Read the passage: Romans 13:8-14 (ESV, Bible Gateway)
Verse 8
- Verse 8 links back to v7. Re-read v7. According to what Paul writes there, in what areas might we be in danger of ‘owing’ people?
- Why might we be tempted to not give people what is due them in these areas?
Verses 9-10
- Paul lists some of the Ten Commandments and then quotes from Leviticus 19.18. Why does love fulfil these laws in particular and God’s Law in general?
- Look at v10: Who is our neighbour?
- What is the link between loving our neighbour and our relationship with the State as described in v1-7?
- GK Chesterton said, ‘The Bible tells us to love our neighbours, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.’ Discuss!
- Look at Ephesians 5.1-2. How does Paul say we can love others? What can motivate us to love? How does a Christian motivation for love differ from how secularism views love?
Verses 8-10
- Paul is not simply saying that to love others is to fulfil the law. He is also saying that obeying God’s law is to love others: that the way we truly love others is by obeying God’s law in all our dealings with them. How might this conflict with how some people think of ‘loving’ v ‘hating’ other people?
Verses 11-12
- Paul gives us a further motivation for righteous living. What is it and how might this influence how we see this life?
Verses 12-14
- Paul says we are to ‘cast off’ and ‘put on’ in two different ways. The first is in v12: what does Paul say we are to ‘cast off’ and ‘put on’?
- Paul is contrasting the works of darkness with the armour of light. Look at Ephesians 6.13-18 where Paul gives another description of the kind of armour we are to put on. How might understanding the armour of God positively influence the way you live and the behaviour- determining choices you make?
- In v13-14 Paul says that, as Christians, there are things we should not do and things we should do. What are they?
Verse 14
- Paul gives us the second ‘put on’: we are to cast off the works of darkness (v12) and ‘Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.’ How does what you wear change the way you behave, and how does this help us understand Paul’s meaning here?
- What does it mean to put on the Lord Jesus Christ?
- How might remembering you are clothed with Christ change the way you relate to your neighbour, and to the wider culture and State?
- What does v14 tell us about the flesh and how we should handle it?
- Often we can be halfhearted in resisting our flesh – we don’t make total provision for it, but we do make some provision for it. Why is this, do you think?
- How does putting on Christ address this?
Reflection question
- In what ways might you act differently in daily life if you imagined that Jesus was right before you, and that you are clothed with Christ?
Leader’s notes
Verse 8
- Verse 8 links back to v7. Re-read v7. According to what Paul writes there, in what areas might we be in danger of ‘owing’ people?
We owe the State our taxes and revenue; we owe respect and honour to others – in the context of v1-7 this is most likely government officials, among others.- Why might we be tempted to not give people what is due them in these areas?
Our natural disposition is to be self-centred and self-focused. We think our money is ours to do what we want with, so we resent taxation, and seek to pay as little as possible, even finding ways out of paying what we should pay. We are increasingly suspicious of authority figures and of institutions generally. They have lost our respect. Instead, we like to think of ourselves at the top of the pyramid and that others should honour us.
- Why might we be tempted to not give people what is due them in these areas?
Verses 9-10
- Paul lists some of the Ten Commandments and then quotes from Leviticus 19:18. Why does love fulfil these laws in particular and God’s Law in general?
For example, think through how adultery is incompatible with love: that if we genuinely love our own spouse, or the person whose spouse we are attracted to, we will not commit adultery; how, if we love someone, we will not murder them – or even ‘kill’ them with our words, or ‘assassinate their character’ as Jesus expanded the command. How, if we love someone, we will not steal what is theirs – because we love them, not their stuff. Also, if we love someone, we will not covet what is theirs – because when we begin to covet what someone else has we feel resentful that they have it and we don’t. Our view of them changes: what they have becomes more important to us than who they are.- What is the link between loving our neighbour and our relationship with the State as described in v1-7?
Our neighbour is anyone with whom we are in relationship, however passing. Our responsibility is not to the State in some disembodied way, as if we can pay our taxes but live semi-detached from the rest of society, in some kind of Christian ‘ghetto’. Rather, we are to be invested in and well integrated in society, doing good in our communities, work places and civic life, overcoming evil with good (12:21). We are to be in loving relationships with those around us in society. - Look at Ephesians 5.1-2. How does Paul say we can love others? What can motivate us to love? How does a Christian motivation for love differ from how secularism views love?
In Eph 5:1-2, Paul states that we can love others because we have been loved by Christ. He is our example, but also the one who changes our hearts through His loving self-sacrifice. The secular world sees love very differently. Firstly, it cannot give a good reason why we should love someone sacrificially; secondly, it tends to see love as something I ‘feel’, something that makes me feel good, and, as a result, tends to be self-focused. I love someone as long as they are giving me what I want from the relationship. Christian love is about giving ourselves, because that is what Christ did for us.
