Ro 13:1–14. Same
Subject Continued—Political and
Social Relations—Motives.
1,
2. Let every soul—every man of you
be
subject unto the higher powers—or,
“submit himself to the authorities that are above him.”
For
there is no power—“no authority”
but
of God: the powers that be are ordained of God—“have been ordained of God.”
2.
Whosoever therefore resisteth the power—“So
that he that setteth himself against the authority.”
resisteth
the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves
damnation—or, “condemnation,” according to
the old sense of that word; that is, not from the magistrate, but from God,
whose authority in the magistrate’s is resisted.
3,
4. For rulers are not a terror to good works—“to
the good work,” as the true reading appears to be
but
to the evil.
4.
he beareth not the sword in vain—that
is, the symbol of the magistrate’s authority to punish.
5.
Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath—for fear of the magistrate’s vengeance.
but
also for conscience’ sake—from
reverence for God’s authority. It is of Magistracy in general,
considered as a divine ordinance, that this is spoken: and the statement
applies equally to all forms of government, from an unchecked despotism—such as
flourished when this was written, under the Emperor Nero—to a pure democracy.
The inalienable right of all subjects to endeavor to alter or improve the form
of government under which they live is left untouched here. But since
Christians were constantly charged with turning the world upside down, and
since there certainly were elements enough in Christianity of moral and social
revolution to give plausibility to the charge, and tempt noble spirits, crushed
under misgovernment, to take redress into their own hands, it was of special
importance that the pacific, submissive, loyal spirit of those Christians who
resided at the great seat of political power, should furnish a visible
refutation of this charge.
6,
7. For, for this cause pay ye—rather,
“ye pay”
tribute
also—that is, “This is the reason why ye
pay the contributions requisite for maintaining the civil government.”
for
they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing—“to this very thing.”
7.
Render therefore to all their dues—From
magistrates the apostle now comes to other officials, and from them to men
related to us by whatever tie.
tribute—land tax.
custom—mercantile tax.
fear—reverence for superiors.
honour—the respect due to persons of distinction.
8.
Owe no man anything, but to love one another—“Acquit
yourselves of all obligations except love, which is a debt that must remain
ever due” [Hodge].
for
he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law—for
the law itself is but love in manifold action, regarded as matter of duty.
9.
For this, &c.—better thus: “For the
[commandments], Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt
not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and whatever other commandment [there may be],
it is summed up,” &c. (The clause, “Thou shalt not bear false witness,” is
wanting in all the most ancient manuscripts). The apostle refers here only to
the second table of the law, as love to our neighbor is what he is treating
of.
10.
Love worketh no ill to his—or,
“one’s”
neighbour;
therefore, &c.—As love, from its very
nature, studies and delights to please its objects, its very existence is an
effectual security against our wilfully injuring him. Next follow some general
motives to the faithful discharge of all these duties.
11.
And that—rather, “And this [do]”
knowing
the time, that now it is high time—literally,
“the hour has already come.”
to
awake out of sleep—of stupid, fatal indifference to
eternal things.
for
now is our salvation—rather, “the salvation,” or simply
“salvation.”
nearer
than when we—first
believed—This is in the line of all our Lord’s teaching, which
represents the decisive day of Christ’s second appearing as at hand, to keep
believers ever in the attitude of wakeful expectancy, but without reference to
the chronological nearness or distance of that event.
12.
The night—of evil
is
far spent, the day—of consummated triumph over it
is
at hand: let us therefore cast off—as
a dress
the
works of darkness—all works holding of the kingdom
and period of darkness, with which, as followers of the risen Saviour, our
connection has been dissolved.
and
let us put on the armour of light—described
at length in Eph 6:11–18.
13.
Let us walk honestly—“becomingly,” “seemingly”
as
in the day—“Men choose the night for their
revels, but our night is past, for we are all the children of the light and of
the day (1Th 5:5): let us therefore only do what is fit to be exposed to the
light of such a day.”
not
in rioting and drunkenness—varied
forms of intemperance; denoting revels in general, usually ending in
intoxication.
not
in chambering and wantonness—varied
forms of impurity; the one pointing to definite acts, the other more general.
not
in strife and envying—varied forms of that venomous
feeling between man and man which reverses the law of love.
14.
But—to sum up all in one word.
put
ye on the Lord Jesus Christ—in such
wise that Christ only may be seen in you (see 2Co 3:3; Ga 3:27; Eph 4:24).
and
make no provision—“take no forethought.”
for
the flesh, to fulfil the lust thereof—“Direct
none of your attention to the cravings of your corrupt nature, how you may
provide for their gratification.”
Note, (1) How gloriously adapted is Christianity for human
society in all conditions! As it makes war directly against no specific forms
of government, so it directly recommends none. While its holy and benign
principles secure the ultimate abolition of all iniquitous government, the
reverence which it teaches for magistracy, under whatever form, as a divine
institution, secures the loyalty and peaceableness of its disciples, amid all
the turbulence and distractions of civil society, and makes it the highest interest
of all states to welcome it within their pale, as in this as well as every
other sense—“the salt of the earth, the light of the world” (Ro 13:1–5). (2)
Christianity is the grand specific for the purification and elevation of all
the social relations; inspiring a readiness to discharge all obligations, and
most of all, implanting in its disciples that love which secures all men
against injury from them, inasmuch as it is the fulfilling of the law (Ro
13:6–10). (3) The rapid march of the kingdom of God, the advanced stage of it
at which we have arrived, and the ever-nearing approach of the perfect
day—nearer to every believer the longer he lives—should quicken all the
children of light to redeem the time, and, seeing that they look for such
things, to be diligent, that they may be found of Him in peace, without spot
and blameless (2Pe 3:14). (4) In virtue of “the expulsive power of a new and
more powerful affection,” the great secret of persevering holiness in all
manner of conversation will be found to be “Christ in us, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27), and Christ on us, as the character in which alone
we shall be able to shine before men (2Co 3:8) (Ro 13:14).
Excerpt from:
A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown
Rick Meyers. e-Sword ®: www.e-sword.net
