Romans Chapter 13

From The Open Bible Project

13:1 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God.

• (1) Now he distinctly shows what subjects owe to their magistrates, that is, obedience: from which he shows that no man is free: and the obedience we owe is such that it is not only due to the highest magistrate himself, but also even to the lowest, who has any office under him.
• (a) Indeed, though an apostle, though an evangelist, though a prophet; Chrysostom. Therefore the tyranny of the pope over all kingdoms must be thrown down to the ground.
• (2) A reason taken from the nature of the thing itself: for to what purpose are they placed in higher degree, but in order that the inferiors should be subject to them?
• (3) Another argument of great force: because God is author of this order: so that those who are rebels ought to know that they make war with God himself: and because of this they purchase for themselves great misery and calamity.
• (b) Be distributed: for some are greater, some smaller.

13:2 Therefore he who resists the authority, withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment.

13:3 For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the same,

• (4) The third argument, taken from the reason for which they were made, which is that they are to be most profitable: because God by this means preserves the good and bridles the wicked: by which words the magistrates themselves are put in mind of that duty which they owe to their subjects.
• (5) An excellent way to bear this yoke, not only without grief, but also with great profit.

13:4 for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn't bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil.

• (6) God has armed the magistrate even with an avenging sword.
• (c) By whom God avenges the wicked.

13:5 Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience' sake.

• (7) The conclusion: we must obey the magistrate, not only for fear of punishment, but much more because (although the magistrate has no power over the conscience of man, yet seeing he is God’s minister) he cannot be resisted by any good conscience.
• (d) So far as we lawfully may: for if unlawful things are commanded to us, we must answer as Peter teaches us, "It is better to obey God than men."

13:6 For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God's service, attending continually on this very thing.

• (8) He sums up the main thing, in which consists the obedience of subjects.

13:7 Give therefore to everyone what you owe: taxes to whom taxes are due; customs to whom customs; respect to whom respect; honor to whom honor.

• (e) Obedience, and that from the heart.
• (f) Reverence, which (as we have reason) we must give to the magistrate.

13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

• (9) He shows how very few judgments need to be executed, that is, if we so order our life as no man may justly require anything from us, besides only that which we owe one to another, by the perpetual law of charity.
• (10) He commends charity as a concise statement of the whole law.
• (g) Has not only done one commandment, but performed generally that which the law commands.

13:9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not give false testimony," "You shall not covet,"[60][61] and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."[62]

• (h) For the whole law commands nothing else but that we love God and our neighbour. But seeing that Paul speaks here of the duties we owe one to another, we must restrain this word "law" to the second table of the ten commandments.

13:10 Love doesn't harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

13:11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed.

• (11) An application taken from the circumstances of the time: which also itself puts us in mind of our duty, seeing that this remains, after which the darkness of ignorance and wicked affections by the knowledge of God’s truth is driven out of us, that we order our life according to that certain and sure rule of all righteousness and honesty, being fully grounded upon the power of the Spirit of Christ.

13:12 The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let's therefore throw off the works of darkness, and let's put on the armor of light.

• (i) In other places we are said to be in the light, but yet so that it does not yet appear what we are, for as yet we see but as it were in the twilight.
• (k) That kind of life which those lead that flee the light.

13:13 Let us walk properly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and lustful acts, and not in strife and jealousy.

13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts.

• (l) To put on Christ is to possess Christ, to have him in us, and us in him.