Römer 13:3-13

3 Denn die Gewaltigen sind nicht den guten Werken, sondern den bösen zu fürchten. Willst du dich aber nicht fürchten vor der Obrigkeit, so tue Gutes, so wirst du Lob von ihr haben.

4 Denn sie ist Gottes Dienerin dir zu gut. Tust du aber Böses, so fürchte dich; denn sie trägt das Schwert nicht umsonst; sie ist Gottes Dienerin, eine Rächerin zur Strafe über den, der Böses tut.

5 Darum ist's not, untertan zu sein, nicht allein um der Strafe willen, sondern auch um des Gewissens willen.

6 Derhalben müßt ihr auch Schoß geben; denn sie sind Gottes Diener, die solchen Schutz handhaben.

7 So gebet nun jedermann, was ihr schuldig seid: Schoß, dem der Schoß gebührt; Zoll, dem der Zoll gebührt; Furcht, dem die Furcht gebührt; Ehre, dem die Ehre gebührt.

8 Seid niemand nichts schuldig, als daß ihr euch untereinander liebt; denn wer den andern liebt, der hat das Gesetz erfüllt.

9 Denn was da gesagt ist: "Du sollst nicht ehebrechen; du sollst nicht töten; du sollst nicht stehlen; du sollst nicht falsch Zeugnis geben; dich soll nichts gelüsten", und so ein anderes Gebot mehr ist, das wird in diesen Worten zusammengefaßt: "Du sollst deinen Nächsten lieben wie dich selbst."

10 Denn Liebe tut dem Nächsten nichts Böses. So ist nun die Liebe des Gesetzes Erfüllung.

11 Und weil wir solches wissen, nämlich die Zeit, daß die Stunde da ist, aufzustehen vom Schlaf (sintemal unser Heil jetzt näher ist, denn da wir gläubig wurden;

12 die Nacht ist vorgerückt, der Tag aber nahe herbeigekommen): so lasset uns ablegen die Werke der Finsternis und anlegen die Waffen des Lichtes.

13 Lasset uns ehrbar wandeln als am Tage, nicht in Fressen und Saufen, nicht in Kammern und Unzucht, nicht in Hader und Neid;

Römer 13:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS 13

The principal things contained in this chapter, enjoined the saints, are the duties of subjection to magistrates, love to one another, and to all men, and temperance and chastity in themselves: it begins with duties relating to the civil magistrates, requiring obedience of everyone unto them, Ro 13:1, and that for these reasons, because the civil magistracy, or government, is by divine appointment; wherefore to obey them in things of a civil nature, is to obey God; and to resist them is to resist God; and also because of the pernicious consequence of such resistance, damnation to themselves, Ro 13:2, for the magistrate not only causes terror by penal laws, but he inflicts punishment on delinquents, and is the executioner of God's wrath and vengeance on such, Ro 13:3,4, and likewise because of the profit and advantage to obedient subjects; such not only have the good will and esteem of their rulers, and are commended by them, but are defended and protected in their persons and properties, Ro 13:3,4, moreover, the apostle enforces the necessity of subjection to them, not only in order to avoid punishment, but to answer a good conscience; this duty being according to the light of nature, and the dictates of a natural conscience; which if awake, must be uneasy with a contrary behaviour, Ro 13:5, and for the same reason he urges the payment of tribute to them, as well as on account of the reasonableness of it, taken from magistrates spending their time, and using their talents, in an attendance on the service of the public, Ro 13:6, and which is further confirmed by the general rule of justice and equity, or of doing that which is just and right to everyone, of which particulars are given, Ro 13:7, and then after a general exhortation to pay all sorts of debts owing to superiors, inferiors, or equals, the apostle passes to the debt of love owing to one another, and to all mankind; which is exhorted to on this consideration, that the performance of it is a fulfilling the law, Ro 13:8, which is proved, by showing that the several precepts of the law, of which an enumeration is given, are reducible to, and are included in love to our neighbours as ourselves, Ro 13:9, and since it is the nature of love not to work ill, but to do good to the neighbour, the conclusion follows, that it must be as asserted, that love is the fulfilment of the law, and ought by all means to be attended to, as a principal duty of religion, Ro 13:10, next the apostle proceeds to exhort the saints to a watchful, chaste, sober, and temperate course of life; as being perfectly agreeable to the privileges they enjoyed, to the present condition they were in, and to that future state of happiness they were in expectation of: he exhorts to be watchful and sober, and not indulge sleep and slothfulness, in consideration of the time in which they were, and with which they were acquainted, it being not night, but day; at least the one was wearing off, and the other coming on; the time of life being short, and the day of salvation approaching nearer and nearer, Ro 13:11,12, wherefore such actions should be done, as are agreeable to the day, and not the night, to light, and not darkness; and particularly such works of darkness are dissuaded from, which are contrary to temperance and sobriety, as rioting, and drunkenness; and to chastity, as chambering: and wantonness; and to peace and concord, as strife and envying, which frequently follow upon the former: and the chapter is concluded with an exhortation to faith in Christ, and an imitation of him, expressed in a figurative way by a metaphor, taken from the putting on of garments; and with a dehortation from an immoderate provision for the flesh, so as to promote, excite, and cherish, the lusts of it, Ro 13:13.