Romans 13:1
Πᾶσα ψυχὴ ἐξουσίαις ὑπερεχούσαις ὑποτασσέσθω. οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐξουσία, εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ· αἱ δὲ οὖσαι, ὑπὸ Θεοῦ τεταγμέναι εἰσίν.
Every soul, to the higher authorities, let him be subject. For the authority is not unless by God, and those being are by God assigned.
Paraphrase: Let every person respect and obey the governing authorities. Don’t forget that every governor, king, emperor, magistrate, or anyone else who has authority, has this power from God Himself. People don’t take this power for themselves even if it seems that way. It is God who raises up one man to rule and puts down another. (Psalm 75:7) Yes, it is God who assigns to each ruler his place and station on this earth, and we are to respect God’s design in this.
Comments:
ὑπο here is used to show agency; see here.
Note the periphrastic τεταγμέναι εἰσίν.
Romans 13:2
ὥστε ὁ ἀντιτασσόμενος τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ, τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ διαταγῇ ἀνθέστηκεν· οἱ δὲ ἀνθεστηκότες ἑαυτοῖς κρίμα λήμψονται.
So that the one resisting the authority, sets himself against the arrangement of God, and those having resisted will receive judgment to themselves.
Paraphrase: What does this mean for us? This means that anyone who disrespects or disobeys the civil government is actually disrespecting and disobeying God Himself. The reason is because it was God who arranged our society to work in this way and it was God who gave these men their authority and power in the first place. When we resist the magistrate, we are actually setting ourselves up in opposition to the God who put these men in their positions of power. Such disrespect for God and His ordinances will surely bring down His wrath and condemnation.
Comments:
For διαταγῇ , see p86 and p155.
Romans 13:3
οἱ γὰρ ἄρχοντες οὐκ εἰσὶν φόβος τῷ ἀγαθῷ ἔργῳ, ἀλλὰ τῷ κακῷ. θέλεις δὲ μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν; τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποίει, καὶ ἕξεις ἔπαινον ἐξ αὐτῆς.
For the rulers are not a fear to a good work but to an evil. Now are you desiring not to fear the authority? Do good and you will have the praise of it.
Paraphrase: Perhaps the civil magistrates frighten you; they can seem to be very intimidating. Remember, the rulers of the land do not exist to trouble those who are leading peaceful and quiet lives. (1 Timothy 2:2) On the contrary, the civil rulers have the responsibility of finding and punishing thieves, murderers, those who are start trouble, and all other evildoers. Those, who do good, will have no issue with the law; on the contrary, the governors and magistrates will hold such people in high esteem.
Comments:
Romans 13:4
Θεοῦ γὰρ διάκονός ἐστιν σοὶ εἰς τὸ ἀγαθόν. ἐὰν δὲ τὸ κακὸν ποιῇς, φοβοῦ, οὐ γὰρ εἰκῇ τὴν μάχαιραν φορεῖ· Θεοῦ γὰρ διάκονός ἐστιν, ἔκδικος εἰς ὀργὴν τῷ τὸ κακὸν πράσσοντι.
For he is a servant of God to you for good; but when you might do evil, be afraid, for not to no purpose does he wear a sword, for he is a servant of God, agents for wrath to the one practicing evil.
Paraphrase: The magistrates are actually God’s servants even when they themselves don’t acknowledge it. God has set them up to do His will, and it is God’s will that they protect those who are living good and productive lives. If you decide to cheat someone or to get violent or, in any way, to disrespect the rights of another, then you should tremble. The magistrate does not wear a sword for nothing. On the contrary, he is doing God’s will when he pulls out that sword and strikes down those who cause trouble and violate the rights of others. Through these magistrates, the wrath of God comes down on all who do evil.
Comments:
Romans 13:5
Διὸ ἀνάγκη ὑποτάσσεσθαι, οὐ μόνον διὰ τὴν ὀργὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὴν συνείδησιν.
Therefore, necessary to be subject not only on account of wrath but even on account of conscience.
Paraphrase: Brothers and sisters, let us have this spirit of submission to the magistrates not just because we fear the sword which they wield, but because we are followers of Jesus who taught us to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. (Matthew 22:21) Let this teaching of Jesus shape and mold our conscience and bring us to respect the magistrate.
Comments:
Romans 13:6
διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ, καὶ φόρους τελεῖτε· λειτουργοὶ γὰρ Θεοῦ εἰσιν, εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο προσκαρτεροῦντες.
For on account of this, even taxes, pay; for servants of God, they are, for this very thing continuing.
Paraphrase: Yes, this surely means that everyone should pay their taxes. The government can’t do their job apart from the funding which makes it possible. So pay your taxes so that the magistrate can continue doing what God has set them up to do.
