Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.            The angel Gabriel was sent by God to answer Daniel's prayer that began in 9:1. He begins in v. 24 by saying, “Seventy w...  Read More

Romans 13:13-14 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.Jesus is “the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man” (John 1:9), for he is God who “is light, and in Him there is no darkn...  Read More

Romans 13:11-12 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.           In view of the Christian’s command to love his neighbor as the fruit of his salvation (not the root of...  Read More

Romans 13:8b-10 …he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.            Having concluded...  Read More

Romans 13:8b …love one another. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.Paul’s context of loving one another was originally introduced in 12:9, and although monetary debts are always to be paid (13:6-7), the debt of love for one another is the immediate context, a debt that is perpetually owed. Jesus told His disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even ...  Read More

Romans 13:8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another.The Bible is not a book full of random verses instructing people to do and not do certain things. “Owe nothing to anyone,” for example, if taken out of context, might lead some to believe that Christians should never have a stitch of debt at any time for any reason. But in reality, neither the OT nor the NT categorically forbids borrowin...  Read More

Romans 13:6-7 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. 7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.In v. 6 Paul says that governing authorities are “servants” (Gr. leitourgos) of God. This term for “servant” is a different word than the one translated t...  Read More

Romans 13:3-5 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 5 ...  Read More

Romans 13:2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.So what if our government went Nazi and promoted the slaughter of innocent people? How might Romans 13 then be interpreted? Did not the Jewish midwives defy the pharaoh to preserve Hebrew male babies when they were born? They “feared God, and did not...  Read More

Romans 13:1b For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.Two reasons to obey governing authorities can be seen in Romans 13:1. First, the Apostle Paul, speaking for God, commands it. So, to follow a command of God is to worship God—offering oneself as a living sacrifice (12:1). Second, all governing authorities exist by God’s consent and are “established...  Read More

Romans 13:1a Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities.Paul knew a little something about the topic of civil obedience. On one occasion, after being falsely accused of breaking the law and being put into the Philippian prison, instead of moaning about the injustice of it all, he and his companion Silas spent their night “praying and singing hymns of praise to God” (Acts 16:2...  Read More

Romans 12:19-21 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.           In Romans 12:19-21 Paul conti...  Read More