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ROMANS 13.1-10
November 14th 2021
Okay Romans 13 – were going to take it in chunks so let’s read the first five verses as Paul continues (from our chapter last week) to instruct the believers in that day on how to live. And he says
Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For 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 (believe and love) 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 tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
Okay. Back to verse one where Paul writes to the believers in Rome:
“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”
Let me first speak about this first line, “Let every soul be subject to higher powers.”
We know from several epistles of Paul that he has no problem instructing believers on their specific duties as believers.
Part and parcel of each of these duties (so-called) we find a very strong element of being subject and submitting.
For example,
In II Thessalonians 3:11-12 Christian were reminded to submit themselves to an occupation . . . to work. Submit to our employers demands, laboring as unto the Lord.
In 1st Corinthians 7:5 Christians were reminded not to deprive their spouse of sexual intimacy, but to . . . submit to the other as “our bodies are not even ours.”
And in Ephesians 6:5 Paul reminds Christian slaves who were “free” in Christ, to “submit to their earthly masters.”
Finally, the Apostle Peter wrote . . .
1st Peter 2:13 “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.”
In each of these reminders there is a tacit command toward Christian submissiveness . . . to subjection with Peter even touching on the attitude believers in that day were to have toward political leaders and governors.
Allow yourselves to go back in time to the Romans colliseum where our brothers and sisters submitted themselves humbly to being torn asunder for their faith in the King – who, in fact, did the same under the command of His father.
Here in Romans 13:1-7 Paul sides with Peter and reiterates another demand placed on believers in that day living in Rome. Now, what were political conditions like at that time in Rome?
According to Bible researcher Joseph Fitzmeyer, prior to the time that Paul wrote this letter (in 56 or 57 AD) there had been no official persecution of Christians in Rome.
But not too many years later, in AD 64, there was a horrible fire where “Rome burned” and where Nero (who is believed to have started the fires himself) blamed the fire on the Christians.
This was the beginning of Christian persecution in Rome.
When Paul wrote this advice to the church at Roman, Fitzmeyer says “Judaism was on the brink of catastrophe as a result of its longstanding resistance to Roman imperialism.”
With Christianity founded on the teachings of a Jew (whom the Roman authorities had crucified) it is thought that the Romans regarded Christianity then as a full-on Jewish sect.
Paul wanted to make it obvious to those in power that Christians reacted to things differently than their feisty Jewish cousins so in an attempt to keep Christianity out of the tense Roman/Jewish difficulties some scholars think Paul, mirroring the life of Christ, wanted Christians to model civil obedience (no matter how unjust the Roman government could be) all as a means, again, to distinguish itself from their Jewish neighbors who in a few short years were going to be wiped out due to their political insolence.
I cannot stress enough the time stamp of Paul’s word here to them/then. And how these words may not have direct application to believers today who live, and have lived, in a very different world.
With that being said, however, we can also remember that Christianity was not designed nor established by its King to conquer or govern the kingdoms of the world but for its members to instead “grow and thrive” within them.
Wherever the Kingdom of God (the body) spreads it was almost always going to be sprouting up amidst earthly empires or kingdoms with various cultures, ways and laws.
Unfortunately, in many places and from very early on, men and women have tried to make Christianity “a governing earthly force” (rather than allowing it to thrive as a faith of submissive and/or relatively indifferent believers).
In every example where this has happened it has always ended disastrously and harmful the faith. I believe this continues today. Even in Utah when it was theocratically driven by Brigham Young, the parts of Mormonism that are Christian were tainted.
For some reason people, even believers, long to impose flesh and blood leaders and kings over themselves. All the way back to 1st Samuel we read:
8:4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
To those of us who are members of the Heavenly Kingdom, we cannot ever forget that fact that our professed and supreme allegiance is always first and foremost to God by and through the Lord Jesus Christ OUR KING.
I suggest that this allegiance is over and above any and every earthly King or Kingdom for He is our Lawgiver, He is our Sovereign, and He is our supreme Judge.
This presents us with the first imperative part of understanding the true Christian relationship to human governance –
(listen)
All of our homage, worship, trust and allegiance is to and for Him and Him alone.
