Obedience 1 LET every soul be subject to higher powers: for there is no power but from God: and those that are, are ordained of God. 2 Therefore he that resists the power, resists the ordinance of God. And they that resist, purchase to themselves damnation. 3 For princes are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Will you then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good: and you shall have praise from the same. 4 For he is God's minister to you, for good. But if you do that which is evil, fear: for he bears not the sword in vain. For he is God's minister: an avenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil. 5 Wherefore be subject of necessity, not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake. 6 For therefore also you pay tribute. For they are the ministers of God, serving unto this purpose. 7 Render therefore to all men their dues. Tribute, to whom tribute is due: custom, to whom custom: fear, to whom fear: honour, to whom honour.
Charity a social duty 8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another. For he that loves his neighbour, has fulfilled the law. 9 For You shall not commit adultery: You shall not kill: You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness: You shall not covet: (Ex 20:13-17; Dt 5:17-21) and if there be any other commandment, it is comprised in this word, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. (Lv 19:18) 10 The love of our neighbour works no evil. Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law.
The spirit of Christ 11 And that knowing the season; that it is now the hour for us to rise from sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is passed, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day: not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and impurities, not in contention and envy: 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh in its concupiscences.
Commentary on Romans 13
13:1-2 By higher powers are meant person vested with political power for governing and ruling others, whether kings, princes, magistrates, etc. (Bishop John McEvilly) They have no power in spiritual matters, so that they do not receive the key of the heavenly kingdom. Their power is confined to temporal matters, and this too can only come to them from God, (Sum Theo 3.19.3.r2) But their laws may be unjust in two ways: first, by being contrary to human good---either in respect of the end, as when an authority imposes on his subjects burdensome laws, conducive, not to the common good, but rather to his own cupidity or vainglory---or in respect of the author, as when a man makes a law that goes beyond the power committed to him---or in respect of the form, as when burdens are imposed unequally on the community, although with a view to the common good. The like are acts of violence rather than laws; because, as Augustine says (De Lib. Arb. i, 5), "a law that is not just, seems to be no law at all." Wherefore such laws do not bind in conscience, except perhaps in order to avoid scandal or disturbance, for which cause a man should even yield his right, according to Mat. 5:40,41: "If a man . . . take away thy coat, let go thy cloak also unto him; and whosoever will force thee one mile, go with him other two." Secondly, laws may be unjust through being opposed to the Divine good: such are the laws of tyrants inducing to idolatry, or to anything else contrary to the Divine law: and laws of this kind must nowise be observed, because, as stated in Acts 5:29, "we ought to obey God rather than man." (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 2.96.4.a)
13:4 sword: It is clear that, for the purposes of punishment to be achieved, the nature and extent of the punishment must be carefully evaluated and decided upon, and the state ought not go to the extreme of executing the offender except in cases of absolute necessity: in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society. Today however, as a result of steady improvements in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent. (Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae 56) While the Church exhorts civil authorities to seek peace, not war, and to exercise discretion and mercy in imposing punishment on criminals, it may still be permissible to take up arms to repel an aggressor or to have recourse to capital punishment. There may be a legitimate diversity of opinion even among Catholics about waging war and applying the death penalty, but not however with regard to abortion and euthanasia. (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger Prior to his election as pope,Worthiness to Receive Communion – General Principles," July 2004)
13:6-7 pay all of them their dues: From this it is clear that justice requires subjects to render rulers their due: "To the king was brought one who owed him ten thousand talents" (Mt 18:24); "Render, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s" (Mt 22:21). Secondly, he specifies debts that are paid publicly, saying: taxes to whom taxes are due: for these are paid to the ruler that he might govern the country in peace and quiet: "He saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant" (Gen 49:15). Revenue to whom revenue is due: |
This is paid to the ruler in certain places as tolls, for the repair of roads and for safe travel. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
13:8 loves his neighbor: According to the parable of the Lord, who bids us show mercy to all without distinction, we must consider every person our neighbour, see Luke 10:29-37. (Pelagius)
13:9 As the Apostle says (1 Tim. 1:5), "the end of the commandment is charity"; since every law aims at establishing friendship, either between man and man, or between man and God. Wherefore the whole Law is comprised in this one commandment, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," as expressing the end of all commandments: because love of one's neighbor includes love of God, when we love our neighbor for God's sake. Hence the Apostle put this commandment in place of the two which are about the love of God and of one's neighbor, and of which Our Lord said (Mat. 22:40): "On these two commandments depends the whole Law and the prophets." (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 2.99.1.r2)
13:11 nearer: That is, each day is getting closer to the Lord’s coming. (Theodoret of Cyrus) Then since it was not unlikely, that in the beginning of their early endeavors they would be most earnest, in that their desire was then at its full vigor, but that as the time went on, the whole of their earnestness would wither down to nothing; he says that they ought however to be doing the reverse, not to get relaxed as time went on, but to be the more full of vigor. For the nearer the King may be at hand, the more ought they to get themselves in readiness; the nearer the prize is, the more wide awake ought they to be for the contest, since even the racers do this, when they are upon the end of the course, and towards the receiving of the prize, then they rouse themselves up the more. (St. John Chrysostom)
13:12 works of darkness: Here the works of sin are called works of darkness. armor of light: that is, the virtues, which are called armor because they protect us: "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" Eph 6:11. They are called the armor of light, because they are decorated and perfected by the light of reason. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
13:13 in the day: Because in the day everyone tries to present himself becomingly before others. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
13:14 We put on Jesus Christ, first, by receiving the sacrament: "All you who have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ" Gal 3:27. Secondly, by imitation. For a person who imitates Christ is said to put on Christ, because, just as a man is covered by a garment and is seen under its color, so in one who imitates Christ the works of Christ appear. (St. Thomas Aquinas) This metaphor of putting on Christ is employed by St. Paul in several places; Ephes. 4:24; Col 3:10; 1 Thess 5:8; Gal 3:27. (Bishop John McEvilly) |
Catechism Cross-references
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