The Book of Romans - Lesson 13

In Chapter Twelve, Paul outlined the Christian way of life. It is a life that requires supernatural power because it is a life the imitates Jesus Christ. It is perhaps best summed up by Romans 12:2: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." In Chapter Thirteen he addresses the difficult issue of the Christian's relationship to human governments.

Chapter 13

^{Romans 13:1} Every one soul [a] must should submit [b] himself to the governing authorities authorities established for you,[c] for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

The principal had been established in the Old Testament that human governments could only exist with the assent of God.

Daniel 4:17 "The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men."

However, the record shows that when those powers directly went against the instructions of God, they were to be challenged. The Pharaoh during the Exodus refused to let the people go. God could have told the Israelites to rise up in rebellion, and granted them victory, but He didn't. That would have sent the wrong message. It took ten plagues, but Pharaoh finally let them go.

In the case of Daniel's three friends who refused to bow down and worship the golden image on the plain of Dura (Daniel 3), God did not strike Nebuchadnezzar dead. He used the submission and the faith of the three to testify to God's faithfulness. This was also the case when Daniel refused to quit praying to God and was thrown into the lion's den. There was also the case of Esther, who pleaded the case of the Jews after they had been condemned by the machinations of Haman. She trusted in God to take care of the situation. In the history of the Roman Empire, huge numbers of people were converted to true Christianity by the patient martyrdom of Christians. After the state became "Christian" the power and authority connected with being a "political Christian" corrupted the visible Church. They eventually had more interest in politics than the Gospel. In recent times, the ruler of the Soviet Union began to wonder why that state was persecuting its most law abiding and productive citizens. The unthinkable happened and Communism collapsed.

^{Romans 13:2-3a} Consequently, he who rebels against resists the authority is rebelling standing against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong.

Clearly, Paul is not advocating blindly obeying what any ruler tells you to do. Jesus Christ Himself did not obey the wishes of the ruling Sanhedrin when they told Him not to heal on the Sabbath. Neither did Peter and John obey them when they were told to quit preaclhing the Gospel. Paul fled from the authority of the ruler of Damascus when there was a warrant out for his arrest. What Paul is talking about is the legitimate authority of a society to make laws for the mutual benefit of its members. Christians should make the best citizens under those circumstances because by doing this they will seek the welfare of their neighbors as they seek their own.

^{Romans 13:2b} Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.

Of course we know that the Christian has no reason to fear anything! As Paul has already stated in Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Also Romans 8:35 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" So the fear here is not an unreasoning emotional fear, but more on the order of a general principal. Most governing bodies are more concerned with order and prosperity. It is worth noting that at the time of Paul's writing, the Roman Empire had not persecuted the Christians and rather had stood as a guarantee for a somewhat evenhanded application of the law, particularly when the Jews wanted to persecute the Christians. It was not until Nero's time that a limited persecution of the Christians began with the expulsion of Christians from Rome after the fire in 64 AD, and the arrest and execution of Paul and Peter in 66-68 AD. The first explicitly anti-Christian persecution by the Roman Empire was by the Emperor Domition in 95 AD.

^{Romans 13:4} For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Historically, verses 1-8 have been used to support the "Divine Right of Kings." Under that concept the medieval King was not accountable to anyone but God for laws he broke or rights he abrogated. The Bible never said that Kings were not subject to the same laws as everyone else. The Catholic heirarchy based its prerogatives on something like that, so they were happy to accede to the principal. This was one reason so many irreligious and morally bankrupt Monarchs were fervent Catholics. This is also one reason, access to scriptures was violently opposed by both church and state.

^{Romans 13:5} Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.

The duty of the Christian is never to seize government. It is to change lives, and thereby society through living out the Word of God. Although, in our country today, we should vote for men who hold to Christian principals (which also tends to bring prosperity and peace) we should be aware that every time Christians have some measure of control of the government, that this is a situation that Satan is an experienced hand at undermining. When Christians control the government, people who are only greedy for power will assume the guise of Christians and will either discredit Christianity, or undermine its influence. This has been happening from the beginning of history.

^{Romans 13:6} This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.

The Christian is never to undermine the state, but rather to help it to carry out its true responsibilities under God.

^{Romans 13:7} Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

The Christian is to seek to be respected by all. We are to follow the example of Jesus, who from young manhood (nearly twenty years) "grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." (Luke 2:52)

^{Romans 13:8-10} Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet,"[d] and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[e] Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

By doing these things we will fulfill the law. We will be demonstrating to our society our concern for our neighbor rather than our concern for ourselves. We have to remember that at this time many of the Pagans were accusing Christians of being a danger to the state. How do these principals apply to the American Revolution? The American Revolution did not attack the law. It rather correctly objected to the breaking of the law by King George the Third. It was not a revolution, but a war of one political entity (the colonies) against another (the crown).

^{Romans 13:11} And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

Their behavior (and ours) should also be impacted by an accurate understanding of how God views (and we should view) time. Psalms 90:4 "For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night." God also puts great value on people, but not on national entities. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Isaiah 40:15,17 "Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. -- Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing."

^{Romans 13:12} 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.

Whether Christ comes tomorrow, or in a thousand years, for us, we will see Him by death or the Rapture within a hundred years at the most. The older I get, the more I realize how short a time that is.

^{Romans 13:13} Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

Here, Paul makes a short list of sins. Two are sins of physical dissipation, two are sins which involve betrayal, and two are sins which are sins of the mental attitude. This list stands in for the long list of sins which are of the same type.

^{Romans 13:14} Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Here Paul refers back to the content of Chapter Twelve. That is, how we should live. We should imitate Christ. The alternative will always be to gratify our nature of sin.

[b] The Greek verb here is in the middle voice which suggests that the action of the verb is for the benefit of  the subject of the verb, "every soul."

[c] The Greek word here is ὑπερέχω {hü-per-e'-khō} which means "to have on behalf of."

[d] Exodus 20:13-17

[e] Leviticus 19:18