Conquerors Not Captives: Reframing Romans 7 for the Christian Life

by Joseph R. Dodson, Mattie Mae Motl

Is the Christian battle against sin a long defeat?Discover good news for the Christian lifeUnderstand how Christ has defeated sin’s powerIdentify the “wretch” in Romans 7
In Conquerors, Not Captives, Joseph R. Dodson and Mattie Mae Motl challenge the popular view that Romans 7:14–25 describes the typical Christian battle against sin. The “wretched man” of Romans 7 seems unable to do what God’s law demands and, for many Christians, his inner conflict and turmoil seem all too relatable. But are we impotent before sin and powerless to do good? When we reexamine Romans 7 in light of Paul’s writings elsewhere and his interpreters throughout church history, we encounter better news.

Conquerors, Not Captives is an accessible and thoughtful study that rebukes our gloomy expectations and invites us to take seriously the Bible’s assurances that the Holy Spirit frees us from sin’s power.

Genres: Theology, New Testament

227 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 21, 2024

Reviews

[Zach Hollifield · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Lexham press. But this is just not a good book. For a few reasons.

1) it’s surprisingly poorly edited. At multiple points it just seems like nothing more than a gloss over was given. The most glaring instance is that in chapter 6 they list out the differed objections they will be tackling #1-8. You turn the page expecting too read #1. While you do see a 1., what you read is the 8th objection. From there the order proceeds correctly. Just odd for Lexham who is always way more on top of it.

2. The authors present a straw-man of the opposing side. Now, I do happen to hold to the other side, but I genuinely don’t believe that is why I was bothered by their presentation. They present the other side as seeing Christians as captives due to their reading of Romans 7 as being a first person present account of Christian Paul. While surely some Christians can be faulted for that, it is not how the best presentations of that view understand it. Rather, we hold that by and large Christians do experience victory by the Spirit. The question is “what is the emotional/affectional experience of Christians when they don’t?” We hold it is what you find in Romans 7. But this middle way between defeatism (which they charge our entire side as hold to) and a semi-perfectionism they seem to hold to is never considered. They present the options as agreeing with them and seeing the Christian life as a life of conquering. Or pick the other side and consign yourself to captivity. We can and must do better in this debate.

Ultimately, I think this was too tall an order for such a small book. And it shows.

[James-Michael Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short, simple, and oh so needed! Some (though thankfully not all!) people have been misreading Romans 7 for centuries. Dodson takes readers on a quick historical and exegetical tour of this most misunderstood passage...and why it matters! Read it!

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joseph R. Dodson and Mattie Mae Motl’s new book _Conquerors not Captives: Reframing Romans 7 for the Christian Life_ is a book every Christian can and should read. _Conquerors_ focuses on a study of Romans 7 that emphasizes how we might interpret Paul’s words in verse 24-25. It has been understood that this passage refers to Paul himself, which implies that the application of Romans 7:24-25 reveals the Christian’s struggle with sin as the “wretched person.” It is this idea that the authors engage with, and they convincingly argue that this interpretation is not possible based on several important considerations, including the flow of Romans and Paul’s theological sentiments in his other letters.

There are several strong aspects of Dodson and Motl’s book that render this book a worth-while and important read: _Conquerors_ is clear, concise, and captivating. From the outset of the book, the authors clearly lay out their thesis and how they will go about defending it. Similarly, the chapters are clear and straightforward, inviting the reader on the journey of their stated thesis. Closely related to the clarity of _Conquerors_ is the authors’ success in being concise in their points, not dragging on or boring the reader. In fact, I almost wish there was an expanded edition that further explores each of their arguments! Yet it is clear that this book is “to encourage believers to live into everyone’s favorite chapter [of Romans, chapter 8] and not to get stuck in the one before it” (p. 124-25). So, while I want to hear more from these authors on the topic of Romans 7, they have succinctly hit all the important conversation pieces, which does indeed drive me to Romans 8.

Finally, _Conquerors_ is incredibly captivating. Dodson and Motl have made top-shelf theology easily accessible for every Christian, not getting caught in the weeds while also not skipping over important points. Through humor and theological clarity, these authors provide good reason to believe that Christians are in fact Conquerors not Captives!

[Amy Kimble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dodson and Motl’s book brings fresh eyes and ears to an age-old debate with timeless repercussions. Their careful laying out of historical arguments and positions, paired with contextual clues and exegetical insights leave the reader to truly want to agree with their position of pre-converted Paul in Romans 7. Addressing the other side of the argument (the Totally Paul-ers) simply provides more clout for the Not Paul argument to stand on. Dodson and Motl do well to address each point with clarity and pointedness.
There were two key points of discussion that stood out amongst the others. While the chain-link transition started to feel like a bit of a stretch for my Western evangelical eyes, the authors did well to note, this rhetorical device may have stood out to the original audience. Another excellent point was how Paul’s contemporaries would have understood him as never having been apart from the Law, growing up as a Jewish boy from the tribe of Benjamin. Both points stress the importance of reading within the context of the author’s audience! The clarity and faithfulness the authors bring to this discussion are enlightening and hope-giving for even the most hopeless of sinners (or believers). For the Church today, understand Romans 7 under a Not Paul lens will be detrimental for Christians to understand their Christian experience does not define Christianity. There is hope that while sin knocks on the door, the Christian does not have to answer it. And hopefully, when the “I” is understood in this way, the bridge to the Spirit-filled hope found in Romans 8 will be a little smoother to traverse.

