Romanos 13
Origen of Alexandria · Comentário Patrístico (catena)
Romanos 13:1
What does Paul mean when he says that "there is no authority except from God?" Is an authority which persecutes the children of God, which attacks the faith and which undermines our religion, from God? We shall answer this briefly. Nobody will deny that our senses—sight, sound and thought—are given to us by God. But although we get them from God, what we do with them is up to us.… God will judge us righteously for having abused what he gave us to use for good. Likewise, God's judgment against the authorities will be just, if they have used the powers they have received according to their own ungodliness and not according to the laws of God. — COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS
Romanos 13:2
This injunction does not apply in the case of authorities who persecute the faith. It only applies to those who are going about their proper business. — COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS
Romanos 13:4
In what sense is a judge in this world the servant of God?… It seems to me that this question is answered by that passage in the Acts of the Apostles where the decision was taken to impose only certain ritual obligations on Gentile believers. They were told to abstain from eating what had been sacrificed to idols, from blood and from fornication, but nothing was said about murder, adultery, theft, homosexuality or other crimes which are punished by both divine and human laws. Now if what was explicitly forbidden to the Gentiles was all they had to do, then it would seem as if these other things were all right. But look at how the Holy Spirit has organized everything. Because these other crimes are already punished by secular laws, it seemed superfluous to add a divine prohibition as well. All that he decreed concerned matters which seemed right from the divine point of view but which were not covered by human laws. It is in this way that a human judge acts as a servant of God. For God wants these crimes to be punished by human judges and not by representatives of the church. — COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS
Romanos 13:5
Paul tells the church not to do anything against the princes and powers of this world so that it may live in peace and quiet. For if the church rebels … then it will be punished, not because of its faith but because of its crimes, and instead of dying for a worthy cause people will die for an unworthy one. — COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS
Romanos 13:7
The authorities demand taxes on our property and revenue from our business transactions. What can I say? Jesus Christ himself was obliged to pay taxes, not because he owed anything but so as not to cause scandal. If he who owed nothing to Caesar and who had every right to refuse to pay taxes nevertheless agreed to pay them, who are we to refuse to do so? — COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS
Romanos 13:8
In many cases debt is equivalent to sin. Paul therefore wants us to owe nothing on account of sin and to steer clear of debts of this kind, retaining only the debt which springs from love, which we ought to be repaying every day. — COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS
Romanos 13:9
If you love somebody, you will not kill him. Nor will you commit adultery, steal from him or bear false witness against him. It is the same with all the other commands of the law: love ensures that they are kept. — COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS
Romanos 13:12
This may be understood in both a universal and in a particular sense. In the first instance, the light is dawning everywhere, and the reign of darkness over the world is rapidly coming to an end.… In the second instance, if we have Christ in our hearts he gives us light. Therefore if the reason of knowledge drives away our ignorance and if we turn away from unworthy deeds and do what is right, we are in the light and are walking honestly as if in the day. — COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS
Romanos 13:13
These are the works of darkness, which are also called the "works of the flesh," in which people bind their flesh to luxury and uncleanness rather than to holiness or the Lord. "Reveling" refers to dishonorable and extravagant banqueting, which inevitably is prone to sexual immorality.… "Quarreling and jealousy" are really acts of the mind, but like everything else here, they are called acts of the flesh. — COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS
Romanos 13:14
The Lord Jesus Christ himself … is said to be the clothing of the saints. — ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 2.3.2
Romanos 13:14
We have often said that Christ is wisdom, righteousness, holiness, truth and all the other virtues. Therefore anyone who has acquired these has put on Christ. For if all these are Christ, then the person who has them must of necessity have Christ as well. Whoever has them will not bother about the flesh. The apostle speaks here with some care, because he knows that we must take some thought for the needs of the flesh. It is the excesses and lusts of the flesh, not its basic needs, which must be avoided. — COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS