Romans 13
13
Submission to the Authorities
1Let every person #Titus 3:1; 1 Pet. 2:13 be subject to the governing authorities. For #[John 19:11]; See Dan. 2:21there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you #1 Pet. 2:14will receive his approval, 4for #2 Chr. 19:6 he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, #1 Thess. 4:6an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also #1 Pet. 2:19; [Eccles. 8:2]for the sake of conscience. 6For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7#Matt. 17:25; 22:21; Mark 12:17Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Fulfilling the Law Through Love
8 # [Lev. 19:13; Prov. 3:27, 28] Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for #ver. 10; [Matt. 22:40; Col. 3:14]; See John 13:34the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9For the commandments, #Matt. 19:18; Cited from Ex. 20:13-17; Deut. 5:17-21 “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: #Cited from Lev. 19:18“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore #[John 14:15]; See ver. 8love is the fulfilling of the law.
11Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you #1 Cor. 15:34; Eph. 5:14; 1 Thess. 5:6 to wake from sleep. #[Isa. 56:1; Luke 21:28]For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12#[John 9:4] The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us #Col. 3:8 cast off #Eph. 5:11; [John 3:20] the works of darkness and #2 Cor. 6:7; Eph. 6:11, 13; 1 Thess. 5:8put on the armor of light. 13#1 Thess. 4:12 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, #Luke 21:34; Gal. 5:21; 1 Pet. 4:3 not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, #James 3:14, 16not in quarreling and jealousy. 14But #Gal. 3:27; [Job 29:14; Ps. 132:9; Luke 24:49; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10] put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, #Gal. 5:16; 1 Pet. 2:11to gratify its desires.
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Romans 13
13
Be Subject to Government
1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God [granted by His permission and sanction], and those which exist have been put in place by God. [Prov 8:15] 2Therefore whoever #13:2 An exception to this is recorded in Acts 5:27-29. See especially v 29.resists [governmental] authority resists the ordinance of God. And those who have resisted it will bring judgment (civil penalty) on themselves. 3For [civil] authorities are not a source of fear for [people of] good behavior, but for [those who do] evil. Do you want to be unafraid of authority? Do what is good and you will receive approval and commendation. 4For he is God’s servant to you for good. But if you do wrong, [you should] be afraid; for he does not carry the [executioner’s] sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an avenger who brings punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore one must be subject [to civil authorities], not only to escape the punishment [that comes with wrongdoing], but also as a matter of principle [knowing what is right before God]. 6For this same reason you pay taxes, for civil authorities are God’s servants, devoting themselves to governance. 7Pay to all what is due: tax to whom tax is due, customs to whom customs, respect to whom respect, honor to whom honor.
8 # 13:8 Debt is generally to be avoided, but Paul probably is addressing debt to individuals with whom one has a personal relationship. Owe nothing to anyone except to #13:8 The key to understanding this and other statements about love is to know that this love (the Greek word agape) is not so much a matter of emotion as it is of doing things for the benefit of another person, that is, having an unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek the best for other believers.love and seek the best for one another; for he who [unselfishly] loves his neighbor has fulfilled the [essence of the] law [relating to one’s fellowman]. [Matt 22:36-40] 9The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,” and any other commandment are summed up in this statement: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [Ex 20:13-17; Lev 19:18] 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor [it never hurts anyone]. Therefore [unselfish] love is the fulfillment of the Law.
11Do this, knowing that this is a critical time. It is already the hour for you to awaken from your sleep [of spiritual complacency]; for our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed [in Christ]. 12The night [this present evil age] is almost gone and the day [of Christ’s return] is almost here. So let us fling away the works of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light. 13Let us conduct ourselves properly and honorably as in the [light of] day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and irresponsibility, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for [nor even think about gratifying] the flesh in regard to its improper desires.
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