Romans 13:1-14 Lesson 308

Romans 13:1-14
Lesson 308

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

The transformed life.
Christian responsibilities (part two of two).

Are Christians subject to civil authority (13:1-7)?
The Royal Law (13:8-10).
Dawn is coming (13:11-14).

"The Three Crosses"
By the Dutch artist Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669).

The way to salvation:

First, acknowledge that we have all sinned
and that the penalty for sin is eternal death.
Second, repent and confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord and that He died for our sins and was resurrected.
Lastly, pray, read the Bible, and make Jesus a part of your life.

Forgiveness of sins and salvation comes through the Son of God.

The Epistle of Paul The Apostle To The Romans

The King James Bible

Romans 13:1-14
More than conquerors

1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

4 For he is the 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 the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Margin notes:

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers." (13:1) - "Let everyone obey the government" (Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-14).

"There is no power but of God." (13:1) - All power comes from God (Proverbs 8:15-16; Daniel 2:21; John 19:10-11).

"For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil." (13:3) - Even tyrannical governments have laws against burglary, assault, theft, kidnapping, murder, etc. They still fix the roads, run the utilities, firehouses, and schools. When it came to government wrongdoing, Paul had no illusions. He lived in an era when slavery was commonplace, and people enjoyed few civil rights. At the very time he was urging believers to obey their government, the brutal Roman Emperor Nero was in power. Paul himself had already been beaten by the authorities (Acts 16:19-24) and spent two years falsely imprisoned (Acts 24:26-27).

"He is the minister of God." (13:4) - "He is the servant of God."

"A revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." (13:4) - Again, even bad governments punish criminals.

"Pay ye tribute." (13:6) - "Pay your taxes." (Matthew 22:17-21;Luke 20:25).

"Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom." (13:7) - "Therefore, pay all who you owe, pay taxes to whom taxes are due, and fees to whom fees are due."

"Fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour." (13:7) - "Give respect to whom respect is due, honor whom honor is due."

"He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." (13:8) - This vital teaching is reinforced in Galatians 5:14. Verses 13:8-10 are part of the Royal Law, also known as The Golden Rule. See James 2:8-12.

"Thou shalt not..." (13:9) - Paul cites six of the Ten Commandments here. See Exodus 20:13-17 or Deuteronomy 5:17-21 for more commandments.

"It is briefly comprehended in this saying." (13:9) - "It is summed up in this saying."

"Love thy neighbour." (13:9) - According to Jesus, neighbors are more than just the people who live on your street (Luke 10:29-37).

"Love worketh no ill to his neighbour." (13:10) - "Love doesn't hurt a neighbor."

"Love is the fulfilling of the law." (13:10) - The entire Mosaic Law hangs on God's commandment to love (Matthew 22:40). It is the Christian's love of Christ that leads them to love everyone.

"It is high time to awake out of sleep." (13:11) - Wake up, make yourself right with God, and sin no more (1 Corinthians 15:34; Ephesians 5:14). It is time to put away your old sinful life. Why? Because we don't know when the Lord will return (1 Thessalonians 5:2-6).

"The night." (13:12) - The night represents evil.

"The day." (13:12) - The day represents salvation.

"Cast off." (13:12) - "Repent."

"Let us walk honestly,...not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying." 13:13) - Means, live honestly, don't spend time carousing, drinking, indulging in sexual immorality, or fighting and being jealous. This is an excellent verse to pray on when tempted to do wrong. Expanded lists of sinful behavior can be found in 1 Corinthians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Romans 1:28-32; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5; 1 Timothy 1:10; 2 Timothy 3:2.

"Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ." (13:14) - When believers "put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27), they become part of Jesus and begin a new life (Romans 6:3-11).

New Living Translation

Romans 13:1-14
Respect for Authority

1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.

2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.

3 For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.

4 The authorities are God's servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God's servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.

5 So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

6 Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do.

7 Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

Love Fulfills God's Requirements

8 Owe nothing to anyone-except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God's law.

9 For the commandments say, "You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet." These-and other such commandments-are summed up in this one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

10 Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God's law.

11 This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.

13 Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don't participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy.

14 Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's Question:

1. Why obey a dishonest or cruel government? (13:1)

2. What is the Christian principle in verse 12:10?

Study your Bible every day.

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. Because even oppressive governments serve God's purpose. Tyrants, like Pharaoh, who held Israel in slavery (Exodus 5:1-14:31), or Pontius Pilate who sentenced the Messiah to death (Mark 15:12-19) were important parts of God's plan of salvation. Likewise, if early Christians had not been persecuted (Acts 8:1), they would not have fled Jerusalem and spread the church. The ways of God are a mystery to us, but even His enemies serve a purpose. See also Luke 20:20-25.

Additional note: Paul opposed anarchy and lawlessness, which even bad governments resist. But, if a government forces its citizens to choose between what is moral and immoral, between God and man, Christians should always follow God (Acts 5:29).

2. Love, it "worketh no ill." "Love does no wrong to others."

Application thought for the day:

What does this passage teach about love?

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2022 evolke

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