Submission to Governing Authorities
13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Love Fulfills the Law
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[Exodus 20:13-15,17; Deut. 5:17-19,21 ] and whatever other commands there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[Lev. 19:18 ] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
The Day Is Near
11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.[In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.]
NOTES:
13:1–7 Paul must come to grips with the problem raised by a
message that declares people free from the law. How are they to relate to Roman
authority? The problem was exacerbated by the fact that imperial protocol was
interwoven with devotion to various deities. Paul builds on the traditional
instruction exhibited in Wis 6:1–3, according to which kings and magistrates
rule by consent of God. From this perspective, then, believers who render
obedience to the governing authorities are obeying the one who is highest in
command. At the same time, it is recognized that Caesar has the responsibility
to make just ordinances and to commend uprightness; cf. Wis 6:4–21. That Caesar
is not entitled to obedience when such obedience would nullify God’s prior
claim to the believers’ moral decision becomes clear in the light of the
following verses.
13:8–10 When love directs the Christian’s moral decisions,
the interest of law in basic concerns, such as familial relationships, the sanctity
of life, and the security of property, is safeguarded (Rom 13:9). Indeed, says
Paul, the same applies to any other commandment (Rom 13:9), whether one in the
Mosaic code or one was drawn up by local magistrates under imperial authority. Love
anticipates the purpose of public legislation, namely, to secure the best
interests of the citizenry. Since Caesar’s obligation is to punish the
wrongdoer (Rom 13:4), the Christian who acts in love is free from all
legitimate indictment.
13:11–14 These verses provide the motivation for the love
that is encouraged in Rom 13:8–10.
13:13 Let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day: the
behavior described in Rom 1:29–30 is now to be reversed. Secular moralists were
fond of making references to people who could not wait for nightfall to do
their carousing. Paul says that Christians claim to be people of the new day
that will dawn with the return of Christ. Instead of planning for nighttime
behavior they should be concentrating on conduct that is consonant with avowed
interest in the Lord’s return.
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