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Romans 13

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Submission to Governing Authorities 1–7

1
Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God. ​
2
Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment. ​
3
For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And wouldest thou have no fear of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same:
4
for he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him that doeth evil. ​
5
Wherefore ye must needs be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. ​
6
For for this cause ye pay tribute also; for they are ministers of God’s service, attending continually upon this very thing. ​
7
Render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. ​

Love Fulfills the Law 8–10

8
Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law. ​
9
For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
10
Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love therefore is the fulfilment of the law. ​

Wake Up: The Day Is Near 11–14

11
And this, knowing the season, that already it is time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when wefirstbelieved. ​
12
The night is far spent, and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. ​
13
Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in revelling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. ​
14
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Romans 13

Verse 1

the higher powers — 'Powers' is exousia, authority, and 'higher' (hyperecho) is standing above. 'Subject' is hypotasso, to place oneself under, and 'ordained' (tasso) comes from the same root: the powers are set in order by God, and the believer takes his place under that order. Daniel names the source: 'he removeth kings, and setteth up kings' (Dan 2:21; cf. John 19:11).

Verse 2

damnation — 'Damnation' is krima, judgment, the word rendered 'judgments' in 11:33. The verse uses two verbs for resisting: antitasso, to range oneself against, and anthistemi, to stand against, as in Eph 6:13, 'to withstand in the evil day'. 'Ordinance' (diatage, an appointment) occurs elsewhere only in Acts 7:53, 'the disposition of angels'.

Verse 4

the minister of God — Diakonos, servant, is said of the ruler here and of Christ in 15:8, 'a minister of the circumcision'. 'Revenger' (ekdikos) occurs elsewhere only in 1 Thess 4:6, 'the Lord is the avenger'. Peter describes rulers the same way, as 'sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well' (1 Pet 2:14).

Verse 5

for conscience sake — 'Must needs' (anagke) is necessity. Two grounds are given for submitting: 'wrath' (orge), the penalty of v.4, and 'conscience' (syneidesis), the inner witness Paul exercises 'toward God, and toward men' (Acts 24:16). Peter likewise speaks of 'conscience toward God' (1 Pet 2:19).

Verse 6

for this cause pay ye tribute — 'Tribute' is phoros, and 'God's ministers' is leitourgos, a public servant, the word used of Christ in Heb 8:2 and of Paul in 15:16. 'Attending continually' is proskartereo, used of 'continuing instant in prayer' in 12:12. Christ gave the same direction: 'Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's' (Matt 22:21).

Verse 7

custom to whom custom — Four dues are named: 'tribute' (phoros), 'custom' (telos), 'fear' (phobos) and 'honour' (time). 'Dues' (opheile) is a debt and occurs elsewhere only in Matt 18:32. Christ asked Simon, 'of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute?' (Matt 17:25).

Verse 8

Owe no man any thing — 'Owe' is opheilo, the verb behind 'dues' in v.7. The only debt that remains is love, and Paul says it fulfils the law: 'he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law'. The commandment is Lev 19:18, 'thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself', which Christ called the second of the two on which 'hang all the law and the prophets' (Matt 22:39–40).

Verse 10

the fulfilling of the law — Pleroma, fulness, the word of 11:12 and 11:25. Verse 9 gives the proof: the commandments against adultery, killing, stealing, false witness and coveting are 'briefly comprehended' in 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself'. 'Worketh no ill' states the same from the negative side, and Gal 5:14 says 'all the law is fulfilled in one word'.

Verse 11

now is our salvation nearer — 'Time' is kairos, a season for action, and 'high time' is literally the hour (hora). 'Nearer' (eggyteron) occurs only here. Salvation is the final deliverance still ahead, 'the hope of salvation' of 1 Thess 5:8. The call to 'awake out of sleep' is that of Eph 5:14, 'Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead'.

Verse 12

the armour of light — Night and day are the pair of 1 Thess 5:5–8, 'children of the day', with its 'breastplate of faith and love'. 'Far spent' is prokopto, to advance (Luke 2:52, 'increased'); 'cast off' is apotithemi, to lay aside (Eph 4:22, 'put off'); 'put on' is enduo (Eph 6:11). 'Armour' (hoplon) is a weapon, the word rendered 'instruments' in 6:13.

Verse 13

not in rioting and drunkenness — Three pairs, each with 'not in': 'rioting' (komos) and 'drunkenness', 'chambering' (koite, literally a bed) and 'wantonness' (aselgeia), 'strife' and 'envying'. Gal 5:19–21 lists the same aselgeia ('lasciviousness'), komos ('revellings') and 'drunkenness' among the works of the flesh. 'Honestly' (euschemonos) is 'decently' in 1 Cor 14:40.

Verse 14

put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ — Enduo, the verb of v.12. Gal 3:27 says of the baptized, 'have put on Christ', and Col 3:10 speaks of having 'put on the new man'. 'Provision' is pronoia, forethought, found elsewhere only in Acts 24:2. Planning ahead for the flesh is what the verse forbids, with its 'lusts' (epithymia).