Romans 2:12

2:12 For all who have sinned apart from the law ¹  will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

Romans 3:19

3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under ²  the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

Romans 7:6

7:6 But now we have been released from the law, because we have died ³  to what controlled us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code. ⁴ 

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¹ sn This is the first occurrence of law (nomos) in Romans. Exactly what Paul means by the term has been the subject of much scholarly debate. According to J. A. Fitzmyer (Romans [AB], 131-35; 305-6) there are at least four different senses: (1) figurative, as a “principle”; (2) generic, meaning “a law”; (3) as a reference to the OT or some part of the OT; and (4) as a reference to the Mosaic law. This last usage constitutes the majority of Paul’s references to “law” in Romans.

² tn Grk “in,” “in connection with.”

³ tn Grk “having died.” The participle ἀποθανόντες (apoqanonte") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

⁴ tn Grk “in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”