Why did Paul find the Ten Commandments to be death even though they were ordained to life?
Though the Mosaic Ten Commandments were holy, perfect, and ordained to life, Paul found them to be death because old Adam, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived him and slew him. Once awakened, he realized the law was condemning and convicting him as a lawbreaker, leaving eternal death as his only prospect.
Les explains that the commandment, the Mosaic Ten Commandments, was ordained to life and is holy and perfect, yet Paul found it to be unto death. This happened because, as soon as old Adam and Saul woke up and realized the law was condemning him, he revived and became aware that the law was convicting him. The law was not polishing things over or covering things over; it was convicting him. He then found that the law claimed he had only one prospect as a lawbreaker: eternal death. In verse 11, old Adam, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived him and by it slew him—it was killing him. Les connects this back to Romans chapter 7, verse 5, as the same subject.
And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
More Questions
What is 'the commandment' in Romans 7 that Paul found to be death?
The 'commandment' Paul is talking about in Romans 7 is the Mosaic Ten Commandments.
Why did the holy commandment, which was ordained to life, bring Paul death rather than life?
The Ten Commandments are holy, perfect, and were ordained to life, yet for Paul they became death because they awakened him to the fact that the law was convicting him and that as a lawbreaker he had only eternal death to expect.
Why did the law that was ordained to life bring death to Paul?
Paul found the commandment to be death because, when he 'woke up' and realized the law was condemning him, it convicted him rather than covering over his sin.