This dissertation attempts a reading of Romans 7:7-25 with reference to its intertextual echoes of Genesis 2-3. The exegesis is undertaken in the context of a reflection on Romans’ pragmatic purpose, in the hope that the function of this passage (both literary and historical) might be illuminated by attention to Paul’s interpretation of Genesis. It is argued that the echoes of Eden in ch. 7 complement those of Sinai, are consistent with the Adamic typology of Romans 5 and the role of “the law” throughout the letter, and contribute to Paul’s redemptive reading of scripture in which Christ as the new Adam regains what has been lost.
