A Christian’s Duties to the State
1 Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, s since there is no authority except from God, t and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. 2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror u to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. 4 For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger v that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. 5 Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath but also because of your conscience. w 6 And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s servants, continually attending to these tasks. 7 Pay your obligations x to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, y tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, z and honor to those you owe honor.
Love, Our Primary Duty
8 Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. a 9 The commandments, Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not covet; ,b and any other commandment, are summed up by this commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. ,c 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.
Put On Christ
11 Besides this, since you know the time, it is already the hour d for you to wake up from sleep, e because now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. f 12 The night is nearly over, and the day is near; g so let us discard the deeds of darkness h and put on the armor of light. i 13 Let us walk with decency, j as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness; k not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, l and don’t make plans to gratify the desires of the flesh. m
13:1–5. Paul then addresses behavior toward the ruling civic authorities(13:1–7). This is the next logical step after behavior toward fellow believers (12:9–13) and unbelievers (12:14–21), including those who persecute Christians. Paul gives two commands (13:1, 5, 7). (1) Believers must “submit” to official government authorities; in other words, believers obey the edicts, rules, and regulations issued by government officials (13:1, 5). (2) Believers must pay taxes; this is a specific example of submission to civic authorities (13:7).
13:6–7. The application of the principle of 13:1 is spelled out in 13:6–7 with regard to the payment of direct and indirect taxes (tribute and custom tax). These taxes must be paid, as they are demanded by the ruling authorities, whom God has instituted (13:6). The background of this specific example is probably the unrest in the city of Rome at the time, caused by the increase in direct and indirect taxes under Nero. With the last two obligations—respect and honor—Paul returns to his admonition to acknowledge the legitimate jurisdiction of the divinely instituted governing authorities (13:7).
13:8–10. Paul returns to love as the fundamental criterion of behavior. Loving others—being actively concerned for others, having affectionate regard for and interest in others—is an obligation (13:8a). The people to be loved are Christians but also the neighbor who is the enemy (12:14, 17, 21). The reason and motivation for loving others is given in 13:8b–10. Believers who love others have fulfilled the law; they have properly done what the law asks (Rm 8:4; cf. Mt 5:17–20). The commandments of the law, which establish human relationships—no adultery, no murder, no stealing, no envious desires (cf. Ex 20:13–17; Dt 5:17–21)—are summed up in the commandment to love others as much as one loves oneself (Lv 19:18, the most frequently cited passage of the Pentateuch in the NT; see Mt 5:43; 19:19; 22:29; Mk 12:31, 33; Lk 10:27; Gl 5:14; Jms 2:8). Paul does not reduce the law to one single commandment; he formulates the substance of proper obedience to the will of God. The law thus still has relevance for followers of Christ, though Paul has discussed its limitations earlier in the letter.
13:11–14. While the admonition to submit to governmental authorities and to pay taxes suggests that, in many ways, life goes on for Christians as it always has, Paul points out that the expected return of Jesus Christ is near. Final salvation is closer than it was a few years ago (13:11); the day of the revelation of God’s glory and the day of God’s judgment is near (13:12). Christians know that the last days have arrived (cf. Gl 4:4; 1 Co 10:11; Heb 1:1–2; 9:26; Jms 5:9; 1 Pt 1:20). The nearness of the end, which is the beginning of the glorious inheritance of believers, should motivate them to live by the power of God.