Romanos 13
Theophylact of Ohrid
Romanos 13:1
Having offered his listeners sufficient moral instruction and having taught them to be benevolent even toward enemies, he presents the current exhortation as well, teaching every soul, whether one be a priest, a monk, or an apostle, to submit to the authorities; for this submission does not undermine piety. And the apostle presents this exhortation with the purpose of showing that the Gospel teaches not sedition or disobedience to authority, but a noble way of thinking and obedience. What are you saying? Is every ruler appointed by God? – That is not what I am saying, – he replies. My discourse now is not about each individual ruler, but about rulership itself. That there are authorities, that some rule and others are subject, and that there is no confusion between the higher and the lower – this I call a work of the wisdom of God. For he did not say: there is no ruler, but "there is no authority except from God." Therefore, I say, he reasons about the matter itself, about authority. Similarly, when the wise man says, "a prudent wife is from the Lord" (Prov. 19:14), he does not mean that God unites everyone who enters into marriage, but that marriage was established by God. So then, all authorities, whichever you may consider – whether of a father over a son, or of a husband over a wife, or all the rest, even those that exist among animals, for example among bees, cranes, and fish – all were established by God. — Commentary on Romans
Romanos 13:2
Lest the believers should say: you demean us by subjecting to rulers those who are to receive the Heavenly Kingdom, he shows that he who obeys the authorities obeys God, or, what is far more fearful, he who disobeys the authorities resists God Who established the authorities, and he who resists will be punished both by God and by men. The latter he suggested by saying: "those who resist will bring judgment upon themselves." — Commentary on Romans
Romanos 13:3
What are you afraid of and why do you tremble? Does the ruler rebuke you if you do good? Is he fearsome to you if you are zealous for virtue? On the contrary, if you do good, the ruler is appointed to praise you. He is so far from instilling fear in you that he even praises you. — Commentary on Romans
Romanos 13:4
He, it says, assists the will of God. For example: God counsels you to be chaste, and the ruler prescribes the same through laws. God exhorts you not to be covetous and a thief, and the ruler is appointed as judge over the same. Consequently, he is our helper in good works, if we submit ourselves to him. So then, it is not the ruler who produces fear in us, but our own vices, on account of which the ruler's sword also exists, that is, the authority to punish. The ruler, he says, does not gird himself with the sword in vain, but in order to punish the wicked. When a ruler praises virtue, he fulfills the will of God; and when he puts the sword to use, he is a servant of God, defending virtue and driving away vice. Many do good not so much out of the fear of God as out of fear of rulers. Therefore, when a ruler defends virtue and punishes vice, he is a servant of God. — Commentary on Romans
Romanos 13:5
It is necessary for you, he says, to obey not only so that you do not experience the wrath both of God and of the ruler, as one who is insubordinate, and do not undergo unbearable punishment, but also so that you do not prove to be unconscionable and ungrateful to your benefactor. The authorities provide great benefits to states. Through them our well-being is maintained, and if they did not exist, everything would have long since been overthrown because the strongest would have swallowed up the weakest. Therefore, let your own conscience, he says, persuade you to honor those who provide you with so many good things. — Commentary on Romans
Romanos 13:6
You yourself testify that the ruler benefits you, because you give him compensation, obviously, as one who provides for you. We would not have been paying taxes from the beginning if we did not know that we receive benefit from the authorities, those who hold office tirelessly keeping watch on our behalf, while we are free from such cares. Therefore it is also pleasing to God that we pay taxes to His ministers. God desires that in civil society there be peace, that people live virtuously, and that vice be defeated; and it is precisely in this that rulers serve the will of God, zealously caring for the common tranquility, applying tireless diligence so that we may lead our lives in peace and quiet. If someone misuses authority, this says nothing against the benefit of authority itself. — Commentary on Romans
Romanos 13:7
Gratitude toward rulers is, he says, your inescapable debt. Render therefore what is due to everyone to whom various authorities have been entrusted: to whom tribute is due, that is, the poll tax, render tribute; and to whom custom is due, that is, payment for land, render custom. But do not give money alone. Render also fear, that is, respect, reverence, and distinguished honor. Therefore he adds: "to whom honor, honor." Fear is of two kinds. One fear is that which criminals feel — fear proceeding from a bad conscience: this fear the apostle already rejected earlier. The other fear is that which those who love have toward the beloved, that is, the highest degree of respect, as it is said: "there is no want to them that fear Him" (Ps. 34:9) and: "the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever" (Ps. 19:9). Here reverence is meant. — Commentary on Romans