He is our King. We truly have no other King but Christ.
When Pilate presented Jesus before the Jews, he said:
“Behold your King!”
But they cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him.” Pilate saith unto them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
Here, His own brethren rejected their only true King and instead opted for one that would in less than forty years destroy and disperse them throughout the world.
From and through the Old and New Testaments scripture makes it perfectly clear that we (believers) are constituents of a heavenly Kingdom run by a heavenly King and therefore, by the very definition, we cannot be ruled by any other king (nor members of any other kingdom) without being guilty of hypocrisy and treason.
Hear the Word of God!
Moses wrote in Exodus 15:18 The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.
The Psalmist said in 145:13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
1st Chronicles 29:11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
Psalm 10:16 The LORD is King for ever and ever.
In Matthew 6:13 Jesus prayed, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Revelation 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. 2nd
Deuteronomy 4:39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.
Psalm 47:2 For the LORD most high is terrible; He is a great King over all the earth. Psalm 24:10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.
In Judges 8 we read about the men of Israel coming to Gideon and saying
“Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: “the LORD shall rule over you.”
Proverbs 21:1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. 1st Samuel 8:7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
Jotham, in the book of Judges chapter 9, delivers a profound parable, known as the PARABLE OF THE TREES which says:
“The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, “Reign thou over us.”
9 But the olive tree said unto them, “Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?”
10 And the trees said to the fig tree, “Come thou, and reign over us.”
11 But the fig tree said unto them, “Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?”
12 Then said the trees unto the vine, “Come thou, and reign over us.”
13 And the vine said unto them, “Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?”
14 Then said all the trees unto the bramble, “Come thou, and reign over us.”
15 And the bramble said unto the trees, “If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.”
As stated, men, like the trees in Jotham’s parable, are constantly looking to one of their own kind to step in and rule over them OR . . . OR . . . OR a man-made world system or model or method or attitude to guide them like a King.
It’s natural. But the natural man is an enemy to God. And we are commanded to walk, and live, and exist in FAITH . . . not fear, and the man-made solutions that flow out of it.
No, unlike the Jews at the trial of Jesus, every true Christian “has no king but . . . Christ.”
Colossians 2:10 says it all, doesn’t it “we are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.”
Take careful notice of that English word “principality.”
“ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.”
The Greek word for principality is . . . “ARCHE.”
And the best definition of arche is:
“The first, the chief, the beginning, especially in terms magistration, power, principalities, principles, and rules.”
In other words, Jesus is the head of all things, all arche’s, all rules and laws.
“Archae”ology (is the study of beginnings);
“archi”tecture (study of basic structures); “archi”tectonics (is the basic forces that hold a thing together);
An “arche”-ype is nothing more than the first model or mode or human from which others are taken.
Hang with me now – Jesus is the singular perfect only archetype AND archae with which any and all true believers have anything to do.
This is how He is the first and the last and there is NOTHING in between. Not another person (leader, pastor, minister, savior, system, or world arche).
Just listen to what Paul says in Ephesians 1:17-20. Speaking to Christians he wrote:
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which God wrought in Christ, when He raised him from the dead, and set Christ at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality,(there’s that word again – arche) Far above all (heavenly or earthly principality) and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.”
So . . . NOW . . . so now that we have these biblical truths in place, and we know who is our King and to what Kingdom we belong . . . and now that we understand that there is no other arche but Him (and I mean none as He is the first thing and the last) now we can say, in true Christian humility, that genuine believers and followers of Christ are unquestionably Christian an-archists – we are without (an) “arches” that attempt to come between, supplant, replace or add to Him being the first and last of all things in our lives.
That is the first point to consider as a biblical preface to what Paul is saying here to them/then.
So, in light of the fact that natural men revolt or rebel against things Paul was writing to the church to show them a new way, the Christian way, modeled by the King of this way, Christ.
Christ was a true anarchist, as he look to God as His primary source. However, neither Jesus nor Paul ever commanded or taught believers to fight against this world or its governments, but to instead exist as believers amidst it all and to submit to their reasonable demands.
And when it comes to governments, police forces and the like, the Christian way is not to embrace them as their “archae” NOR to fight against them, but to merely submit to their earthly administrations which are generally in place to keep order and peace.
