Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment upon themselves (v. 1-2).
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you, the brethren, want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practises evil (v.3-4).
Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this, you also pay taxes, for they are God’s minsters attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due; taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour (v.5-7).
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery’, ‘You shall not murder’, ‘You shall not steal’, ‘You shall not bear false witness’, ‘You shall not covet’, and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no harm to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (v.8-10).
Know the time that now is high time to awake out of sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the (v. flesh, to fulfil its lusts (v.11-14).
COMMENTARY
Paul’s exhortation to the brethren in Rome was to subject themselves to Emperor Caesar and the Roman authorities. For the governing authorities were appointed by God and the rulers were God’s ministers and not a terror to good works but to evil. If the brethren wanted to be unafraid of the authority then do good, and they would have praise from the same.
For the emperor was God’s minister to them for good. But if they did evil, then be afraid, for the authority did not bear the sword in vain; being God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practised evil (v.1-4) (NB: The Roman emperor deemed himself as God and persecuted the Christians during those days for not bowing before idols and his image.
In fact Christians were considered as atheists because they served not the gods of the empire. Yet Paul exhorted the brethren to subject themselves to him).
They should be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For it was not only their civil duty but it was their spiritual duty before God (v.5).
Therefore they ought to pay taxes, for the rulers were God’s ministers attending to that very thing. Render to all their due; taxes to whom taxes were due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour (v.6-7).
Owe no one anything except to love one another. Every one of the brethren being purchased by the Lord Jesus Christ with His blood is obligated to Him to love one another. He therefore owes a debt of love to another.
Paul said that he is a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and unwise. For he had received the great love of Christ for him. Hence, he worked to repay the debt; he resolved to go to Rome to preach the gospel to them (v.8; 1:14-15).
He who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery’, ‘You shall not murder’, ‘You shall not steal’, ‘You shall not bear false witness’, ‘You shall not covet’, and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no harm to a neighbour, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
The Ten Commandments are to be kept with fear of God and love for man; the first four being how worshippers love God and serve Him. The remaining six commandments being how believers love one another as themselves. Love does no harm to a neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (v.9-10; Mark 12:29-34).
Paul exhorted the brethren to know the time, that it was high time to awake out of sleep; for then their salvation was nearer than when they first believed. The night was far spent, the day was at hand. Therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light.
Walk properly as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy (v.11-13). Believers are light in the Lord and ought to walk as children of light (fruit of light is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) doing what acceptable to Him. They ought not to have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:8-11).
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts (v.14).
TEACHINGS
Be subject to the governing authorities even those who do not promote faith and worship of the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and God. Pay taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to those to whom customs, fear to Him to whom fear belongs, honour to those to whom honour is due.
Love one another as we love ourselves (I John 4:21) and as Christ loved us (John 13:34-35).
Repay the debt of love to fellow man by preaching the gospel of salvation (Rom.1:14-15).
Have no part in the unfruitful works of darkness such as evil passions, lewdness and lusts, revelries and drunkenness, on account of which the wrath of God comes. But bear the fruit of light which is in all goodness, righteousness and truth (Eph. 4:20-24).
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfil its lusts. Put off the old man which turns corrupt through deceitful lusts and put on the new man which is created after Christ in true righteousness and holiness. This we do with a life of spiritual nurture and one of striving for spirituality (I Cor. 9:27; Rom. 8:5-6 13).
