Romans 13

Rom13:1-4 AMP LET EVERY person be loyally subject to the governing (civil) authorities. For there is no authority except from God [by His permission, His sanction], and those that exist do so by God’s appointment. Prov. 8:15. Therefore he who resists and sets himself up against the authorities resists what God has appointed and arranged [in divine order]. And those who resist will bring down judgment upon themselves [receiving the penalty due them]. (3) For civil authorities are not a terror to [people of] good conduct, but to [those of] bad behavior. Would you have no dread of him who is in authority? Then do what is right and you will receive his approval and commendation. (4) For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, [you should dread him and] be afraid, for he does not bear and wear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant to execute His wrath (punishment, vengeance) on the wrongdoer.

  • Who is Paul speaking to?
  • When is it hard to accept Romans 13:2?
  • How can we have no fear of authority?
  • Were the civil authorities a terror for Paul and the other disciples? (Romans 13:3)
  • What was the governing authority of this time?
  • What was happening to the Christians during the reign of Nero?
  • How do we reconcile the tyrannical leaders of history with Romans 13:4?

Rom 13:5-10 AMP Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God’s wrath and escape punishment, but also as a matter of principle and for the sake of conscience. (6) For this same reason you pay taxes, for [the civil authorities] are official servants under God, devoting themselves to attending to this very service. (7) Render to all men their dues. [Pay] taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, and honor to whom honor is due. (8) Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor [who practices loving others] has fulfilled the Law [relating to one’s fellowmen, meeting all its requirements]. (9) The commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet (have an evil desire), and any other commandment, are summed up in the single command, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. Exod. 20:13-17; Lev. 19:18. Love does no wrong to one’s neighbor [it never hurts anybody]. Therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law.

  • Why should we obey authority? (2 reasons)
  • Can you see how not rendering a person\’s due respect and honor is also being in their debt?
  • How else may we be in debt to others?
  • Which commandments did Paul focus on in verse 9? Do the other 5 commandments also apply in this teaching? How?
  • Re-read Mark 12:28-31 – What new insight do you see in this connection that Paul is making?

Rom 13:11-14 AMP Besides this you know what [a critical] hour this is, how it is high time now for you to wake up out of your sleep (rouse to reality). For salvation (final deliverance) is nearer to us now than when we first believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Christ, the Messiah). (12) The night is far gone and the day is almost here. Let us then drop (fling away) the works and deeds of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light. (13) Let us live and conduct ourselves honorably and becomingly as in the [open light of] day, not in reveling (carousing) and drunkenness, not in immorality and debauchery (sensuality and licentiousness), not in quarreling and jealousy. (14) But clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and make no provision for [indulging] the flesh [put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your physical nature] to [gratify its] desires (lusts).

  • Is the hour more or less critical for us now than it was for Paul and the Romans?
  • How should that affect us and our application of these verses?
  • Do we have each of these categories covered in verse 13?
  • How do we wake up out of our sleep? (two aspects)

THEME

CHARACTER OF GOD

APPLICATION

REFERENCES

Luk 20:25 AMP He said to them, Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.

Mar 12:28-31 AMP Then one of the scribes came up and listened to them disputing with one another, and, noticing that Jesus answered them fitly and admirably, he asked Him, Which commandment is first and most important of all [in its nature]? (29) Jesus answered, The first and principal one of all commands is: Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord; (30) And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment. Deut. 6:4, 5. The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. [Lev. 19:18.]