Romans Chapter 13
- spencerkim
- Feb 7
- 3 min read
BIBLE PASSAGE
ROMANS CHAPTER 13
Submission to the Authorities
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Fulfilling the Law Through Love
8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
SYNOPSIS
Romans 13 primarily addresses two key themes: the Christian's relationship with governing authorities and the importance of moral behavior. The chapter emphasizes that believers should submit to governing authorities, as these are established by God. Paul argues that civil rulers, even if unaware, serve as God's instruments to maintain order and punish wrongdoing. This submission includes obeying laws, paying taxes, and showing respect to officials. However, the text also acknowledges that obedience to God takes precedence if there's a direct conflict with human authority. The second half of the chapter focuses on moral conduct, urging Christians to fulfill God's law through love for their neighbors and to avoid the immoral behaviors prevalent in Rome at the time. Paul stresses the urgency of righteous living, as history moves towards its conclusion. This teaching was particularly relevant given the political context of the time, with tensions between Jewish nationalists and Roman authorities, and the risk of Christians being associated with insurrection.
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
Romans 13:1-7 teaches that governing authorities are established by God. How can you demonstrate respect and integrity in your interactions with laws and leadership while keeping your ultimate allegiance to God?
Romans 13:11-14 calls believers to wake up and live righteously. What worldly influences do you need to put aside to fully live in the light of Christ?
In what ways can you demonstrate love to those around you while still obeying the laws of society?
How does the idea of living in light of eternity affect the decisions you make today?
PRAYER SUGGESTION
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being the ultimate authority over all things. Help me to live with integrity, honoring those in leadership while keeping my heart fully devoted to You. Give me wisdom to discern how to obey both earthly and divine authority in a way that glorifies You.
Fill my heart with love so that I may fulfill Your law by serving others selflessly. Let my actions reflect Your grace and kindness, drawing people closer to You through the way I love.
Lord, I want to walk in the light and cast aside anything that keeps me from living for You. Wake me up from spiritual complacency and strengthen me to live righteously in these days. Clothe me with Jesus Christ, so that my life is a testimony of Your goodness.
In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Question 2 - There are many still worldlviews that I hold on to from my college/early 20s, and some are subconscious. Its difficult to pinpoint exactly, but has to do with culture, and what those my age would call “normal” or OK to do. This includes having a consumer-based mentality with everything in life, and feeling entitled to many things. It can be very easy to get trapped into thinking that we deserve better things, that makes us take what is already in front of us, for granted - making us miss very special things. I always see this being the case for me. I need to be wary of the influences of entitlement and pursue to understand humility.
Q3
A: It most certainly plays a factor on how I conduct my life for sure, but I would say it should mean more than it is now. I think I am in a tough area, where the world does take advantage of me and my decisions. But there are also instances where I try to resist harmful decisions for the sake of living a proper life filled with God and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately it’s not as consistent as I would like it to be. I need to do a better job in resisting worldly coping methods and replace them with spiritual disciplines, despite the former is a lot more satisfying at the moment. I have…
Question 1
We, as children of God, are commanded to be obedient. We represent Christ through our actions and how we uphold ourselves. We have many authorities in our lives which can include teachers, bosses, parents, etc. Through our interactions and submission to those who are appointed with authority, we are to obey because they rightfully hold the power to do so. I understand that this does not mean we throw away our conscience and morals to obey anything and everything. I still need to discern what is being asked and done. If their actions do not align with God, I am comforted that God's authority overrides theirs. I may not agree all the time with those I serve but…
Although I acknowledge the battle of taking up our cross daily to follow Christ, I find that it is in the little moments that skew me away from being consistent in my spiritual walk. As a student with responsibilities, there is a lot to balance on my plate. Because these things instill a sense of urgency, my hands become full as I tend to my duties, which leaves me with little to no room to intentionally spend time with the Lord. This also makes me more vulnerable to distractions and I see myself slowly drift away from the light. As Paul encourages believers to wake up and truly live in a righteous manner, it reminds me that I need to…
Question 2
Growing up in this world has taught me to be transactional and to weigh the cost and benefits of relationships and interactions that arise in life. I have been told to always gain, have the upper hand, and to maximize profit. Yet, if there is anything I have learned in ministry and in seminary, it has been the exact opposite of this. I must not view people as numbers and assets, but as people and treat them as such. Ministry and church should not be influenced by business ethics, tactics, and strategy, but by Christ and love. The mainstream worldview is something I have been trying to break and reshape so that I can approach and view people…