Romans 13

Berean Standard Bible

Chapter summary

Paul instructs believers to submit to governing authorities, stating that all authorities are established by God to punish wrongdoers and reward good conduct. Consequently, people are required to pay taxes and give what is owed to everyone, including revenue, respect, and honor. He further states that no one should remain in debt to others, except for the ongoing obligation to love one another, noting that loving a neighbor fulfills the commandments such as those against murder, adultery, stealing, and coveting. Urging people to recognize the present time and wake from slumber, the text calls for laying aside deeds of darkness, avoiding carousing, drunkenness, sexual immorality, debauchery, dissension, and jealousy. Finally, it advises individuals to behave decently as in the daytime, put on the armor of light, and clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ while avoiding provisions for the desires of the flesh.

Summary automatically generated from the Bible text.

Words of Jesus in red

¹Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. ²Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. ³For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval. ⁴For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer. ⁵Therefore it is necessary to submit to authority, not only to avoid punishment, but also as a matter of conscience. ⁶This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work. ⁷Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. ⁸Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. ⁹The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. ¹¹And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹²The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.