Romans 13
The Christian’s Responsibility to Government And Society
Chapter 13 deals with living in the world as a Christian. Paul counseled submission to human government and love for all people while we actively wait for our Lord to appear. - Thomas Constable
Now, in our study of Romans, you might ask, “Why is this section in here?” In Romans 12, we were talking about how the gospel reshapes how we approach relationships--specifically, it makes us love the church, love our friends, and love our enemies differently. But then we come to this seemingly random discussion about the government.
First, this is an application of Paul’s instruction to “leave vengeance to God” (12:19). In chapter 12, Paul said that rather than taking vengeance into our own hands, we should leave it to God. One of the ways God executes vengeance is through government authorities. It’s not the ultimate way, and governments certainly get a lot wrong, but in one sense governments stand in for God and execute justice on his behalf.
Second, for the 1st century church, one of the primary places they would have had to “overcome evil with good” would have been in their relationship with governing authorities(12:18). Remember, Paul had said to “overcome evil with good” and “bless those who curse you.” Well, many of the people who were inflicting evil on the Christians and cursing them were governing authorities. And the way they are to overcome them, Paul says, is by submitting, honoring, and obeying them even when they don’t always deserve it.
Third reason this section is in the letter: Many scholars believe that Paul expected Caesar (or someone on his behalf) to read this letter, so Paul wants to make clear that his intentions are not to overthrow the government.
In his commentary, The Message of Romans, John Stott identifies four general ways the relationship between church and state has occurred:
Theocracy: The church controls the state (Vatican, or Islam, places like Saudi Arabia)
Erastianism: The state controls the church (Certain parts of old Europe were like this: China and Russia.)
Constantinianism: A compromise in which the state favors the church; the church makes accommodations with the state in order to preserve favored status. (Parts of old Europe were this way)
Partnership: Church and state recognize that each have distinct God-given responsibilities, and they encourage and collaborate with each other in fulfilling these roles.
Stott says that the 4th (Partnership) seems to accord best with what Paul teaches in Romans 13. Paul wants to make clear to Caesar when he reads this that, when he comes to Rome, it is as a missionary apostle, not a political agitator, and to the Roman Christians, that their role is to influence, not overthrow. - JD Greear
Submit to Governing Authority
Vs. 1-7 - Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God.
These governing authorities are called “God’s servants” three times in this passage. Paul taught that their positions and decisions were not without reason. In most instances, to reject authority was to reject the authority of God.
And this is particularly interesting since many believe Paul wrote this letter under house arrest. It (the Roman Empire) was no democracy, and no special friend to Christians – yet he still saw their legitimate authority. - David Guzik
At first reading, this is an extremely surprising passage, for it seems to counsel absolute obedience on the part of the Christian to the civil power. But, in point of fact, this is a commandment which runs through the whole New Testament. It was the consistent and official teaching of the Christian Church that obedience must be given to, and prayers made for, the civil power, even when the wielder of that civil power was a Nero.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 - I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and for all who are in high positions; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way.
Titus 3:1 - Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for any honest work.
1 Peter 2:13-17 - Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing right you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.... Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Paul saw in the state an instrument in the hand of God, preserving the world from chaos. Those who administered the state were playing their part in that great task. Whether they knew it or not, they were doing God's work, and it was the Christian's duty to help and not to hinder. - William Barclay
Vs. 6 - And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s servants
Christians should obey the law and pay their taxes, not just because they fear the penalties, but because they see these duties as further ways of acknowledging God’s rule in the world. - Don Fleming
Love One Another
Vs. 8 - Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another
Paul says that there is only one thing that we should pay and never be done paying: the debt of love. We can pay our financial debts and be done. But we can never say, "I have done all the loving I need to do." Love is always our debt. - Brent Kercheville, West Palm Beach Church of Christ
Vs. 8 - Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.
Jesus’ summation of the law and prophets (Matthew 22:36-39) became, to the Christian church, the one great commandment of the new covenant.
Matthew 22:36-39 - He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”
Put On The Lord Jesus Christ
Vs. 11-12 - our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is nearly over, and the day is near.
Paul continues by saying that it is time to wake from sleep. Sleep is used in the scriptures as a metaphor for a life of moral carelessness and laxity. It is time to be alert because the promise of the consummation of our salvation is closer than when we started. Do not be sleep walkers. Do not go through life in moral apathy and spiritual laziness. - Brent Kercheville, West Palm Beach Church of Christ
Put off
Vs. 12 - discard the deeds of darkness
Vs. 13 - not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy
Vs. 14 - make no provision for the flesh
Put on
Vs. 12 - put on the armor of light
Vs. 13 - Let us walk with decency
Vs. 14 - Put on the Lord Jesus Christ
In several of Paul’s letters, he uses the Greek word ἐνδύω (usually used in the Gospel records for putting on or wearing clothes) as a illustration for how Christians should pursue hope and holiness in response to the gospel. To “put on Jesus” becomes, then, the continuous task of discarding and delighting, of escaping and embracing, of rejection and replacement, as we are transformed by the Holy Spirit to delight in the will of God by loving one another.
Colossians 3:9-10 - Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.
Ephesians 4:22-24 - take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.
