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Romans 13

KJV · Chapter 13/16

1Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

2Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

4For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

5Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

6For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

7Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

8Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

11And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

12The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

13Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

14But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Paul instructs Christians to submit to governing authorities, since they were established by God to maintain order. He sums up the whole law in the command to love one's neighbor and calls believers to live honestly, as those already living in the new day that is drawing near.

Explanation

This chapter has sparked much debate throughout history over just how absolute submission to authorities really is (other biblical texts, such as Acts 5:29, show limits when authority demands disobedience to God). The historical context helps here: Paul was writing to Christians in Rome, the capital of an empire that could easily crush them if they were seen as subversive, so part of his instruction is also about wise public witness. The summary of the law in 'love your neighbor as yourself' connects directly with Jesus' teaching, showing that practical ethics and genuine love are inseparable from the Christian faith.

Fun facts

  • This letter was likely written around A.D. 57, still during the relatively stable early years of Nero's reign — before the violent persecutions the emperor himself would later launch against Christians just a few years afterward, possibly including Paul's own death.
  • The image of 'putting on the armor of light' and 'casting off the works of darkness' draws on common Roman military vocabulary (armor, weapons), a metaphor that readers in Rome, surrounded by the imperial military presence, would easily understand.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Romans 13:1The “higher powers” are the authorities in charge, in this case Rome, the emperor and the local governors. Paul writes this for a community living under Roman rule, in a specific historical context of coexisting with that power, without passing judgment on governments of other eras.
  2. Romans 13:2He continues the reasoning of verse 1: if the authorities were ordained by God, resisting them amounts to resisting that ordinance, bringing consequences for whoever does so.
  3. Romans 13:3He explains the practical logic behind submission: rulers normally punish evil, not good, so whoever acts rightly should have no real reason to fear public authority.
  4. Romans 13:4The “sword” was the visible symbol of a Roman magistrate's authority to impose punishment, including death. Paul describes this function as part of an order that exists to restrain evil, without going into detail about its limits.
  5. Romans 13:5He adds a second reason to submit to the authorities, beyond fear of punishment: conscience itself recognizes that submission as right.
  6. Romans 13:6He links the theme of submission to the paying of taxes: Paul sees them as part of the same system, since he considers rulers “God's ministers” devoted to keeping order.
  7. Romans 13:7“Tribute” and “custom” were real charges of the Roman government, the first generally a direct tax on people or land, the second indirect trade duties. Paying tax to Rome was a sensitive matter for Jews of that time, and Paul treats it as a normal obligation of coexistence.
  8. Romans 13:8He shifts subjects, from authority to personal relationships: the only permanent debt among Christians should be mutual love, because that love already fulfills every requirement of the law.
  9. Romans 13:9He lists several of the Ten Commandments related to how we treat our neighbor (adultery, theft, etc.) to show that all of them fit within a single principle: love your neighbor as yourself.
  10. Romans 13:10He concludes the reasoning of the previous verse: whoever truly loves causes no harm to anyone, and so love already fulfills, in practice, everything the law requires.
  11. Romans 13:11He changes tone, introducing urgency: Paul compares the present situation to someone who needs to wake up, because the time of final salvation is nearer now than when the readers first believed.
  12. Romans 13:12The image is of a soldier arming himself for battle at dawn, trading his sleeping clothes for the armor of light. Paul uses this scene to speak of turning the page from one way of living to another.
  13. Romans 13:13He details what it means to “walk honestly, as in the day,” as opposed to a life “of the night”: avoiding excesses like drunkenness, sexual immorality, and quarrels, behaviors associated with a life out of control.
  14. Romans 13:14He closes the chapter with an image of changing clothes: “putting on” Christ means no longer feeding the body's uncontrolled desires, replacing that concern with the character of Jesus.

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