Paul's words capture one of the greatest paradoxes of human nature: "Created a little lower than the angels." There is no doubt that men and women can differentiate between what is good and what is bad. The problem, Paul points out, lies in the power of sin, of self-possessed self-absorption that destroys the continuity between human knowing and human doing.

Paul's confession uncomfortably reminds us that this disparity is not just present in those who intentionally celebrate their sinful nature and maliciously plan acts of wickedness - it also confronts those who genuinely try to live lives of righteousness and obedience. "The good that I would I do not, and the evil that I would not, I do." Or in the words of Ovid, "I will to do good, but do evil."

However, Paul's text is not intended as…