Comments:
See Lactantius on the taxations of Diocletian. (see chapter 7, p168)
For εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο, see Thayer left column p86.
Romans 13:7
ἀπόδοτε πᾶσιν τὰς ὀφειλάς, τῷ τὸν φόρον, τὸν φόρον· τῷ τὸ τέλος, τὸ τέλος· τῷ τὸν φόβον, τὸν φόβον· τῷ τὴν τιμὴν, τὴν τιμήν.
Pay to all what is owed; to the one [requiring] tax, tax; to the one [requiring] custom, custom; to the one [requiring] respect, respect; to the one [honor], honor.
Paraphrase: If you owe something to anyone, be sure to pay that debt quickly. (Romans 13:8) When the tax man comes, give him whatever is owed. When the customs agent stops you on the road and requires a duty, pay it. Give respect to all those to whom it is due. Honor all those whom God has set up to rule.
Comments:
Romans 13:8
Μηδενὶ μηδὲν ὀφείλετε, εἰ μὴ τὸ ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν· ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἕτερον, νόμον πεπλήρωκεν.
Owe nothing to none except to love one another, for the one loving the other has fulfilled the law.
Paraphrase: So my dear friends, I’ve been teaching you your debt to all the governing authorities. We owe them submission, respect, and obedience. But let’s remember what our Savior taught us; we are indebted to every person. (Luke 10:25-37) You may not have any financial debt and generally that’s a wise policy; but in a real sense, you are in debt to everyone. Yes, to every person you owe the debt of love. They have a right to expect it from you, and you are under an obligation to pay it. I know that those of you who grew up with the law are very concerned that you obey it’s every precept. Well let me tell you this; the person who loves has already obeyed every single command in the law. (Galatians 5:14; Colossians 3:14; 1 Timothy 1:5) In one fell swoop, he has given all the obedience which God requires from His children. Isn’t that amazing?
Comments:
Ewald calls (p43) the Jewish study of the law “a legislative mania.” His comments are quite interesting. Details of this mania are in Schurer §28.
Paul’s teaching here assumes the abiding character of the decalog. If not, Paul would be teaching here that love fulfills the entire law even though this law was not binding on anyone. Whatever we might think about the Old Testament laws, it is clear that Paul sees two realities:
- the dispensation of law or the Mosaic system is cancelled in Christ;
- the commands in the decalog were not cancelled but remain in force and are “fulfilled” by love.
Whatever our theology of Old Testament law, it must make room for both of these. This is all that the traditional distinction between civil, ceremonial, and moral laws (p106) was trying to accomplish; and up until this point, nothing better has been set forth.
Sanday & Headlam have a long note (p374) on the history of the word αγαπη.
Romans 13:9
τὸ γάρ, Οὐ μοιχεύσεις, Οὐ φονεύσεις, Οὐ κλέψεις, Οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις, καὶ εἴ τις ἑτέρα ἐντολή, ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται, ἐν τῷ· Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν.
For this, do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet; and if any other command, in this word, it is summed up in it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Paraphrase: Do you doubt this? Take your law and think about it. Isn’t it true that you exhaust yourself in obeying each of the ten commands perfectly? You leave no detail untouched; every possible violation of the decalog is carefully weighed and guarded against. Consider this, my dear friends. With one act of love, a full obedience is rendered to every one of these commands. Yes, the command against adultery, murder, theft, lying, coveting, and all the rest are perfectly obeyed when we love God and one another. In fact, this is what Moses himself taught us (Leviticus 19:18), and this teaching was repeated by our Lord when He taught us that the entire law was summed up in the two commands to love God and our neighbor. (Matthew 22:34-40; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8)
Comments:
Moule says (p218) that “it is obvious also that by ‘the Law’ here he means only that part of the Divine Law which affects “the neighbor.” The “first and great commandment” (see Matt. 22:37, 38) is not here in view.” This can be granted to an extent because Paul is clearly focused on interpersonal obligations. In a larger sense, however, Paul understands that love fulfills the entire law, both the first and second tables, as was so clearly taught by His Master. The general principle is enunciated in v10 that love fulfills the entire law including all ten of the commands.
Romans 13:10
ἡ ἀγάπη τῷ πλησίον κακὸν οὐκ ἐργάζεται· πλήρωμα οὖν νόμου ἡ ἀγάπη.
Love works no evil to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.
