It helps to remember that those big numbers in the Bible weren’t put there by the original authors. We see Romans 13 as a separate unit, but it really forms part of a larger unit in the book of Romans. Chapters 9-11 discuss the situation of the Jews within God’s plan.
Romans 12 starts a new section, beginning with the famous teaching: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1) I should probably include verse 2 as part of the theme of this whole section: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
Living sacrifice. Not conformed to this world. The verses that follow flesh out what that means.
The verses immediately before Romans 13 discuss taking revenge: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:17-21)
We then have the section of Romans 13 that we will be studying, verses 1-7. Those are followed by a discussion of love, connected by the concept of debt, what is owed. Then chapter 13 ends with a discussion of the significance of the end times.
So help me study this… how does this context inform our understanding of the first seven verses of Romans 13? What connections do you see?
Oooh, my favorite part of this series!
Tim, it seems to me that this larger context *is* the heart of the passage and that to take seriously the transformed and transforming nature of this body-mind renewal of which Paul speaks is to live in a kind of revolution of love against the evil, unpeaceable, inhospitable, enemy-hating ways of the world — and thus the values of “the authorities” of that world.
As a college student of mine asked when this passage came up in last Wed nite’s discussion: “Wouldn’t living out the teachings of Rom 12 essentially be considered a kind of sedition against The Authorities who have the power to identify ‘enemies’ and make war against ‘them’?”
My own sense of this is that we may have been reading Rom. 13:1-7 in an entirely too-straightforward way, and thus overlooked some obvious problems (not least of all, as Rex has asserted, that the text would not look favorably on our own “American Revolution”). I suspect it’s b/c we think very highly of our current authority system and we function mostly as legalists, that is, as fans of the law & the order provided by our submission to the currently fashionable Powers.
oooohhhhh, so that’s where “act of worship” comes from!!
I see contrast. I see a letter written at a time when many distrusted the Roman government.
The Jews did not like Roman rule and would soon attempt freedom in Jerusalem. I think he is contrasting Kingdom’s and telling the people receiving the letter where their focus should be.
Very much so. As I pointed out last week, the Jews had been expelled from Rome only a few years before. In a couple of decades, they would provoke the empire enough to bring about the destruction of Jerusalem. Paul is wanting the Christians to see that’s not their fight. As you said, it’s not where their focus should be.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
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