The Strand Study Bible

Written From Corinth During Paul’s Third Missionary Journey

ROMANS 13:3 - 14:4

1870

3 For rulers are not a terror to goodworks, 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: 4 For 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. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye 1 tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 2 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. 8 3 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that 4 loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, 5 Thou shalt not commit adul- tery, 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 compre- hended in this saying, namely, 6 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love thy neighbor as thyself means - “Treating others as you would treat yourself”

10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: 7 therefore love is the fulfilling of the 8 law. 11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time 9 to awake out of sleep: for now is our 10 SALVATION nearer than when we believed. P 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the 11 armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in 12 chambering and 13 wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But 14 put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Romans 14 Christians are to show tolerance toward one another Date Written - AD 57 1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. 2 15 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 3 16 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. 4 17 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own 18 MASTER he

1. or, “taxes” 2. Mt 22:21 3. Lev 19:13 & Deut 24:12-15 4. or, “keeps the civil laws” - Lev 19:18 & Gal 5:14-15 5. Quoted from the OT - Exo 20:13-17 & Deut 5:17-21 6. Quoted from the OT - Lev 19:18 7. Mt 22:39-40 8. or, “civil laws that were set up by God” 9. I Cor 15:34 & Eph 5:16 & Colo 4:5 10. or, “Second Coming” Fulfilled - Rev 19:11-21 (Christ’s Second Coming) 11. II Cor 6:7 & Eph 6:10-18 12. or, “illicit sex” 13. or, “sexual excesses” 14. Colo 3:10 & Gal 5:16 15. I Cor 8:7-9 & Colo 2:14-17 & I Tim 4:4 16. I Cor 10:25 17. Jms 4:11-12 18. or, “Christ” - Mt 23:8

13:4 According to Romans 13, governments have the right to put people to death for certain crimes ( for he beareth not the sword in vain ). The purpose of capital punishment was never intended to reform criminals; it was intended to deter crime ( Eccl 8:11 ). Even jail time rarely reforms criminals ( Lev 6:4-5 , Num 5:7 , Lk 19:8 and Exo 22:1 ). NOTE – The following seven crimes should receive the death penalty: (1) murder (Gen 9:6); (2) rape (Deut 22:25-27); (3) kidnapping (Deut 24:7); (4) other sexual crimes (Lev 20:10-20); (5) habitual dishonoring of parents (Exo 21:17); (6) habitual disobedience to the law (Deut 17:12-13); and (7) habitual lack of character, which leads to the death of others (Exo 21:22-23,28-29). Despite claims to the contrary, capital punishment does work. It deters crime, as well as readies people for eternity (Lk 23:39-43). 13:7 This word ( dues ) is the Greek word οMHLOD9 ( opheilas ) and means “to be indebted, especially financially” (Mt 18:24-32). The command here deals with taxes (tribute), not blind submission to the government. According to Jesus ( Mt 22:21 ), people are to render their taxes unto the government, which is supposed to provide its citizens with protection. Thus, we are commanded of OF THE Ten Commandments, the one we break the most is the ninth– “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” One reason for this is that we talk most about people. Those of great minds discuss ideas, people of mediocre minds discuss events, and those of small minds discuss other people. Most of us have never made much mental development. Another reason we break this commandment is because it ministers to our own pride. It takes some of the sting out of our own failures if we can rub off the glitter of someone else’s crown. It is a sure sign of an inferiority complex when a person tells of the faults of another. 1 13:11 Although our salvation is nearer than when we believed , when we believed, we did not receive our full salvation. The doctrine of salvation can be broken down into three parts: 1. Justification (which took place the moment we got saved, when we were delivered from the penalty of sin) 2. Sanctification (which is taking place throughout our life, as we are being delivered from the power of sin) 3. Glorification (which will take place when Christ returns, in which we will be delivered from the presence of sin) NOTE - What we received (when we first believed) was the first part of our salvation, called justification ( Rom 3:28 ). The second part of our salvation, called sanctification ( I Thess 4:3,4,7 ), is the on-going process by which God is systematically delivering us from the power of sin. The third part of our salvation, called glorification ( Rom 8:30 ) is the future process by which God will God to be loyal to truth, not institutions (Dan 3:16-18 & 6:10, Acts 4:19-20 & 5:28-29). 13:9 “ Thou shalt not bear false witness ” – Charles L. Allen in The Ten Commandments notes: