Chapter 13 begins with Paul explaining that the Christian must submit himself to the governmental authorities and not believe that he is above the law. Generally, the government is established to maintain order in society and punish wrongdoers, and to the extent a government is properly exercising these functions (punishing evildoers and "commending" Christians and other in society for right actions) the Christian should not run afoul of it. After explaining to the church in Rome how to get along with the secular authorities, Paul gives advice on how to live among one another. The rest of Ch. 13 is perhaps best read as a continuation of the practical advice Paul gives in Ch. 12. In v. 8, Paul says that no debts among believers should be left outstanding, except the ongoing debt we have to love one another. It is in the continual payment of that debt that a person fulfills the Old Testament law, or at least as Calvin puts it, the aspects of the law contained in the 2nd half of the Ten Commandments and summarized by Jesus as "Love your neighbor as yourself." All the various commands of the law telling us not to commit adultery, murder, steal, covet, and the rest are summed up by the command of Leviticus 19:18, which Jesus quoted when telling us to love our neighbor. (v. 9). Wesley notes that Paul is saying that if we love those around us and seek their good, we will obey the various commandments of God. As Paul tells us in verse 10, love does no harm to its neighbor, therefore it is the fulfillment of the law.
--Why is it important not to leave debts outstanding? What barriers can not making a debt good build between people and what principles does it violate? What are the key aspects of the love Paul is speaking of that enable it to automatically conform to the various rules of the Bible? Does the fact that love is the fulfillment of the law indicate that a purpose of the OT law was to help people love on another?
Paul tells his readers to do this in light of the fact that salvation has drawn closer than when the believers first believed. Two possible interpretations can be made here. Traditionally, Paul's reference to salvation drawing closer is a reference to the fact that as time goes on, each person moves closer toward the salvation that only comes after death. Wesley and Calvin read the passage in this way. Some modern interpreters think that Paul believed in the imminent second coming of Christ. If this is so, it does not harm the interpretation of these verses, since here he is using the possibility of an imminent second coming as a motivator towards obeying the teachings in this letter. The Revelation tells us to always eagerly anticipate Christ's return to earth (Rev 22: 17-21) and thus Paul's attitude falls in line with the eager anticipation of Christ's return. In the end, the important point is to realize that life is fleeting, our salvation may be imminent, and thus we should act as living sacrifices for the God we follow. Paul states in verse 12 that since the night is almost over and the day almost here, we should put aside deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Our life on earth is compared with the night, while the resurrection is the dawn of a new day. Wesley is worth quoting at length here. "[W]e are to awake out of sleep; to rise up and throw away our night clothes, fit only for darkness, and put on new; and being soldiers, we are to arm, and prepare for fight, for we are encompassed by so many enemies. The day dawns when we receive faith...[t]hen it is time to rise, to arm, to walk, to work, lest sleep steal upon us again. Final salvation, glory, is nearer to us now than when we first believed. It is continually advancing, flying forward upon the swiftest wings of time. And that which remains between the present hour and eternity is comparatively but a moment." Paul continues by telling the reader in v. 13 to behave decently, as a person would in the daytime. Thus, there should not be sexual immorality, drunkenness, debauchery, dissension, and jealousy. (v. 13). Instead, we are to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and not think about how to gratify the sinful nature. (v. 14).
--Does the teaching Paul gives in these verses remind of you of other teaching he made in other letters? If so, which ones?
After telling the Christian that he must offer himself as a living sacrifice to God and love his neighbor as himself, Paul begins a lengthy teaching on the importance of accepting those in the community of faith whose faith is weak. Christians must accept those around them whose faith is weaker than their own, and do so without passing judgment on that person with regard to disputable matters. (v. 1) It is important to understand from the context that will follow, Paul considers "weak faith" to be of the type that has unnecessary scruples regarding spiritual practices such as eating certain foods, holding certian holidays. It may seem counterintuitive to consider such things as a hallmark of a weak faith, but remember that Paul has spent much of the letter explaining why faith in Christ is sufficient for salvation, and that outward works and conformity to the Old Testament law accomplishes nothing. Paul is trying to get his readers to simplify their relationship with God. Believe in Jesus Christ, love God, love those around you. Everything else in the spiritual life will fall into place if these things are done. Therefore, if a person seemed to think that eating certain foods would make God angry (as in the Jewish religious code) then this is a sign that person has yet to attain the full faith necessary to put aside this old way of thinking and instead rely fully on Jesus Christ for salvation through faith. Returning to the text, Paul explains that one man may have faith that allows him to eat anything, while another man eats on vegetables for religious reasons. (v. 2). Neither man should look down on the other, for God has accepted each. (v. 3). We should not judge one other, for each Christian is the servant of God and thus serves Him. To his own master he will either stand or fall, and if that person is truly a Christian, he will stand for the Lord is able to make him stand. (v. 4).
--What are disputable matters in the church? What are indisputable matters? We are told not to judge others. What exactly does it mean to judge another person? Does that mean we cannot correct others? Why do you think that most everyone rebels strongly against the judgment of others? What picture of the sustaining grace of God do we get from verse 4?
Paul shows that he is assuming that the person who is "strong" or "weak" in the faith acts out of good motives. He is not defending the person who is rebelling against God and acting badly and yet wants those around him to accept his behavior because we are not allowed to judge. Rather, Paul states that the person who has scruples and the person that does not with regard to holy days or other issues should be fully convinced intellectually of the truthfulness of his belief (v. 5), and as Calvin states, be also convinced that his viewpoint is pleasing to God. The person who has scruples, and the person without them, should perform such acts unto the Lord as acts of worship and give thanks. (v. 6). Calvin makes a good point when he notes that Paul is telling the Christian to consider his acts before the tribunal of God, and thus if a person truly does so, it will restrain that person from acting sinfully or making mistakes of judgment. We must do our acts unto the Lord for no person lives only for himself alone, or even dies for himself alone. (v. 7). As C.S. Lewis put it, either God or the Devil will say "mine" to each thing in creation in the end. God is in the end sovreign over His creation. If we live, we live in submission to the Lord. And if we die, we die in submission to the Lord's wishes. For the same God created man and placed upon each man the curse of death. As such, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. (v. 8).
--If there are things you refrain from doing out of a belief that God does not want you to engage in that action, what are your reasons for this decision? Is there any potential value in having a church community where different people have different beliefs regarding non-essential matters? How should the fact that God is our sovreign (whether we live or die, we belong to him) affect the way we act?
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