Romans 13

     13:1-7.  This important passage is in counterpoint to 12:17-21.  It is not the duty of the private person to take his own revenge, or to see himself as the sword of the Lord, but rather to overcome evil with good.  But God has ordained for our benefit a role for public justice, a shadow of his perfect justice and divine wrath on evildoers.  This is most necessary in a fallen world.   Though it operates very poorly at times, nevertheless it has its necessary though temporal place.  It operates by natural law.   Even criminals establish governments among themselves to maintain a necessary order.  Perfect government has always existed even before creation in God himself, in the holy Trinity, where there is an order of authority between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who nevertheless are equal in power and glory.  All children are born into the authority structure of the family, and thus the fifth commandment is by extension our duty to honor all whom God’s providence has placed in authority over us.

      In v.1, “Governing authorities” is more literally translated superior authorities, which suggests a broader scope, a line of authority from parents up to and including government.  Recognizing superiors and inferiors is repugnant to modern out of control egalitarianism, where not only does everyone do what is right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25), but where every man and/or woman creates his/her own god in her/his own mirror.  So far this isn’t working very well.  Elites hope to remedy this by ruthless enforcement of individual equality.  They don’t see the irony in this, of course.

     Superiors and inferiors in authority structures actually has nothing to do with equality of persons, as the Trinity shows.  In a fallen world, authority is always liable to abuse, but nevertheless must be recognized and respected, or things get even worse.  Christ is the answer to the fallenness of man, and he establishes good government in the home, the church, in business, and in the state.  Honor is given to whom honor is due, and the greatest among us becomes the servant of all (cf. Mark 10:42-45).  But even fallen rulers are the agents of God, though that is not their intent.  He establishes them, and he destroys them.  Jesus is Lord.  (See what Pilate said to Jesus, and Jesus’ answer, John 19:10-11).

     13:8-10.  “Paul presents the duty to love under an economic model….  Love ought always to be viewed as a debt one owes to others and not as a magnanimous gift one gives.  There is no credit gained by the one who loves and no debt incurred by those who are loved”  (Bruce Hemphill).  (Cf. Mt.18:21-35).

     13:10.  Cf. 7:6.

     13:11-14.  “The Judge is standing right at the door” (James 5:9).  Judgment is always at hand, and our salvation is nearer than it has ever been.  “The night is far spent, the day is at hand”  (KJV).  It is not a time to sleep, but a time to watch for the morning (Ps.130:6).  (Cf. Ps.5:3; Mal.4:2; 1 John 2:17, 28.)