Citzenship Romans 13:1-14 Brief Commentary Introducton: A new kind of community is the theme of Romans 12:1-15:13. Having taken us on a tour de force of theology the gospel, sin, salvaton, sanctfcaton, and the relatonship of Israel/Gentles, Paul wants to explain how these theological truths lead to a new kind of community. Following spiritual worship (12:1-8) and authentc love (12:9-21), Paul brings atenton to citzenship (13:1-14), the third characteristc of this new kind of spiritual community. The theme of citzenship can be divided into three parts: citzens of the state (13:1-7), citzens to our neighbors (13:8-10), and citzens of God s kingdom (13:11-14). Citzens of the State (13:1-7) 13:1: Theology s impact is not limited to personal and private maters of faith. In fact, one s theology should also inform his/her politcs as well. Romans 13:1-7 is not a politcal treatse per se, but it does provide a general framework for engaging with our governing authorites. It s important to note that Scripture testfes to God s people under the rule of foreign authorites throughout Israel s history including Egypt, Babylon, Persia, and Rome (Assyria conquered the northern kingdom but they disappear from the biblical record). Some may queston Paul s teaching on the grounds that it s not practcal for today because of our current politcal landscape. When Paul wrote his leter to the Church in Rome (55-57 AD), Nero was the emperor of Rome (54-68 AD). Not only was Nero an immoral emperor, but he also blamed the fre of Rome on Christans, who were then unjustly punished. Paul s teaching is not based on the cultural and politcal climate of his tme, but rather, on God s nature and call for Christans to be good and just citzens. As citzens of the state, we are commanded to be subject to the governing authorites. (13:1; cf. 1 Peter 2:13-17) According to Pate, the word subject (hypotasso) conveys the idea of getng in one s place in a hierarchal role. (255) All governing authorites have received their authority from God (13:1) and have been insttuted by God
(13:1) and appointed by God (13:2). God gives rulers and governments their authority and power (Psalm 22:28; Proverbs 8:15-16; Jeremiah 27:5-6). Jesus himself declared to Pilate, You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. (John 19:11) 13:2-3: Because our governing authorites receive their authority from God, we should not (as a general principle) resist them because them we would be resistng what God has appointed. (13:2) In fact, those who resist (and don t subject themselves to their governing authorites) will incur judgment (13:2: judgment from both God and our government). Paul explains that our governing authorites are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. (13:3). We should fear our governing authorites since they could punish our civil disobedience (13:4; see discussion below). In short, Paul exhorts us to live as good, moral, and responsible citzens. 13:4-5: Our governing authorites are God s servants and promote the good of society (order, peace, justce, values). Again, Paul warns us about doing wrong because the state does not bear the sword in vain (it will punish rebellious behavior). As God s avenger, they will dispense His wrath on the wrongdoer. We should submit to our governing authorites in order to avoid God s wrath and a guilty conscience. (13:5) Stot summarizes the basic role of our governing authorites: Thus the state s functons are to promote and reward the good, and to restrain and punish evil. (344) 13:6-7: Paul concludes with two responsibilites. First, we are to pay taxes. In this historical context, Rome had people pay direct (property, poll) and indirect taxes (customs, dutes, toll, various services) (Pate, 255). We should pay our taxes because they support the services provided by the state. Second, we should respect and honor our governing authorites because they ve been appointed by God and serve as agents of God (cf. 1 Timothy 2:1-2; 1 Peter 2:13-17). Citzenship and Civil Disobedience Romans 13:1-7 encourages Christans to respect/honor, submit, and obey our governing authorites because they promote the goodness of society and serve us. But, what do we do when our governing authorites are unjust, oppressive, and immoral? In these cases, God does not (necessarily) call us to submit to our governing authorites. Sometmes, civil disobedience is right thing to do. Let s take a brief look at two examples from the book of Daniel that speak to the issue of citzenship and civil disobedience. The book of Daniel highlights God s authority and power over Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon (2:21, 37-38; 4:17, 25, 32; 5:21). Daniel s interpretaton of Nebuchadnezzar s dream (gold, silver, bronze, iron) underlines
