Romans 13 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Order and Loyalty. On the turbulence of Roman Jews, see Introd. § 3.

Romans 13:1 f. Let every soul be subordinate to superior authorities, a general maxim, with two reasons given: that authority is of Divine institution (cf. John 19:11; Psalms 82:6, etc.), and that the existing authorities (of the Empire) are ordained by God, so that he who is insubordinate resists the ordinance of God and resisters will incur judgment. There is a play on the idea of order. In later and worse times Paul maintained the same attitude toward civil government; see 1 Timothy 2:1 ff., Titus 3:1, also 1 Peter 2:13-17 (cf. pp. 774 f.).

Romans 13:3 f. The state-rulers are ministers of God's avenging anger (cf. Romans 12:19, Romans 1:18).

Romans 13:5. The Christian, moreover, is subject. for conscience'sake.

Romans 13:6 f. On the same account taxes, direct or indirect, must be paid (cf. Matthew 22:21), and along with them fear and honour wherever due. The state-servants are sacred-ministers (same word as in Romans 15:16; Romans 15:27) of God for the maintenance of civil society. Paul's urgency points to symptoms of Anarchism, as well as Antinomianism (cf. Romans 6:1).

The All-comprising Law.

Romans 13:8. Taxes are debts, and the Christian must owe nothing to anybody except the infinite debt of love! Whoso loves his neighbour, has fulfilled law (mg.), meeting the supreme and comprehensive obligation; see Matthew 22:39 f.

Romans 13:9 f. proves this in detail: every command is summed up in the well-known law of Jesus. Love is law's fulfilment: the stress lies on fulfilment; nothing is so dutiful as love.

Watching for the Day.

Romans 13:11-12 a. And this (do) the punctual payment of love's debts as men aware of the crisis.. It is the hour of waking: the night has far advanced, etc. Between these sentences intervenes Romans 13:11 b: now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The older Roman Christians (see e.g. Romans 16:7), like Paul, had long watched for Christ's great day (1 Corinthians 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:2, etc.). Salvation (cf. Romans 5:10), beginning with justification, extends to the redemption of the body (see Romans 3:24; Romans 8:23; cf. Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 1:14, etc.).

Romans 13:12 b - Romans 13:14 sounds the reveillé. The works of darkness are the night-raiment to be exchanged for the weapons of light (cf. Ephesians 5:8-11) the armour for the day's battle (see 1 Thessalonians 5:8; Ephesians 6:13 ff.) The thought of a final struggle attending the Messiah's advent pervaded contemporary Apocalyptic: see Daniel 11, Enoch 90: 16, etc.; cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:5-12; Revelation 16:13-16. The warrior must have no part in the foulness and quarrelsomeness of night-revellers (Romans 13:13; cf. Revelation 19:14). Putting on his Captain's character (cf. Romans 8:29, Galatians 3:27), he forgoes all planning for sensual gratification.