Paraphrase: Think about this; the decalog forbids any kind of harm or evil done to another person. Now isn’t that what love is? Love is when we wish good to people and do what we can to make that a reality. Well then, it follows from this that love fulfills the law. Do you see it? Love renders a full obedience to each of the commands of the decalog. A person who is full of love will always act in a proper way towards someone of the opposite sex. They will honor their parents and respect the property of others. They will do all they can to help people to flourish and prosper. They will not tell lies to someone they love. This is true for the neighbor commands but just as true for the commands pertaining to God. Those who love God will give Him their exclusive devotion. They will honor His worship, His Name, and His day. Indeed, what command is left untouched by love?
Comments:
For see πλήρωμα οὖν νόμου ἡ ἀγάπη, GGBB p43 or p767.
On love as wishing good to someone, see p317.
Romans 13:11
Καὶ τοῦτο, εἰδότες τὸν καιρόν, ὅτι ὥρα ἤδη ὑμᾶς ἐξ ὕπνου ἐγερθῆναι· νῦν γὰρ ἐγγύτερον ἡμῶν ἡ σωτηρία ἢ ὅτε ἐπιστεύσαμεν.
and this, knowing the time, that the hour already is for you to awake from sleep, for now nearer is our salvation than when we believed.
Paraphrase: Then there is also this consideration, dear brothers and sisters. Think of what time it is. The end of the age is upon us. (Hebrews 9:26) Our Savior has come to earth, made atonement for our sins, rose again in victory, and has ascended into heaven in order to take His place at the right hand of our Father in heaven. He has baptized His people in the Holy Spirit and made us partakers of this salvation. Now, it just remains for Him to return from heaven, to gather up His people, and to usher us into our glorious inheritance. Think of this, brothers and sisters. The full consummation of our salvation is right around the corner. It’s closer even than the day when we first believed in Christ! Therefore, there’s no time for sleeping (1 Thessalonians 5:6; 1 Corinthians 15:34; cf. Ephesians 5:14) or letting down our guard. (Matthew 25:13) On the contrary, it is time to stand up and to start acting like those who have a place in the glorious kingdom of our God. Wake up! He’s standing on the threshold! (Philippians 4:5. 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 6; James 5:9; Revelation 22:12)
Comments:
See Trench p209.
Romans 13:12
ἡ νὺξ προέκοψεν, ἡ δὲ ἡμέρα ἤγγικεν. ἀποθώμεθα οὖν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ σκότους· ἐνδυσώμεθα δὲ τὰ ὅπλα τοῦ φωτός.
The night is advancing, and the day is near. Let us put away, therefore, the works of darkness; and let us put on the weapons of light.
Paraphrase: Yes, the long night of evil is drawing to a close. (John 3:19; Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:11; 1 John 1:6) The victory has already been won; the serpent’s head has been crushed. In light of this, should we still be acting like those who live in the dark? Should we, who have been brought out of darkness and into God’s light, be acting like we are still citizens of the kingdom of darkness? (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5; 1 Peter 2:9; ) The kingdom of our Lord is a kingdom of perfect light, truth, and righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:27) Therefore, if the dark night of sin is passing away, let us put away those parts of our lifestyle which still belong to that darkness just like we would take off a filthy garment. Let us stand up and take out the weapons which Christ, our Captain has given us. These are the weapons which dispel the darkness and shed the light of the gospel of Christ’s victory.
Comments:
Note the hortatory subjunctives.
Romans 13:13
ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, εὐσχημόνως περιπατήσωμεν, μὴ κώμοις καὶ μέθαις, μὴ κοίταις καὶ ἀσελγείαις, μὴ ἔριδι καὶ ζήλῳ.
As in the day, decently let us walk, not in partying and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and promiscuity, not in quarreling and envy.
Paraphrase: Do you want to know what kind of lifestyle belongs to the dark night of evil? Well just look about you, brothers and sisters. All around us we see it. It is a lifestyle of wild partying where people lay aside all restraints and drink themselves drunk and sleep with whoever they please. When they are sober, they return to their greedy pursuit of money and pleasure. They fight, quarrel, and do their best to take advantage of any unsuspecting person. The strong oppress the weak, and the weak hate the strong. It’s a never ending cycle of hatred and misery.
Comments:
See Schaff §89.
Romans 13:14
ἀλλὰ ἐνδύσασθε τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς πρόνοιαν μὴ ποιεῖσθε εἰς ἐπιθυμίας.
But clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ and the flesh, make no plan for desires.
Paraphrase: Well then, what should we do? Do this, dear brothers and sisters. Take off that old lifestyle like an old, filthy set of clothes. This kind of clothing belongs to the night; take it off and throw it far from you. Now, take better clothes and put these on. Yes, take the Lord Jesus Christ, and clothe yourself with Him. (Galatians 3:27) Live as He lived; speak as He spoke; act as He acted. Then as you walk through this dark world, the people of the night will see Jesus. They will see the light and be drawn to it. (John 1:4-5)
Comments: