Worthy.Bible » DARBY » Romans » Chapter 13 » Verse 6

Romans 13:6 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

6 For on this account ye pay tribute also; for they are God's officers, attending continually on this very thing.

Cross Reference

Matthew 17:24-27 DARBY

And when they came to Capernaum, those who received the didrachmas came to Peter and said, Does your teacher not pay the didrachmas? He says, Yes. And when he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, What dost thou think, Simon? the kings of the earth, from whom do they receive custom or tribute? from their own sons or from strangers? Peter says to him, From strangers. Jesus said to him, Then are the sons free. But that we may not be an offence to them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and when thou hast opened its mouth thou wilt find a stater; take that and give it to them for me and thee.

Matthew 22:17-21 DARBY

tell us therefore what thou thinkest: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? But Jesus, knowing their wickedness, said, Why tempt ye me, hypocrites? Shew me the money of the tribute. And they presented to him a denarius. And he says to them, Whose [is] this image and superscription? They say to him, Caesar's. Then he says to them, Pay then what is Caesar's to Caesar, and what is God's to God.

Mark 12:14-17 DARBY

And they come and say to him, Teacher, we know that thou art true, and carest not for any one; for thou regardest not men's person, but teachest the way of God with truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? Should we give, or should we not give? But he knowing their hypocrisy said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Bring me a denarius that I may see [it]. And they brought [it]. And he says to them, Whose [is] this image and superscription? And they said to him, Caesar's. And Jesus answering said to them, Pay what is Caesar's to Caesar, and what is God's to God. And they wondered at him.

Luke 20:21-26 DARBY

And they asked him saying, Teacher, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, and acceptest no [man's] person, but teachest with truth the way of God: Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not? But perceiving their deceit he said to them, Why do ye tempt me? Shew me a denarius. Whose image and superscription has it? And answering they said, Caesar's. And he said to them, Pay therefore what is Caesar's to Caesar, and what is God's to God. And they were not able to take hold of him in [his] expressions before the people, and, wondering at his answer, they were silent.

Exodus 18:13-27 DARBY

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood by Moses from the morning to the evening. And Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did with the people, and said, What is this thing which thou art doing with the people? why dost thou sit alone, and all the people are standing by thee from morning to evening? And Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to enquire of God. When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known [to them] the statutes of God, and his laws. And Moses' father-in-law said to him, The thing that thou art doing is not good. Thou wilt be quite exhausted, both thou and this people that is with thee; for the thing is too heavy for thee: thou canst not perform it alone. Hearken now to my voice: I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee. Be thou for the people with God, and bring the matters before God; and teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do. But do thou provide among all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place [them] over them, chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens, that they may judge the people at all times; and it shall be [that] they shall bring to thee every great matter, and that they shall judge every small matter, and they shall lighten [the task] on thee, and they shall bear [it] with thee. If thou do this thing, and God command thee [so], thou wilt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. And Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said. And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens. And they judged the people at all times: the hard matters they brought to Moses, but every small matter they judged. And Moses sent away his father-in-law, and he departed into his land.

Deuteronomy 1:9-17 DARBY

And I spoke unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone. Jehovah your God hath multiplied you, and behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude. Jehovah, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you as he hath said unto you! How can I myself alone sustain your wear, and your burden, and your strife? Provide you wise and understanding and known men, according to your tribes, that I may make them your chiefs. And ye answered me, and said, The thing that thou hast spoken is good [for us] to do. So I took the chiefs of your tribes, wise men and known, and made them chiefs over you, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers for your tribes. And I commanded your judges at that time, saying, Hear [the causes] between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and him also that sojourneth with him. Ye shall not respect persons in judgment: ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God's; and the matter that is too hard for you shall ye bring to me, that I may hear it.

1 Samuel 7:16-17 DARBY

And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places. And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house, and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar to Jehovah.

2 Samuel 8:5 DARBY

And the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, and David smote of the Syrians twenty-two thousand men.

1 Chronicles 18:14 DARBY

And David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice to all his people.

Ezra 4:13 DARBY

Be it known therefore unto the king, that, if this city be built and the walls be completed, they will not pay tribute, tax, and toll, and in the end it will bring damage to the kings.

Ezra 4:20 DARBY

And there have been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all beyond the river; and tribute, tax, and toll were paid to them.

Ezra 6:8 DARBY

Moreover, I give orders what ye shall do to these elders of the Jews, for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, of the tribute beyond the river, expenses be diligently given to these men, that they be not hindered.

Nehemiah 5:4 DARBY

And there were that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute upon our fields and vineyards;

Job 29:7-17 DARBY

When I went out to the gate by the city, when I prepared my seat on the broadway, The young men saw me, and hid themselves; and the aged arose [and] stood up; Princes refrained from talking, and laid the hand on their mouth; The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue cleaved to their palate. When the ear heard [me], then it blessed me, and when the eye saw [me], it gave witness to me; For I delivered the afflicted that cried, and the fatherless who had no helper. The blessing of him that was perishing came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was as a mantle and a turban. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame; I was a father to the needy, and the cause which I knew not I searched out; And I broke the jaws of the unrighteous, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

Luke 23:2 DARBY

And they began to accuse him, saying, We have found this [man] perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ, a king.

Romans 12:8 DARBY

or he that exhorts, in exhortation; he that gives, in simplicity; he that leads, with diligence; he that shews mercy, with cheerfulness.

Commentary on Romans 13 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 13

Ro 13:1-14. Same Subject ContinuedPolitical and Social RelationsMotives.

