Romans 13:1 ¶ 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.
For verse 1 let us remember what Jesus said to Pilate.
John 19:11 Jesus answered,
Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from
above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
This should give us some evidence of reality and tie us to it in
our thinking but unfortunately, for American and those who consider themselves
conservative Christians it usually does not.
There were no so-called Christian countries when this was written
and no constitutions to protect the rights of Christians. This appeal is under
pagan governmental authority. God works through heathen leaders to punish
evildoers. That is the only legitimate authority of government. We make a
mistake if we look at Joseph and his pharaoh’s administration of Egypt under a
crisis as our model for government just because it is in the Bible and not
condemned.
Here, paying taxes to legitimate governmental authority is
commanded for the Christian. We must also remember that as brutal as
governments were in these times they were not near so as intrusive in every
aspect of a person’s life as our government is today telling us even what we
are permitted to eat and drink or do privately.
There is also a corresponding principle not to obey man by
disobeying God as laid out in Acts with Peter and company’s encounter with
authority.
Acts 5:29 Then Peter and
the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
It must also be said that you are not justified in disobedience to
governmental authority standing on a principle you’ve made up using the Bible
as your excuse. Christians must be careful of their rebellious spirit. You have
neither a legal nor Biblical right to maintain a working howitzer in your front
yard to terrorize your neighbors and let the ‘gubmint’ know you mean business.
It is our duty to try to live in peace with all men, working with
our own hands, minding our own business, and doing God’s work for us as we will
see in Paul’s letters upcoming. We need to pray for our wicked leaders to be
saved but we also need to not use Christ as an excuse to rebel against them
when rebelling is necessary based on the contract we have with those wicked
leaders through the Constitution they abuse and disregard. Thank God for the
Bill of Rights! Yes, there is a time for rebellion, for revolution even, but
let us not confuse the cause of Christ in drawing all men to Him with our fight
for our political rights under an oppressive regime.
Romans 13:7 ¶ 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.
This passage starts out with a call to pay legitimate taxes, tribute
to whom tribute is due. It is also a clear call to respect legitimate
authority. The Law given to Moses is
then distilled to show us what is important, obedience to God’s standards of
righteousness. There are several cross-references to previous statements which
we have already discussed, statements made by Jesus Himself and the Apostles.
Matthew 17:24 ¶ And when
they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter,
and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? 25
He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him,
saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take
custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? 26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith
unto him, Then are the children free. 27
Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and
cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast
opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto
them for me and thee.
In the context of fearing God Peter commands that we honor the
king, and there were no Christian kings at that time.
1Peter 2:17 Honour all men.
Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
In verse 8 loving another as the fulfillment of the Law is noted
as in the following;
Galatians 5:14 For all the
law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself.
What follows defines loving another by not committing these acts
egregious to God against them. This is a retelling of the Law given to Moses
that Paul wants to impress upon the Christian.
The fulfillment of the Law, according to Paul, writing through the
understanding and wisdom given to him by the Holy Spirit of God, is in that we
do no harm to our neighbor. This is the fulfilling of the Law. Jesus made this
type of statement as well.
Matthew 22:35 Then one of
them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the
law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind.
38 This is the first and
great commandment. 39 And the second is
like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law
and the prophets.
This does not wash well with those who must dominate others and
those who believe they have a right to harm, to oppress, to take, and to
control. Those people can hardly be Christians.
Love, not working harm, underscores and illuminates the purpose of
the part of the Ten Commandments that deals with interactions with other
people. Think of that when considering the full force of a command like not
committing adultery or not stealing. Doing no harm is the essence of those commandments.
So, you cannot obey these commandments by harming someone and say you are doing
it out of love.
To those people who manipulate Bible verses to justify their own
depredations on others weaker than themselves this should be a slap in the
face. If you are causing someone pain, emotional or physical, in regard to
these specific commands then you are not obeying God, your rationalizations
notwithstanding.
Romans 13:11 ¶ 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.
We are all told to be expecting the Lord’s return at any moment.
See Titus.
Titus 2:13 Looking for that
blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ;
Paul, like Christians in every age, believes it is very close. The
reference to night is very interesting.
John 9: 4 I must work
the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man
can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light
of the world.
Jesus claims that the time He has on earth is
a time of light and day, but night is coming. Modern versions say We
to start verse 4, instead of I which takes the verse away from being a
reference to Christ’s limited time on earth. It is Christ who is about to do
something. The spiritual night we live in is coming.
John
13:26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom
I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he
gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27
And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That
thou doest, do quickly. 28 Now no man at
the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. 29 For some of them thought, because Judas had
the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of
against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 He then having received the sop went
immediately out: and it was night.
Paul also wrote;
1Thessalonians
5:5 Ye are all the children of light,
and the children of the day: we are not
of the night, nor of darkness.
Peter wrote;
2Peter
3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which
the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt
with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be
burned up.
As Christ’s resurrection was revealed in the
morning, we are waiting for Christ’s return for us, for the morning light to
peek over the horizon;
Genesis
1:5 And God called the light Day, and
the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Psalm
30:4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his,
and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his
favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Psalm
130:6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more
than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
2Peter
1:19 We have also a more sure word of
prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth
in a dark place, until the day dawn, and
the day star arise in your hearts:
Jesus was the particular and special light of
the world of men while He was in the world. No one living then, other than Him,
could have forseen the power over human civilization that His presence was to
have. Without His existence in the form of a human we would be lost. It was
that visitation that set the stage for our salvation.
John
1:4 In him was life; and the life was
the light of men.
John
8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them,
saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in
darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Paul says to cast off the works of darkness. He lists them
in Ephesians 5 by no means suggesting that those mentioned are all there are.
Ephesians 5:1 ¶ Be ye
therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself
for us an offering and a sacrifice to
God for a sweetsmelling savour.
3 ¶ But fornication, and all uncleanness, or
covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor
jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor
unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in
the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let
no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the
wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but
now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all
goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10
Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12
For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them
in secret. 13 But all things that are
reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is
light. 14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou
that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly,
not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming
the time, because the days are evil. 17
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord
is. 18 And be not drunk with wine,
wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all things
unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Paul tells the Christian to put on the armour of light, likely
a reference to the light provided by Christ. As John notes;
1John 2:8 Again, a new
commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because
the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
The whole armour of God which we might link with the armour
of light is defined in Ephesians 6.
Ephesians 6:10 ¶ Finally,
my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of
God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your
loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the
preparation of the gospel of peace; 16
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God: 18 Praying always with
all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Chambering and wantonness are two words that
we no longer typically use. They refer to sexual sins and unrestrained lust,
two very common weaknesses of mankind even today. A Christian is supposed to restrain
the baser impulses of the flesh. There are good and proper paths for sexual
fulfillment with a spouse but these are references to immoderate obsessions,
like those that characterize modern man. Only in those days they were also
connected, as we will see in Corinthians, to religion.
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