Bible Commentaries

SECTION 42 — LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR

CH. 13:8-10

Owe nothing to anyone; except to love one another. For he who loves his neighbour has fulfilled law. For this, “Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not murder, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not desire,” and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up again in this word, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Love works no ill to his neighbour. Love therefore is a fulfillment of law.

Romans 13:8. Owe nothing etc.: negative repetition of “repay to all what ye owe,” in Romans 13:7. Free yourselves from all debts by paying them.

Except to love one another: a debt from which we can never release ourselves by payment. However much we have done for our neighbour, we are still bound to love him. The debt due to the officers of the State suggests another debt due to all our fellow-citizens: cp. Romans 1:14.

For he who loves etc.: reason for paying our debt of universal love.

Law: the general principle of “do this and live,” which took historic form in the Law of Moses.

Fulfilled: filled up by action what the abstract principle of law delineates in outline. [The Greek perfect calls attention to the abiding result of such fulfilment of law.]

Romans 13:9-10. Proof of Romans 13:8 b, concluding with a restatement of it.

Thou shalt not desire: as in Romans 7:7. The various precepts in Leviticus 19, are summed up again in Leviticus 19:18 in this one general precept.

Love: not an emotional affection, but, like God’s love, a principle of active benevolence. It is therefore consistent with detestation of whatever is bad in our neighbour: cp. Romans 12:9.

Love works: the principle personified, as in 1 Corinthians 13. It moves us to beneficent activity, and thus keeps us from doing harm. But this is the purpose of the above commands.

Therefore love is a fulfilment of law. It fills-up in action the outline of conduct sketched by the principle of law. Same word as fulness in Romans 11:12; Romans 11:25; Romans 15:29.

Romans 13:9 is in very close agreement with Matthew 22:39-40; Mark 12:31; and confirms these Gospels as correct embodiments of the actual teaching of Christ. See under Galatians 5:14 : cp. 1 Timothy 1:5.

These verses imply that, even to believers, the Law is still valid as an abiding rule of conduct: cp. Romans 8:4. But, since this great commandment is altogether beyond our power to obey, it is virtually a promise that God will Himself breathe into us the love He requires: a promise fulfilled in those who believe it. Consequently this commandment, which at once secures the homage of our moral sense, is to us no longer law but a part of the Gospel. It has been buried in the grave of Christ, and with Him has risen into new life.

SECTION 43 — PUT OFF THE WORKS OF DARKNESS

CH. 13:11-14

And this, knowing the season, that the hour has come for you at once to arise from sleep. For now is salvation nearer to us than when we believed. The night has advanced; and the day is come near. Let us put of then the works of the darkness, and let us put on the weapons of the light. As in the day, let us walk becomingly; not with revelling and drunkenness, not with debauchery and wantonness, not with strife and emulation; but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and for the flesh take no forethought, to gratify desires.

Romans 13:11-12 a. And do this, viz “love your neighbour.”

Season: as Romans 3:26, etc.: it is defined by the hour to arise from sleep. Cp. Ephesians 5:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:6.

For now etc.: reason for rising from sleep, viz. because the time already elapsed since we put faith in Christ has brought us so much nearer to the day of complete deliverance.

Salvation: final deliverance from the conflict of life; as in Romans 5:10; Romans 10:10.

Believed: the mental act by which we received as true the testimony of Jesus, as in 1 Corinthians 3:5; Acts 4:4 etc.; as distinguished from the abiding state of those who “believe,” e.g. Romans 1:16; Romans 3:22.

The night: the present obscurity, in contrast to the eternal day. These words emphasise the foregoing metaphor.

Romans 13:12 b. Practical application of the metaphor.

Put-off: as nightclothes are laid aside in the morning: same word in Acts 7:58; Ephesians 4:22; Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:8; Hebrews 12:1; James 1:21; 1 Peter 2:1.

The works of the darkness: our past acts, in harmony with the darkness in which we walked, not knowing where we were going or what we were doing: a list given below.

Put-on: constantly used of clothes and weapons, e.g. Matthew 6:25; 1 Corinthians 15:53-54; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 4:24; Ephesians 6:11; Ephesians 6:14; Colossians 3:10; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:8.

Weapons of the light: cp. Romans 6:13; 2 Corinthians 6:7.

Since the night is almost over and the day is dawning, Paul bids us wake up from sleep and throw aside the sinful acts which belong to the darkness now passing away: and, since the dawning light can overspread the land only by conflict and victory, in which we are called to share, he bids us gird on our sword as soldiers of the light.

Romans 13:13-14. Expansion, positive and negative, of the foregoing exhortation.

As in day: in the light of the dawning day, which even before the sun has risen is sufficient to guide our steps. It keeps up the metaphor of Romans 13:12.

Becomingly: with good appearance suitable to the daylight in which we walk. Same word in 1 Thessalonians 4:12; 1 Corinthians 14:40.

Revelling etc.: sins belonging specially to the night. They are the works of the darkness in Romans 13:12.

But put on etc.: parallel to put on the weapons of the light.

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ: as men put on clothing, which, though distinct from them, yet when put on becomes almost a part of them. Paul bids us enter into union with Christ so close that He will become the close environment in which we live and move. Same phrase in Galatians 3:27 : cp. Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10, a somewhat different conception. Since union with Christ enables us to do God’s work even in face of enemies, to put on Christ is (Romans 13:12) to put on the weapons of the light: cp. 1 Peter 4:1.

No forethought: as in Romans 12:17.

The flesh: the material and constitution common to all human bodies and characterized by various desires: cp. Romans 6:12, Galatians 5:16; Galatians 5:24. The prohibition to take forethought for the flesh is limited to one improper aim of such forethought, viz. to gratify its desires.

The metaphor of Romans 13:12 deserves careful study. The present life is compared to a night spent in rioting and sleep. The coming of Christ will bring the eternal day. Already it is dawning; and in the light of that day-dawn His servants walk. The light is in conflict with darkness; and it is our privilege to join in the battle and hasten the victory. Paul announces that morning has come; that the time for revelry has gone. He bids the sleepers to awake, to cast aside the character in which they have wrapped themselves and lain so long, unconscious of the realities of the coming day, and to grasp their sword to do battle for the light. He bids them put on, as their complete defence and their resistless weapon, the character and living presence of their anointed Master, Jesus; and urges them, since the night is past, to think no more of indulgence or revelry.

On the spiritual significance of light and darkness, compare carefully 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Ephesians 5:7-16.