‘Owe no man anything, except to love one another, for he who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the law.'
Having spoken of the Christian's debt to the state Paul now turns to the question of the Christian's debt to all men. ‘Owe no man anything' is not saying that we should not enter into debt on a considered basis, but rather that we should pay our dues. We are not to be dilatory in fulfilling our obligations. But he then points out that there is one debt which we are to owe and which is continual, and that is our debt to love one another. As regards this debt we can never call ‘time'. And the reason for that is that love is the fulfilment of the Law. In other words, if we truly love we will automatically fulfil the requirements of the Law as regards our attitude towards others, for we will desire the very best for them. Note Paul's indication that we are to fulfil God's Law in terms of its deepest meaning. But it is as the consequence of our love for Christ and for God, not in order somehow to obtain merit by doing so.