Originally Posted by TheExegete
Within his attempt at exegesis on Romans 7, Leiter asserts that Paul is actually describing his UNREGENERATE self banghead , especially with regard to the words of Rom 7:14-25. Leiter treats this as if Paul was recalling the process of his conversion, rather than Paul squarely affirming this is what he is (in his present setting) wrestling with. BigThumbUp

The importance you say? Well, this would corrupt quite a bit (if not all) of Leiter's teaching on sanctification. Also, it seems to lean him closely to some sort of perfectionism, nono that others such as Zac Poonen ascribe to.
1. I am not privy to Leiter's interpretation of Romans 7, so I'll take your word as being accurate.

2. Regardless, I agree that verses 14ff are autobiographical and descriptive of Paul's SANCTIFICATION, i.e., the inherent and life-long struggle of a believer. There is no struggle with sin within an unregenerate sinner in the biblical sense; the old man/nature vs. the new man/nature. And, how could an unregenerate sinner:
  1. confess that no good thing dwells within him? (v. 18)
  2. understand and desire to do that which is good? (v. 19)
  3. delight in the law of God? (v. 22)
  4. yearn to be delivered from the presence of sin within? (v. 24)
  5. give thanks to God for the deliverance he has in Christ and serve the law? (v. 25)
3. Does the Bible teach that conversion is a process which is consciously observable? Apparently, this is what Leiter is suggesting if vv. 14-25 is describing a pre-conversion time-line. IF, that is what he believes and teaches, then I would have to voice my objection to his view.

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simul iustus et peccator

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