1, 2. Let every soul—every man of you

be subject unto the higher powers—or, "submit himself to the authorities that are above him."

For there is no power—"no authority"

but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God—"have been ordained of God."

2. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power—"So that he that setteth himself against the authority."

resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation—or, "condemnation," according to the old sense of that word; that is, not from the magistrate, but from God, whose authority in the magistrate's is resisted.

3, 4. For rulers are not a terror to good works—"to the good work," as the true reading appears to be

but to the evil.

4. he beareth not the sword in vain—that is, the symbol of the magistrate's authority to punish.

5. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath—for fear of the magistrate's vengeance.

but also for conscience' sake—from reverence for God's authority. It is of Magistracy in general, considered as a divine ordinance, that this is spoken: and the statement applies equally to all forms of government, from an unchecked despotism—such as flourished when this was written, under the Emperor Nero—to a pure democracy. The inalienable right of all subjects to endeavor to alter or improve the form of government under which they live is left untouched here. But since Christians were constantly charged with turning the world upside down, and since there certainly were elements enough in Christianity of moral and social revolution to give plausibility to the charge, and tempt noble spirits, crushed under misgovernment, to take redress into their own hands, it was of special importance that the pacific, submissive, loyal spirit of those Christians who resided at the great seat of political power, should furnish a visible refutation of this charge.

6, 7. For, for this cause pay ye—rather, "ye pay"

tribute also—that is, "This is the reason why ye pay the contributions requisite for maintaining the civil government."

for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing—"to this very thing."

7. Render therefore to all their dues—From magistrates the apostle now comes to other officials, and from them to men related to us by whatever tie.

tribute—land tax.

custom—mercantile tax.

fear—reverence for superiors.

honour—the respect due to persons of distinction.

8. Owe no man anything, but to love one another—"Acquit yourselves of all obligations except love, which is a debt that must remain ever due" [Hodge].

for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law—for the law itself is but love in manifold action, regarded as matter of duty.

9. For this, &c.—better thus: "For the [commandments], Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and whatever other commandment [there may be], it is summed up," &c. (The clause, "Thou shalt not bear false witness," is wanting in all the most ancient manuscripts). The apostle refers here only to the second table of the law, as love to our neighbor is what he is treating of.

10. Love worketh no ill to his—or, "one's"

neighbour; therefore, &c.—As love, from its very nature, studies and delights to please its objects, its very existence is an effectual security against our wilfully injuring him. Next follow some general motives to the faithful discharge of all these duties.

11. And that—rather, "And this [do]"

knowing the time, that now it is high time—literally, "the hour has already come."

to awake out of sleep—of stupid, fatal indifference to eternal things.

for now is our salvation—rather, "the salvation," or simply "salvation."

nearer than when we—first

believed—This is in the line of all our Lord's teaching, which represents the decisive day of Christ's second appearing as at hand, to keep believers ever in the attitude of wakeful expectancy, but without reference to the chronological nearness or distance of that event.

12. The night—of evil

is far spent, the day—of consummated triumph over it

is at hand: let us therefore cast off—as a dress

the works of darkness—all works holding of the kingdom and period of darkness, with which, as followers of the risen Saviour, our connection has been dissolved.

and let us put on the armour of light—described at length in Eph 6:11-18.

13. Let us walk honestly—"becomingly," "seemingly"

as in the day—"Men choose the night for their revels, but our night is past, for we are all the children of the light and of the day (1Th 5:5): let us therefore only do what is fit to be exposed to the light of such a day."

not in rioting and drunkenness—varied forms of intemperance; denoting revels in general, usually ending in intoxication.

not in chambering and wantonness—varied forms of impurity; the one pointing to definite acts, the other more general.

not in strife and envying—varied forms of that venomous feeling between man and man which reverses the law of love.

14. But—to sum up all in one word.

put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ—in such wise that Christ only may be seen in you (see 2Co 3:3; Ga 3:27; Eph 4:24).

and make no provision—"take no forethought."

for the flesh, to fulfil the lust thereof—"Direct none of your attention to the cravings of your corrupt nature, how you may provide for their gratification."

Note, (1) How gloriously adapted is Christianity for human society in all conditions! As it makes war directly against no specific forms of government, so it directly recommends none. While its holy and benign principles secure the ultimate abolition of all iniquitous government, the reverence which it teaches for magistracy, under whatever form, as a divine institution, secures the loyalty and peaceableness of its disciples, amid all the turbulence and distractions of civil society, and makes it the highest interest of all states to welcome it within their pale, as in this as well as every other sense—"the salt of the earth, the light of the world" (Ro 13:1-5). (2) Christianity is the grand specific for the purification and elevation of all the social relations; inspiring a readiness to discharge all obligations, and most of all, implanting in its disciples that love which secures all men against injury from them, inasmuch as it is the fulfilling of the law (Ro 13:6-10). (3) The rapid march of the kingdom of God, the advanced stage of it at which we have arrived, and the ever-nearing approach of the perfect day—nearer to every believer the longer he lives—should quicken all the children of light to redeem the time, and, seeing that they look for such things, to be diligent, that they may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless (2Pe 3:14). (4) In virtue of "the expulsive power of a new and more powerful affection," the great secret of persevering holiness in all manner of conversation will be found to be "Christ IN US, the hope of glory" (Col 1:27), and Christ ON US, as the character in which alone we shall be able to shine before men (2Co 3:8) (Ro 13:14).