Romans 13

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Romans 13

There are three good lessons taught us in this chapter, where the apostle enlarges more upon his precepts than he had done in the foregoing chapter, finding them more needful to be fully pressed. I. A lesson of subjection to lawful authority, Rom. 13:1-6. II. A lesson of justice and love to our brethren, Rom. 13:7-10. III. A lesson of sobriety and godliness in ourselves, Rom. 13:11-14. read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Romans 13:1-6

We are here taught how to conduct ourselves towards magistrates, and those that are in authority over us, called here the higher powers, intimating their authority (they are powers), and their dignity (they are higher powers), including not only the king as supreme, but all inferior magistrates under him: and yet it is expressed, not by the persons that are in that power, but the place of power itself, in which they are. However the persons themselves may be wicked, and of those vile persons... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Romans 13:7-10

We are here taught a lesson of justice and charity. I. Of justice (Rom. 13:7): Render therefore to all their dues, especially to magistrates, for this refers to what goes before; and likewise to all with whom we have to do. To be just is to give to all their due, to give every body his own. What we have we have as stewards; others have an interest in it, and must have their dues. ?Render to God his due in the first place, to yourselves, to you families, your relations, to the commonwealth, to... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Romans 13:11-14

We are here taught a lesson of sobriety and godliness in ourselves. Our main care must be to look to ourselves. Four things we are here taught, as a Christian's directory for his day's work: when to awake, how to dress ourselves, how to walk, and what provision to make. I. When to awake: Now it is high time to awake (Rom. 13:11), to awake out of the sleep of sin (for a sinful condition is a sleeping condition), out of the sleep of carnal security, sloth and negligence, out of the sleep of... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 13:1-7

13:1-7 Let everyone render due obedience to those who occupy positions of outstanding authority, for there is no authority which is not allotted its place by God, for the authorities which exist have been set in their places by God. So he who sets himself up against authority has really set himself up against God's arrangement of things. Those who do set themselves against authority will receive condemnation upon themselves. For the man who does good has nothing to fear from rulers, but the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 13:8-10

13:8-10 Owe no man anything, except to love each other; for he who loves the other man has fulfilled the law. The commandments, You must not commit adultery, You must not kill, You must not steal, You must not covet, and any other commandment there may be, are all summed up in this saying--You must love your neighbour as yourself. Love does no harm to its neighbour. Love is, therefore, the complete fulfilment of the law. The previous passage dealt with what might be called a man's public... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Romans 13:11-14

13:11-14 Further, there is this--realize what time it is, that it is now high time to be awakened from sleep; for now your salvation is nearer than when you believed. The night is far gone; the day is near. So, then, let us put away the works of darkness, and let us clothe ourselves with the weapons of light. Let us walk in loveliness of life, as those who walk in the day, and let us not walk in revelry or drunkenness, in immorality and in shamelessness, in contention and in strife. But put... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 13

INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS 13 The principal things contained in this chapter, enjoined the saints, are the duties of subjection to magistrates, love to one another, and to all men, and temperance and chastity in themselves: it begins with duties relating to the civil magistrates, requiring obedience of everyone unto them, Romans 13:1 , and that for these reasons, because the civil magistracy, or government, is by divine appointment; wherefore to obey them in things of a civil nature, is to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 13:1

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers ,.... The apostle having finished his exhortations to this church, in relation to the several duties incumbent upon both officers and private Christians, as members of a church, and with reference to each other, and their moral conduct in the world; proceeds to advise, direct, and exhort them to such duties as were relative to them as members of a civil society; the former chapter contains his Christian Ethics, and this his Christian Politics.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Romans 13:2

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power ,.... The office of magistracy, and such as are lawfully placed in it, and rightly exercise it; who denies that there is, or ought to be any such order among men, despises it, and opposes it, and withdraws himself from it, and will not be subject to it in any form: resisteth the ordinance of God , the will and appointment of God, whose pleasure it is that there should be such an office, and that men should be subject to it. This is not to be... read more

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