God s authority and power over the mighty natons of the world (2:31-45; traditonally, these pieces of metal have been interpreted as Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome). In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego disobeyed Nebuchadnezzar s decree to bow down and worship the golden image and were thrown into the fery furnace (God protected them and they survived). In Daniel 6, Daniel rejected the decree to pray only to King Darius (Persia conquered Babylon) and was thrown into the lion s den (God protected him). We should also note that all four Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel had high ranking ofcial jobs in the government. From these two stories, we can observe fve principles about Christans and civil disobedience. First, Christans are called to obey God frst and foremost (cf. Acts 4:1-22: Peter and John disobeyed the rulers who warned them not to speak and teach about Jesus). Second, civil disobedience is permissible when the government calls us to sin (cf. Exodus 1:15-21: Hebrew midwives disobeyed Pharaoh s command to kill Jewish male babies). Third, civil disobedience is permissible when we are upholding justce, goodness, and mercy (cf. 1 Kings 18: The Prophet Obadiah hid and protected one hundred prophets). Fourth, our civil disobedience should be expressed non-violently and peacefully. (Only on rare and exceptonal cases should we consider actons that may promote a more physical or volatle confrontaton with our government ofcials, but this is according to each person s conscience.) Fifh, we must be ready to accept the consequences and punishment for our civil disobedience. Citzens to Our Neighbors (13:8-10) 13:8: In 13:6-7, Paul exhorted us to pay our taxes because it s something that we owe the government. It s our duty to pay taxes. Likewise, it s our duty to love our neighbor (Levitcus 19:18; Mathew 22:39). In this new kind of spiritual community, Paul places love at the center of our relatonships. Love is the only thing that we owe our neighbors. We can never love our neighbors enough because we can always love our neighbors more. Our love for our neighbor fulflls the law because love is central to the law. It s erroneous to view the law as a mere collecton of cold and infexible commands. In fact, love is the foundaton of the law. Jesus summarized the two greatest commandments with love (Mathew 22:37-39). Paul provides four examples to show how love fulflls the law. We should not commit adultery, murder, steal, or covet (see Exodus 20:13-17). Stot explains: All these [adultery, murder, steal, covet] do harm (kakos, evil) to the neighbor, whereas it is the essence of love to seek and to serve our neighbor s highest good. That is why
love is the fulfllment of the law. (360; cf. Galatans 5:14). Citzens of God s Kingdom (13:11-14) 13:11: Pate notes the strong eschatological element in 13:11. The words tme, hour has come, and salvaton is nearer to us now than when we frst believed indicate that salvaton and the end tme have already dawned for the believer. (263) Christans live in the already, not yet age of the kingdom. Christans live in a tension between this present age and the future one. On the one hand, the full manifestaton of God s kingdom is future (not yet), but on the other hand, its s already here in several ways including Jesus reigning in our hearts, the Spirit s presence and power, the preaching of the gospel, and God s power for delivering us from our sins. The idea of being citzens of heaven (Philippians 3:20-21) also refects this already, not yet aspect of the present and future age. Because we are spiritually united with Christ, we are already (spiritually speaking) in heaven, but we have not yet experienced the fullness of our kingdom citzenship. 13:12: Using the metaphors of night and day, Paul encourages us to cast of the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. We can only walk in the light because we have placed our faith in Jesus, the ultmate light in the darkness (Mathew 4:16; Luke 1:79; John 1:5; 3:19; 12:35; 12:46; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 1:5-6; 2:8). Darkness and light depict the spiritual tension and spiritual confict that Christ-followers experience on an everyday basis (John 12:35; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:19; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:7-21; 6:11-18; Colossians 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; 1 John 2:8-11). 13:13-14: Contnuing this idea of darkness and light, we are exhorted to walk properly in the daytme by not commitng acts of darkness (orgies, drunkenness, sexual immorality, sensuality, quarreling, jealousy) (13:13). Instead, Christans should put on Christ (follow his lifestyle) and make no provision for the fesh to gratfy its desires. (13:14) This theme of taking/putng of our feshly desires and putng on our clothes of righteousness/habits of holiness is a key theme in the New Testament. Justn Taylor highlights this teaching in Putng on Christ/Putng Of Sin in The Gospel Coaliton (June 9, 2011): htps://www.thegospelcoaliton.org/blogs/justntaylor/putng-on-christ-putng-of-sin/
Refecton 1. Why should Christans submit (subject) themselves to their governments? To what extent (if any) are there exceptons to this teaching? (See the secton on Citzenship and Civil Disobedience.) 2. According to Paul, what s the importance of paying taxes to our government? 3. How does loving our neighbor fulfll the law? 4. Identfy some practcal ways for you to love your neighbor. When will you put this into practce? Find someone to keep you accountable. 5. Discuss the theological truth of already, not yet. What are some of the key elements of this teaching? 6. Read the Putng/Taking of and Putng On chart. Which Putng/Taking of and/or Putng On do you need to improve the most? Share. 7. This week make a commitment to pray for our President, our government, and local politcal leaders. Ask God to use our elected ofcials to serve with humility and to pursue justce, peace, and mercy (Micah 6:8).