- What is the link between loving our neighbour and our relationship with the State as described in v1-7?
Verses 8-10
- Paul is not simply saying that to love others is to fulfil the law. He is also saying that obeying God’s law is to love others: that the way we truly love others is by obeying God’s law in all our dealings with them. How might this conflict with how some people think of ‘loving’ vs ‘hating’ other people?
People sometimes think that the loving thing to do in a certain situation is to let people ‘get away’ with something; or to support them in sinful behaviour; or to affirm them in lifestyle choices the Bible says are contrary to God’s best. In such thinking, to say that such behaviour is wrong is ‘hateful’. However, to know whether something is really loving or not, you have to know what is best for someone. Ultimately, only God knows this. So we must rely on Him and what He says is good or bad for people if we are to truly love them. Thus, to love our neighbour is to obey God’s law, to live as He calls us to, and to encourage and support others to do so. It is not loving to compromise God’s law.
Verses 11-12
- Paul gives us a further motivation for righteous living. What is it and how might this influence how we see this life?
This life is not ‘it’. We are to understand that while we are citizens of our earthly kingdoms, we are also citizens of the heavenly kingdom which is coming in all its fullness. The night is nearly over, the dawn is coming. This means our present lives are, relatively, very short! We realise that this life is the night before the dawn. This life is not the day… that is still to come, and it is coming.
Verses 12-14
- Paul says we are to ‘cast off’ and ‘put on’ in two different ways. The first is in v12: what does Paul say we are to ‘cast off’ and ‘put on’?
- Paul is contrasting the works of darkness with the armour of light. Look at Ephesians 6.13-18 where Paul gives another description of the kind of armour we are to put on. How might understanding the armour of God positively influence the way you live and the behaviour- determining choices you make?
Firstly, mention of armour reminds us we face a spiritual battle, that there is an enemy who seeks to destroy us. The belt of truth: understanding that there is such a thing as truth will influence how we weigh others’ opinions and respond to God’s word; The breastplate of righteousness: we have none of our own, but are righteous in Christ. This makes us both humble and bold; The shoes of the readiness of the gospel of peace: there is good news and it brings peace – between us and God, and us and others. We should be ready to share this in a world robbed of peace; The shield of faith: reminds us we will face arrows, but trusting God – that His ways and word is best – extinguishes them; The helmet of salvation: the battleground for our lives is often in our thoughts. Remembering you are saved from something and for something helps clarify your thinking! The sword of the Spirit – the word of God: Jesus countered Satan’s attacks by the word of God. We can and should too. It is as we are shaped by God’s word that we will live the lives that bring Him glory and us greater joy.
- Paul is contrasting the works of darkness with the armour of light. Look at Ephesians 6.13-18 where Paul gives another description of the kind of armour we are to put on. How might understanding the armour of God positively influence the way you live and the behaviour- determining choices you make?
Verse 14
- Paul gives us the second ‘put on’: we are to cast off the works of darkness (v12) and ‘Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.’ How does what you wear change the way you behave, and how does this help us understand Paul’s meaning here?
If you are confronted with a messy kitchen and you are wearing your finest clothing, you will behave very differently than if you are in clothes that are already messy and you’re wearing an apron. If you go for an important interview smartly dressed you will feel different than if you turn up looking like a wreck. What you wear changes your behaviour and how you ‘see’ yourself. Reminding ourselves that we are clothed with Christ will similarly change our behaviour.- What does it mean to put on the Lord Jesus Christ?
It means to remember Him at all times; to live in constant trust of Him – by being thankful and prayerful; to go to Him in temptation; to consider ourselves ‘in Him’: alive, loved, forgiven, chosen, called, justified in Him. - How might remembering you are clothed with Christ change the way you relate to your neighbour, and to the wider culture and State?
We will be more observant of our behaviour: is this something I would do/would I respond like this if Christ were here? Instead of living self-indulgent, self-centred lives we will to seek to serve, rather than be served; we will seek to bring about reconciliation and peace rather than division. We will seek to speak the truth, rather than falsehoods, but do so in love. - Often we can be halfhearted in resisting our flesh – we don’t make total provision for it, but we do make some provision for it. Why is this, do you think?
We don’t yet see that Christ and being in relationship with Him is more beautiful and fulfilling than the sin we desire. We prefer our self-pity, anxiety, anger, lust, to Christ. So we indulge it – we allow it some ground.
- What does it mean to put on the Lord Jesus Christ?
Download the complete study: Bible study on Romans (PDF) and leader’s guide (PDF)