[Matthew Bruemmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conquerors Not Captives is an in-depth look at Paul's wretch in Romans 7. He frames the two arguments: the "I" is Paul and the "I" is Paul playing a character clearly and concisely, offering evidence that Paul is using a character to illustrate a point to the Roman church. The main issue is whether or not we are controlled by our sin & the author offers a compelling case that Paul suggests a post-Spirit life does not identify to Paul's wretch where sin is an equal force to the Spirit and that we can pursue full holiness in our already but not yet period of faith. I found that the most educational part of this book was how the author out his in-depth reading of a passage as a theologian on the page. It was extremely helpful especially as a layperson to see the tools he used, research he did, the multiple ecclesial points of view, and his own interpretation of the grammar and translational elements of the greek text. I would have liked some concise points of view, as someone not educational trained as a theologian, on why he chose certain reference points or even what part of the church history he was referencing to make his points but he did a fantastic job explaining the scripture chosen and even how it is backed up by more of Paul's canonical writing. Overall, recommend this book for anyone as they read through Paul's letters.

[Russell Matherly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Necessary reading. Quick, to the point, no messing around. I wish there was a liiiiiittle more space to flesh out the arguments, but, as someone who already agreed with Dodson’s position before reading the book, I know where to go to find more info. That was a serious strength of the book: the footnotes. Thoroughly researched and well crafted arguments. Loved it

[Logan S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this is a good, succinct summary of the view of Romans 7 that says Paul is speaking as an unbeliever. It has brought me closer to accepting this view. However, I think at times the way the authors summarize the Paul as believer view is not exactly fair, a bit strawman even. Still, this is well worth your time.

[David Dominguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author presents his arguments as to why the wretched man in Romans 7 is not regenerate Paul who is a conqueror not a captive. Overall really concise and charitable. Don’t need to have your mind changed to find this book helpful and interesting.

[Timothy Köstenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this book. The often misinterpreted Romans 7 seems completely contradictory to the entire foundation of Christianity: “why do I do what I do not want to do?…I am held captive by sin.” Christians reading this chapter are often confused, and rightfully so. Aren’t we supposed to no longer be in bondage to sin once we are in Christ?

When read in context and it is understood what the book of Romans is written for and who it is written to, it becomes a much simpler passage to understand.

Romans 6 speaks on how we are “dead to sin” and uses that imagery over and over and over again to drill into believers that they are now “alive in Christ,” regardless of their former death in sin. Romans 7 continues on this path before Paul uses an example of parabolic teaching in order to explain that we are not made alive through following the Old Testament law. In Christ, his followers are now released from the authority of the law and are to question their hearts in adhering to the commands of the Old Testament law. Romans 8 then returns to Paul’s encouragement for Christians to abstain from sinful desires as “there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. In the context of the three chapters, we now see the elaboration of Romans 8 to Romans 6-7 as how God’s spirit in us now provides us the strength to break free from the fetters of death and sin.

This book gives different interpretations of who the “I” in Romans 7 is, and while I don’t fully agree with their conclusion (the authors conclude that the “I” is Paul’s former self as an unbeliever, whereas I believe Paul is referring to a way of viewing adhering to the law that is kept by many people who misunderstand the intentions and capabilities of the law), this book was enlightening to say the least. It caused me to wrestle with my understanding of Scripture as the author meant it to be interpreted, and even though my review is a very brief overview, once it clicked and I fully understood, that feeling was exhilarating and motivated me to dive even DEEPER to the entirety of Scripture, or at least as much as I am able to.

[Devin Arinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Near the beginning, Dodson and Motl recall the response of a man engaged in an immoral affair, “Like Paul, the things I want to do, I do not do.” While some (rightfully) may find such a justification for wrongdoing untenable, in my albeit limited experience, Paul’s reflections in Romans 7:14-25 have often been assumed to justify an attitude of defeat towards sin. After all, in such a case, I am just like the great apostle Paul—a captive to Sin’s enslaving force.

In Conquerors not Captives, Dodson and Motl take on the “Herculean” task of overturning the popular notion that Romans 7:14-25 reflects Paul’s experience of sin as a Christian. They concisely but sufficiently survey options, carefully explore the text, and demonstrate how such a passage could (or could not!) fit into Paul’s theology elsewhere. By the end of the book, the “Totally Paul” view seems untenable, much less that Paul could pen such words about his own experience. The work’s strength lies in its scholarly depth and its beauty in its accessibility and pastoral heart that runs throughline. My favorite quote: “…holiness is not only a possibility: it is an ever-pressing, hope-filled responsibility.”

[Nick Hay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief, accessible, and yet impressively thorough reexamination of Romans 7. Romans 7 is not a description of the Christian life, but rather a reflection of an unbeliever under the law, powerless against the power of sin. The authors look at the history of interpretation, literary context, cultural context, and briefly walk through the passage exegetically to demonstrate that Romans 7 is not an exposition of the moral struggle of a Christian, but rather a foil to the freedom of the believer who is empowered by the Spirit, spelled out in chapters 6 and 8.

I would highly recommend this book to any who assume Romans 7 describes the life of the believer, and want an introduction to another view.

[Mattie Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just wanted to log my own book, lol. You should read it!!!