Romans 13
1 Each living being should cooperate witha the authorities who arise overb them since no authority figure exists without being under God, and those that exist are arrangedc underd God. 2 Therefore, whoever is organized in opposition againste the authority has risen against God’s arrangement, and those who rise against it will take on decisive action against themselves 3 (Those who lead are not fearful to those with beneficial actions but with harmful). Do you want to have no reason to fear the authority? Do what is beneficial, and you will have the authority’s approval. 4 They are God’s servant for your benefit. But if you do harm, be afraid, for it isn’t for nothing that they carry the sword; they are God’s servant of injusticef with anger against the one who practices harm. 5 Because of this, it is necessary to cooperate, not only because of the anger but also because of shared understanding.
6 That’s also why you complete your tribute payment—because the representative servantsg of God are those who persevere in this very thing. 7 Give away everything that is owed—tributesh to whomever claims a tribute, taxi to whomever claims a tax, fearj to whomever elicits fear, and treating as having valuek whomever deserves being treated as having value. 8 Owe nothing to anyone except love to each other. Whoever loves the other fulfills Torah. 9 You see, the part that says, “Do not engage in marital infidelity, do not murder, do not steal, do not crave”l (and any other directive) is summarized with this saying: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”m 10 Love doesn’t produce harm to the neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of Torah.
11 Do this since we have come to understand the moment, that it is already time for us to wake up from sleep because our liberation is now nearer than when we began to trust. 12 The night has progressed, and the day is near. Therefore, let’s put away the actions of the dark hoursn and put on tools for daylight hours.o 13 Let’s walk appropriately for the daytime, not with indulgent festivities and drunkenness, not with bedp and lack of restraint,q not with fighting and jealousy, 14 but instead put on the Lord Jesus Christ and don’t make preparationsr for the desires of the body.
FOOTNOTES:
a Traditionally, ‘be subject to’ or ‘submit to.’
b Traditionally, ‘governing.’ However, the word means those who ‘are over’ or ‘hold something over’ or ‘rise above’ or ‘have an elevated position’ or ‘surpass’ or ‘are superior to’ or ‘prevail.’
c Traditionally, ‘appointed’ or ‘instituted’ or ‘established’ or ‘ordained.’
d Traditionally, ‘by’ in this instance. The preposition *hupo* can be translated as ‘by’ in some instances, but ‘under’ is a more common meaning and seems most appropriate in this context.
e The word here is not just ‘ignoring the rules’ or ‘refusing to comply.’ It is a military term referring to arranging troops on the battlefield to oppose an enemy force.
f This seems to be an example of Paul ensuring deniability while speaking to an oppressed population at the heart of the empire under a violent emperor. This word means ‘unjust,’ but it also seems to be used at times for those who respond to injustice with punishment. I have attempted to translate it in a way that maintains the plausible deniability, to uphold the dissembling that Paul seems to be doing. More literally, it would be translated as ‘unjust servant’ or to Roman ears, it might be understood to mean ‘punishing agent.’
g Traditionally, ‘conscience.’ However, while the word can be used in reference a moral awareness, that is not the only meaning. It is a state of sharing in knowledge or ‘being in the know’ in a wide range of contexts, including being a witness to something, being complicit in something, knowing or having knowledge of something in a more neutral sense, and having something on one’s conscience. Continuing the theme of dissembling, of plausible deniability, this seems to be a way to refer to something both Paul and the readers understood without saying it.
h The word here is more specific than just ‘servants.’ It pertains specifically to acting as a representative for a deity or ruling figure and performing the ritual duties associated with that role, such as the priests performing sacrifices in the temple. It is used three times previously in Romans 1:25, 9:4, and 12:1. The most relevant for this instance is 12:1 as chapter 13 is a continuation of discussing the details of what it means to offer our bodies as “a sacrifice that is alive, sacred, and pleasing to God.” The word was also used as those who were performing a ritual service to the conquering ruler by paying a tribute. The fact that it specifies here that it is the leitourgoi of God, not of some other ruler, means that it is contrasting the audiences role members of the Divine Reign with members of the empire. It is the way they live that serve as the offering to God, and the money that the ruler claims is in contrast to that.
i Traditionally, ‘taxes.’ The word here is ‘tribute’ which is a fee charged by a ruler from those they have conquered. It is a tax for being a native resident of occupied territory.
j Or ‘duty’ or ‘task’
k Or ‘reverence’ or ‘respect’
l Or ‘honor’
m Reference to Exodus 20-13-17 and Deuteronomy 5:17-21
n Quotation of Leviticus 19:18
o Literally, ‘actions of darkness’
p Literally, ‘tools of light’ or ‘weapons of light’
q Literally, the word means ‘bed’ and could refer to sleep and it is a euphemism for both marriage and sex. It is the same word translated as
r Traditionally, ‘sensuality,’ however, here are the definitions listed: ‘unruliness,’ ‘indecency,’ ‘insolence,’ and ‘lack of restraint.’
s Traditionally, ‘make no provision.’ That phrase technically can mean ‘do not make preparations’ but it can also mean ‘do not make any allowance for,’ which has typically been the teaching associated with that wording here. The Greek word means ‘preparation.’