Spirit (Ro 6:18-note). Does that make sense? Remember that now in the new covenant, the Law is written on our hearts (He 8:10-note, Jer 31:33). Remember too that now the Spirit Who lives in us and gives us the desire and the power to obey the Law (Php 2:13-note, Ezek 36:27). Don't slip into the trap of trying to do this in your own strength or you have just place yourself back up under the Law! MacArthur explains it this way... The law is still important to the Christian. For the first time, he is able to meet the law’s demands for righteousness (which was God’s desire when He gave it in the first place), because he has a new nature and God’s own Holy Spirit to empower his obedience. And although he is no longer under the law’s bondage or penalty, he is more genuinely eager to live by its godly standards than is the most zealous legalist. With full sincerity and joy, he can say with the psalmist, “O how I love Thy law!” (Ps. 119:97-note). Matthew Henry writes that not in oldness of the letter means that... we must not rest in mere external services, as the carnal Jews did, who gloried in their adherence to the letter of the law, and minded not the spiritual part of worship. The letter is said to kill with its bondage and terror, but we are delivered from that yoke that we may serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness, Lk. 1:74, 75 To grant (the context is the promises in the holy covenant of Abraham in which God granted) us that we (Jews), being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. (Luke 1:74, 75) We are under the dispensation of the Spirit, and therefore must be spiritual, and serve in the spirit. Compare with this 2Cor 3:3, 6, etc. (Paul is speaking to the believers in Corinth who are now "read" by all men) being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone (cf "the oldness of the letter" as in Ro 7:6), but on tablets of human hearts...3:6 (And that as a result of this divine transaction, the believers adequacy, sufficiency or qualification to serve the living God is not from self but from God Himself) Who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills (Letter ~ Whole Mosaic Mosaic Law which kills in the sense that it could not give life but could only give a consciousness of sin and to stumble on one point of law was to be guilty of it all, which in turn is sin, the wages of which are death). The Spirit, by contrast, gives life to believers.), but the Spirit gives life. (real life as God meant it to be lived, with purpose and power from His Spirit. Are you living it beloved?) (2Cor 3:3,6) It becomes us to worship within the veil, and no longer in the outward court. What is the potential "danger"? Once you are saved and yet trying to continue to serve in oldness of the letter, by obeying the letter of the law. Anytime a believer tries to live under the "letter" of the Law, know for certain that the Law will "kill". You won't lose your salvation but you will not experience growth in holiness (sanctification). The "letter" or holy law of God is not an external code of “do’s” and “don’ts.” Rather it is a law of love written on our hearts. We do not obey that law because we fear the Lord, but because we love Him. Newell remarks... Wonderful paradoxes of the gospel! In Ro 7:4 (note), having died, they bear fruit; and here, having been discharged, they serve (Romans 7:6). What an unspeakable satisfaction filled the apostle’s heart, at finding himself serving God, in all the capacities of his love-filled being, the more he felt his complete freedom from that Law that once “held” him. In the old days, it was, “I verily thought I ought to do”; now it is, “I delight to do.” As we say elsewhere, the instructed believer finds himself doing the will of God as it is in heaven, that is, in the very spirit of service, and not by forms, or ordinances—which are earthly “rudiments.” Oldness of letter it once was—minute particulars of legal observances according to the tradition of the fathers; newness of spirit it had become when the apostle learned that he had died out to the whole legal sphere, to the Adam-position—man in the flesh, unto whom the Law had been given at Sinai. Truly Paul could say to his Jewish fellow-believers, God has here, concerning the Law, conferred on us a heavenly degree of D.D.: “Dead, Discharged.” (Beware that you do not turn into an LL.D. and go about “desiring to be teachers of the Law, understanding neither what you say, nor whereof you confidently affirm!” (1Ti 1:7) Now unto us Gentile believers, what a breeze from the delectable mountains this passage is! For our poor consciences are always—sad to say—ready to hear of some new “duty” or “path of surrender,” or “dying out” to this or that: not satisfied with God’s plain announcement that we died to sin, are not under law... And that we are to present ourselves to Him as “alive from the dead, and our members as instruments of righteousness unto God—‘whose service is perfect freedom.’ (Romans 7) ><> ><> ><> No Power - I remember seeing a newspaper photograph of three signs nailed to a big oak tree. Their message was obvious. On the top sign were printed the words, "No Trespassing," on the middle one, "No Hunting," and on the bottom, "No Nothing." The newspaper's accompanying comment read, "'No Trespassing,' 'No Hunting,' well, that's a landowner's prerogative. But 'No Nothing' makes you want to beep your horn, shout out the window--anything to resist a little." The apostle Paul was very familiar with the urge behind such a response. In Romans 7 he pointed out that the law actually awakens rebellious desires within us (Ro 7:5). Being told not to do something excites our sinful nature to express itself. Our rebellious response to negative rules points out our need for a strong, compelling motivation to do what's right. Paul said that we can go beyond a list of do's and don'ts to a love relationship with Christ Himself (Ro 7:6). The law carries with it the sentence of death because of our inability to keep it (Ro 7:10-note). But being united to Christ results in life. By daily walking and talking with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we can go from "no" power in the law to all power in Him. —Mart De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) Though freed from the law with its stern demands-- No longer ruled by its harsh commands-- I'm bound by Christ's love and am truly free To live and to act responsibly. --DJD "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/romans_74-6.htm#o