The “Therefore” (ἄρα) at the start of Romans 8 could link this next argument back to the end of Romans 7 or back to Romans 6 treating Romans 7 as parenthesis. However, it could also link back to Romans 5 with Romans 6-7 being the parenthesis. This means we can either read Paul’s main argument as
“18 Therefore, as one trespass[f] led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness[g] leads to justification and life for all me (5:21) …Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Or…
“For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life …. Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Or…
“25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin… Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Each alternative subtly affects how we read the text of Romans 8, is it developing the theme of grace or is it seeking to deal with the dilemma Paul expresses, the conflict between the old man/sinful flesh and the new man. You will perhaps not be surprised to hear that I am inclined to a maximalist approach. The “therefore” here picks up on all three themes. In other words, I think that Paul is continuing the argument from chapter 5, however, Chapters 6-7 whilst in a sense offering a parenthesis to deal with an issue arising should not be treated as completely detached as though Paul were woodenly following English syntactical norms. We can see his argument converging the results of several discussions into one, Romans 6-7 maybe a little like a parenthesis but more in the sense of a slight detour that continues to develop the argument rather than a cul-de-sac to look at a self-contained sub-point.
Paul’s conclusion to his insistence that Adam’s sin brought condemnation but Christ’s righteousness brough life, to the contrast between God’s gift and sin’s wages and to the turmoil that knowledge of the law brings to the human conscience is that if we belong to Christ Jesus, there is “now no condemnation.” (v1).
Paul now introduces another “law” which contrasts with the law of sin but also stands apart from the Law of Moses. He defines this as “the law of the Spirit of Life” or indeed “the Living Spirit’s law”. This law has acted “in Christ”, a reference to his death and resurrection to set us free from the law of sin and death. Note the contrast here is that the Spirit’s Law is concerning life whereas Sin’s law is to do with death. Follow too the connection between Romans 8 and Romans 1 already, the connection between death and freedom from one law in new life (v2).