With that in mind Paul writes to the church and says:
Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Remember the setting folks – the Apostles were preparing and protecting the Bride for His promise to come and take her.
She was facing innumerable enemies seen and unseen. This advice was certainly given to keep them protected.
Also recall that we have the exact opposite side presented by Peter in Acts chapter five. There the apostles were preaching as commanded by the Lord. For so doing they were cast into prison. When they were taken out and brought before Judges they were asked:
“Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
In response, Peter and the other apostles said in the next verse:
“We ought to obey God rather than men.”
So, scripture gives us two sides to the argument. Today the Spirit must guide each of us in our walk of reason, determining what is to be obeyed from God and what is to be submitted to from men. I would only reiterate the fact that
We have a king.
Our kingdom is not of this world.
We ought to obey God rather than men and that we ought to submit to those put in power over us so long as they are not presenting us with demands that are in opposition to the will of God.
Paul gives his reasoning to the church at Rome here and says
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
(the better word is sentence or judgment and not damnation)
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.
“Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power?” (In other words, if you want to be free from fear of governmental reprisals) “do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he (the ruler) is the minister (a servant) 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.” (And then he adds)
6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.
Every now and again we read of some Christian group or another refusing to pay their taxes in the cause of Christianity. They have that right as citizens, I suppose, but I personally see it as out of harmony with the Spirit of the faith as even Jesus said to . Paul continues at verse 8, saying some things that are so easy relative to the Christian call and life in this world. He says:
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9 For 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 neighbor as thyself.
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Okay, let’s work through these three passages together and let’s begin with Paul saying:
“Owe no man anything but love.”
We’ve made it clear in our study of Romans that there is no way we can put God in our debt. But I have a question (and an answer) that is gonna shake some of you to the bone so be patient until we can flesh this out. Ready?
“Are we, believers, in debt to God?”
(long beat)
“Are we in God’s debt?”
The knee jerk response is yes. I want to try and see things a little differently and we will begin with a startling statement:
“Christians are not in debt to God.” GULP!
Now I know, I know – believe me, I know how absolutely HORRID that line sounds.
Especially in light of the fact that most of us have been taught through repetition that we are forever in His debt.
But please hear me out on this because to understand it is as vital to a Christians walk as a true and deep understanding of Grace.
So let’s begin by analyzing this first line of verse 8 “Owe no man any thing.”
When we owe others (or are in their debt) we put all sorts of biblical principles at risk, including freedom, liberty, unconditional love, and peace.
To owe another individual ANYTHING places the borrower in bondage . . . which is something Christ came to free us from.
Interestingly enough, in a borrower/lender relationship, it is often the borrower or receipient of a loan that ends up hating the lender who has done them good.
Keep these things out of the church Paul says, because to owe is to bring bondage of debt and the rules of this world.
Listen – in order for a believer to “owe another individual” he or she had to have received something from another that was not a gift, something that came with an obligation or agreement to be repaid or replaced. Paul says “don’t owe any person in this way.”
Therefore, believers are placed under a dual obligation which is founded on love – first, believer must only receive those things that are freely given, in and through love and then believers ought to give, or render service, by and through the same.
In this way – and only in this way – are Christian givers of time, service, goods, of funds able to keep “believing receivers” out of being in debt to them.
In other words, when things are given and received in agape love, debt is not the result. Gratitude is the hopeful result.
When things are done in love debt is erased. (listen) Debt is incurred by works of the Law NOT works of love.
Works of love create love and gratitude.
Is gratitude the same thing as debt?
We’ve heard people say, “I owe them a debt of gratitude” but I would suggest this is a misnomer.
Acts of love may create gratitude in recipients but any acts not founded in love results in debt which results in elements of non-love.
Go with me back to garden of Eden.
God did not say to Adam and Eve, “I have created this garden for you so you had better show me appreciation by obeying me.”
He didn’t say this because He created the garden and man out of love. For God is love. And as such, there is no debt owed.
He loved, He acted, and we are free to choose to respond in heart-felt gratitude OR to wrongly believe we owe Him for this blessing.
If the blessing was given out of pure love there can be no resulting debt, just natural appreciation expressed in gratitude, allegiance and obedience (or more love).
