Romans 13:1-2. Even the worst of governments are of God? What of a military coup?
A truly difficult passage for our day. Yet, Paul dealt with evil government in his own day. We don’t want to water down the passage. People in the church today want to be free from all “legalism” as they say. They freely ignore laws that they consider ungodly, and eventually the ones they think are inconvenient, too.
What is the standard? Did God Himself place Communism in the world? Sharia Law? Roman Catholic authority in the Vatican? Verse 3 says that if I keep doing what is good, I will be “praised” by the authorities. Later we are told that the IRS and its bosses are servants of God.
How to deal with all of this, when governments go sour? And how does one choose between two governments if there is a military takeover, a change of governments?
We have to assume that Paul is writing under the Spirit’s control. That God is speaking clearly to him about the opposite of lawlessness, a problem every society faces eventually. We have to believe that we are to keep, through the Spirit, the law of God. This will keep us out of most trouble. But we look at the lives of the apostles and we realize that occasionally they stepped over the boundaries they themselves had set, obeying God rather than men.
The point for us is that way too many of God’s people want to ignore law too often. Cheating on taxes. Breaking traffic codes. Basically, writing our own legal book. I think God is not pleased with this, nor does He need our disobedience in these areas. As much as lies in us we must keep the ordinances of men.
Romans 13:8. Is it “Owe” or “You owe”?
The 2nd person singular in most Greek verbs can be rendered as a statement of fact or as a command. For example, “Search the Scriptures” has finally given way, thankfully, to “You search the Scriptures” in modern translations, though both translations are grammatically correct.
Here, is it “You owe nothing to anyone except to love them,” or “Owe nothing to anyone except to love them”? Is this is warning to be debt free, or is it a statement of universal principal, that our only real indebtedness to someone is to share God’s love with them?
The context here seems to be love, not money. Notice the rest of the verse and the next verses . When you love, you fulfill the law. All the law is summed up in love. So, love!
Romans 14. What does Paul think of forcing our opinions on others?
In areas where God has not given a clear revelation, a specific doctrine, we must allow people to have their own opinion. We must not force our way on others, even though it seems to be clearly based on the Truth. This wounds people, pushes them away, takes their growing process away. Judgmental opinionated pressure on a brother is unkind and unholy. Beware!
Romans 14:22. Explain the latter part of this verse.
It must be connected to the first part. Here is how other translations are worded:
NIV: So, whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
NLV: You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right.
ESV: The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.
God’s Word Translation: So, whatever you believe about these things, keep it between yourself and God. The person who does what he knows is right shouldn’t feel guilty. He is blessed.
Got it? You have a right to believe what your conscience dictates. That’s between you and the Lord. But when you start pushing others into the same box, you hurt them and hurt yourself. And they, like you, believe they are doing the right thing. Leave them alone…
Romans 15:16. In what sense was Paul a “priest”?
He sees himself offering all the Gentiles up to God as an offering. He definitely was not establishing anything “Roman” in his priesthood comments!
Romans 15:29. How was this hope fulfilled?
This letter was written maybe 2-3 years before his actual visit to Rome. Paul was not allowed to come to Rome until he came as a prisoner of Christ. Even in these dark days, Paul was filled with God’s Spirit, working miracles, preaching Jesus. But we can imagine that Paul had not envisioned his entry into the capital city church bound in chains.
Romans 16:1. Was Phoebe a church official or simply a volunteer servant?
We are not told, are we? Yet read the commentaries and you will think it was revealed from Heaven that here is the first female deacon, proof positive that women should hold church office. No, folks. We just don’t know.
Romans 16:20. What did Paul foresee here?
Of course, this wording is based on the Protevangelium, the first glimpse of the Gospel proclaimed in the third chapter of Genesis, verse 15. “You (Satan) will bruise His (Jesus’) heel, but He (Jesus) will crush your (Satan’s) head.”
The first century church looked for Jesus’ return at any time, as we should. But there was another crushing that may have been in the Spirit’s Mind as he breathed these words through the apostle: the Roman Empire would begin to crumble due to the rising of the Christian Church in its midst.
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