Romanos 13:8
Pay your other debts, he says. But love—never wish to pay it off; rather, always keep it as a permanent debt. If you always show your neighbor the disposition of one who loves, do not imagine that therefore tomorrow you may neglect him; on the contrary, always consider that the debt of loving your neighbor rests upon you. He who loves his neighbor fulfills the law. Therefore everyone should love his neighbor, because he receives from him and from love toward him so many benefits that he fulfills the whole law. — Commentary on Romans
Romanos 13:9
He did not say "is completed," but "is summed up," that is, in this commandment the entire body of commandments is contained in summary. For the beginning and the end of virtue is love. Furthermore, the law requires love in the highest degree. "Love," it says, "your neighbor as yourself," but our Lord requires more, having taught that we should love our neighbor more than ourselves; for He teaches us to lay down our life for a friend (John 15:13). — Commentary on Romans
Romanos 13:10
He shows that love has both kinds of perfection. When he says that "love does no evil to one's neighbor," he indicates that it is abstention from evil, and with the words "love is the fulfillment of the law" he points out that it is the doing of good. Thus, love accomplishes in us the virtue indicated by the law, in all its fullness. — Commentary on Romans
Romanos 13:11
You must, he says, value love very highly, and through it — all the other virtues. Such is the time. The day of resurrection is near, the judgment is near, and we must awaken from the sleep of negligence and be ready for deeds worthy of the resurrection. Probably they at the beginning, upon their conversion, were most zealous, but then, with the passage of time, grew cold. Therefore he says: now we are closer to the future age; for this is what he means by "salvation," having called it so from its better side, because for sinners it is not salvation, but perdition. And as we draw near to the future life, we must intensify our attention. This is what he shows further. — Commentary on Romans
Romanos 13:12
That is, the night will soon end. For example: let us suppose that the night consists of twelve hours. When ten hours have passed, we say that the night is far spent (προέκοψεν), meaning: it has passed, it is near its end. He calls the present age night, because in it many are in darkness and the life of each person is covered in darkness; and he calls the future age day, both because of the brightness of the righteous, and because then the secrets of all will be revealed. In the Gospel, however, the present age is called day because during it one must work, and the future age is called night because then no one can work (Jn. 9:4). He called sinful actions "works," as something laborious, accompanied by great difficulties, subject to a thousand dangers even in the present age; and he called virtuous actions "armor of light," for they place the one who possesses them in safety, as armor does, and make him radiant, as armor of light. By the words "let us cast off" and "let us put on," he showed the ease of both—that is, both of departing from evil works and of turning to virtue. Just as it is not difficult to take off one garment and put on another, so it is possible to depart from vice and embrace virtue. — Commentary on Romans
Romanos 13:13
Above he said: "the day has drawn near," but now he shows that it is already arriving, and teaches to conduct oneself in it with decorum. With decorum he attracts those who greatly respected public opinion; and he did not say: conduct yourselves, — but "let us conduct ourselves," making his exhortation bearable. For nothing is so unseemly as sin, and nothing so imparts comeliness as virtue. He does not prohibit drinking, but drinking without measure; not the use of wine, but drunkenness. "Reveling" is called the state of being drunk combined with insults, which is also called disorderly conduct in a drunken state. Having spoken before about drunkenness, he now speaks of the evil that comes from it; for debauchery comes from drunkenness, and here he cuts off not association with women, but fornication. Having extinguished the evil born from lust, he now suppresses also that evil which comes from anger. For nothing so kindles lust and inflames anger as drunkenness and disorderly conduct in a drunken state. From envy comes strife or quarreling, because the one who envies another goes so far as quarrels. Therefore, having removed quarreling, he ascends also to its origin — envy. He mentions strife and envy together with debauchery because from the latter come conflicts and the ruin of households. — Commentary on Romans
Romanos 13:14
Having stripped from us the garment of sin, He finally adorns us, clothing us no longer in the armor of light, but, what is even more awe-inspiring, making the Master Himself our garment. Whoever is clothed in this garment possesses every virtue. He does not forbid care for the body, but "lusts." Take care, he says, of the body for health, not for licentiousness. For it would not be care if you were to kindle a flame and heat the furnace to your own harm. Strive only to have a healthy body, and beyond that, do not be concerned, and do not kindle the lusts of the body, but direct all your diligence toward the spiritual. — Commentary on Romans