Are we in debt to God for sending His Son? Think about John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
To be in debt for what he GAVE is called religion. To be grateful for what He GAVE and to respond accordingly, is called love.
To obey out of debt is called religion. To obey out of gratitude is called love.
Are we grateful to Him for this gift inso much that we are filled with love and we extend such to Him and others? Hopefully, yes!
When people suggest that we are in debt to God for everything He has done for us, and continues to do for us, they assign to Him the role of NOT operating by love.
Can you imagine dying and going before God and having Him possess a personality that says,
“I gave you this, and I gave you that, and I did this for you, how have you REPAID me?”
Let me put it this way, “Would you want to be married to a person who stays with you because they are in debt to you or because they love you?”
Do you want to be a friend who does things to put people in your debt or does things out of love?
See the difference between the two?
So look at the work of Christ!
Are we in debt to Christ?
Never!
How can we be in debt to someone who offers us a FREE GIFT?
To suggest that believers are in debt to Christ is to suggest that
He operated out of something other than love.
That His Grace is not free, and then that
There is some way we have to pay back or buy our salvation.
Notice, however that where Paul tells us to “owe no being any thing” he does not counsel us against giving. That’s somewhat paradoxical, isn’t it?
In terms of Christian wisdom, love, and liberty, “giving” is an essential principle of the faith.
We give our time (the stuff our lives are made of), our abilities, gifts, attention, devotion, means, etc to people who do not deserve it. We act in love. They do not owe us BECAUSE it was an act of love.
Whether these things are received or appreciated by the recipients is absolutely irrelevant when they are given in true agape love. Any other motive for our action places them in our debt.
Knowing that God and Jesus act and acted only in pure love, we are free from being in their debt and are therefore THEREFORE free to love (which is a verb) by gratitude instead of debt.
What was the Sons’ motivation for his giving His all for us?
Paul said in well in Galatians 2:20
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
“Who loved me, gave himself . . . for me.”
1st John 3:16 says “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
In light of these things I would suggest then, that first, Christian giving means to give (whatever it is) without any expectation of any sort of return but it is driven out of love for Christ just as Christ gave to us.
This would allow the body (and those members of it) to be compliant to Paul’s words of “owing no man any thing.”
In other words, we “give” because it is the right thing to do and because we are motivated by agape love and never when we are motivated by anything else because that type of service or giving will lead to debt (or expectation) of a return.
I don’t believe God gave His Son because He thought the return on His gift would be greater than His Son’s life and suffering nor do I think the Son gave Himself for the world for any reason other than love.
To do otherwise in either situation would be to impose debt, and there id debt, there is non-love, obligation, and bondage.
This brings us to another problem with believers being in (or seeing themselves) as in debt to God and/or man because if we see ourselves as being in debt to either God or man, we are in bondage, and our motives and responses will relate to the debt we think we owe and not to the Christian commandment to love from the heart.
Show me a person who believes they are in God’s debt and I will show you a person who:
Does not understand God’s love.
Believes they must earn His love.
Corrupts the idea of grace and
Lives opposite the liberty God wants his children to have.
Because we often see Him in terms that are faulty we correspondingly will relate to Him in the same way.
Conversely, because we often serve and give and love from motivations other than love (thereby errantly placing our brothers and sisters in debt to us) we think God operates in the same manner – and we spend our time trying to relate to Him as a employee in debt to a demanding employer rather than as recipients of pure love from a purely loving parent who wants nothing more than to bless us.
In other words, if you believe you are in debt to God you will end up trying to earn your salvation. And that will wind up with our being governed by religious debt and not relational love. In the end, this is often an indirect result of law and not grace.
If a person believes they are in debt to God, they will in the end hate Him, because He is holding them to task, and their responses will be one of a slave to a task master and not a servant to a loving benevolent King.
This is the whole premise behind the wonders and beauty of grace.
Salvation is a gift. Unmerited so there is no debt. No debt because the gift was given out of pure love and not with an expectation of a return.
This in turn moves us to love in the same way – serving, giving and blessing out of love and not with an expectation of a return.
We will pick it up at verse 11 next week.
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