Conquerors Not Captives

Reframing Romans 7 for the Christian Life

by Joseph R. Dodson, Mattie Mae Motl

You must sign in to see if this title is available for request. Sign In or Register Now

Pub Date May 22 2024 | Archive Date May 23 2024

Christian

Talking about this book? Use #ConquerorsNotCaptives #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!

Description

Is the Christian battle against sin a long defeat?

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.

Is the Christian battle against sin a long defeat?

In Conquerors, Not Captives, Joseph R. Dodson and Mattie Mae Motl challenge the popular view that Romans 7:14–25 describes the typical Christian...

Advance Praise

“Dodson and Motl’s book covers the complicated ground of Romans 7 in a winsome and pastoral way, arguing that Christians are not captives but conquerors. This is the best short summary of Romans 7 that I have read. It includes the history of interpretation, the larger context, and careful exegesis of the passage itself. Those who disagree must reckon with the arguments in this book.”

—Patrick Schreiner, associate professor of New Testament and biblical theology, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

“On the hot topic of the ‘I’ of Romans 7, Dodson and Motl model expert exegesis: attentive to historical context, insightful reading of Romans as a whole, and inspiring in terms of understanding Pauline theology and biblical theology more widely. Concise, well-written—and convincing!”

—Nijay K. Gupta, professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary