May 13, 2014 Romans Chapter 13

Romans Chapter 13

Originally posted on Thursday, July 3, 2008

Romans Chapter 13:1-7 Being Subject to Authorities

Paul presents a brief treatise on good citizenship. The instructions regarding the authority of the state are well timed. The letter was written to the Roman Christians not too long after a disturbance between Synagogue Jews and Christians that broke out in the city causing a limited expulsion of both by the Emperor Claudius. In fact, Christians were hardly distinguishable from the Jews of whom they were considered a minor sect. More generally Paul is reminding the Christians that the government offers a degree of protection for them by virtue of their citizenship and the readily available judicial system in a time when there was no systematic persecution. Paul writes that all authorities are instituted by God. They are God's servants to carry our judgment against those who do wrong. Others need not fear such authority and to resist such authority is to act against God. Obedience to the civil authority is not only a matter of avoiding punishment for wrong doing but it is also a matter of conscience - it is the right thing to do. Paul also urges the community to be conscientious in paying taxes since such levies support the work of the government instituted by God. It is on this basis that Paul can promote paying taxes, respecting and honoring legitimate authority.

Paul makes no mention here of the relationship between his Christology and the Imperial religion of the Roman Empire. As far as Christians were concerned, Christ was the one Lord and one savior of the world over against any divine Caesar. There cannot be two Lords or two saviors and the highest obedience is to Christ even at the cost of one's life. Paul wrote this letter in a time of relative peace.Nero had not yet unleashed his terror upon the Church. He would eventually order the execution of Peter and Paul along with scores of Roman Christians. Paul's exhortation to respect, honor and obedience is limited to civil matters, not religious. Some seventeen years later the Temple and much of the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed in a war that started in no small part due to the encroachment of Imperial religion into Judea.

Romans Chapter 13:8-9 Love One Another

In a brief return to his elaboration on the new life in Christ (12:9-21), he commends as a prime virtue of the community and individual Christians to love one another. Such a love is the fulfillment of the Law. In keeping with other Jewish sages and Pharisees, Paul writes that the commandment to love one's neighbor as one's self is the summation of all commandments (referring to the Ten Commandments), for such a love "does no wrong to a neighbor." Of course, we recognize these words as those spoken by Jesus.

Romans Chapter 13:11-14 An Urgent Appeal

Paul reflects on what he has written regarding salvation, the content of true faith, loving one another and living a civil life respecting authority. All of this defines how one lives. Now Paul will strike a note of urgency emphasizing the importance of this life, putting aside all "works of darkness, [putting on] the armor of light (the Lord Christ)." What is called for is a life lived honorably, not in rampant self-indulgence and gratification. Christians are to understand what time it is, that final salvation (the end of the old age) is closer than ever. It is a time of watchfulness, being alert and found living a life befitting their calling as Children of God. This is Paul's unshakeable belief that Christ is not only returning, he is returning quickly, leaving no time to ignore steadfast attention to living the life of faith in anticipation of the glory to come. He would keep faith with this expectation even in the face of his own death more than a decade later. Whatever our thoughts might be with respect to the coming of a new age, there is value of always being found living the new life in Christ in all we are and all we do. To have loved one another whom we have seen and the neighbor we have not seen may be the better part of how we are remembered.