The debate over Romans chapter 7 has not lost momentum in recent decades, and is more heated than ever. The work of W. G. Kümmel, published in 1929, marked a major turning point in the history of research, but the literature of the past eighty-five years shows that, despite the momentary balance and the consensus that seemed to emerge at the time, scholars have still not reached a common position on even the most fundamental issues. The way we think about Paul's theology depends to a large extent on the way we look at Romans 7. Any different assessment leads to a striking shift in content and emphasis, above all in the areas of anthropology and wordology. Even when the smallest details, verb tenses, idioms, or even half verses are at stake, it is always the whole of Paul's Gospel that is at stake. For even the smallest details are connected to very big questions.