Romans 13–15

A Christian’s Duties to the State

13Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, ^xfor there is no authority except from God, ^yand those that exist are instituted by God. ²So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. ³For rulers are not a terror ^zto good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. ⁴For government is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger ^athat brings wrath on the one who does wrong. ⁵Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of your conscience. ^b6And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s public servants, continually attending to these tasks. ^c7Pay your obligations ^dto everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, ^etolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, ^fand honor to those you owe honor.

Love, Our Primary Duty

⁸Do not owe anyone anything, ^gexcept to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ^h9The commandments:

Do not commit adultery;

do not murder;

do not steal; ⁱ

do not covet; ^jk

and whatever other commandment—all are summed up by this: Love your neighbor as yourself. ^lm

¹⁰Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.

Put On Christ

¹¹Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour ⁿfor you ^oto wake up from sleep, ^pfor now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. ^q12The night is nearly over, and the daylight is near, ^rso let us discard the deeds of darkness ^sand put on the armor of light. ^t13Let us walk with decency, ^uas in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness; ^vnot in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, ^wand make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires. ^x

The Law of Liberty

14Accept ^yanyone who is weak in faith, ^zabut don’t argue about doubtful issues. ²One person believes he may eat anything, ^bbut one who is weak eats only vegetables. ³One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, ^cand one who does not eat must not criticize one who does, ^dbecause God has accepted him. ^e4Who are you to criticize ^fanother’s household slave? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand. For the Lord is able ^gto make him stand.

⁵One person considers one day to be above another day. ^hSomeone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁱ⁶Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. ^jWhoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; ^kand whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, yet he thanks God. ⁷For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. ^l8If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ^m9Christ died and came to life ⁿfor this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living. ^o10But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the tribunal of God. ^pq11For it is written:

As I live, says the Lord,

every knee will bow to Me, ^r

and every tongue will give praise to God. ^st

¹²So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. ^u

The Law of Love

¹³Therefore, let us no longer criticize one another. ^vInstead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in your brother’s way. ^w14(I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. ^xStill, to someone who considers a thing to be unclean, to that one it is unclean. ^y) ¹⁵For if your brother is hurt by what you eat, you are no longer walking according to love. ^zDo not destroy that one Christ died for by what you eat. ^a16Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, ^b17for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, ^cbut righteousness, peace, and joy ^din the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸Whoever serves Christ ^ein this way is acceptable to God and approved by men. ^f

¹⁹So then, we must pursue what promotes peace ^gand what builds up one another. ^h20Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats. ⁱ²¹It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble. ^j22Do you have a conviction? ^kKeep it to yourself before God. The man who does not condemn himself by what he approves is blessed. ^l23But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, ^mbecause his eating is not from a conviction, ⁿand everything that is not from a conviction ^ois sin.

Pleasing Others, Not Ourselves

15Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, ^pand not to please ourselves. ²Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. ^q3For even the Messiah did not please Himself. ^rOn the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me. ^st4For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, ^uso that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. ⁵Now may the God who gives ^vendurance and encouragement ^wallow you to live in harmony with one another, ^xaccording to the command of Christ Jesus, ⁶so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ^ywith a united mind and voice.

Glorifying God Together

⁷Therefore accept one another, ^zjust as the Messiah also accepted you, to the glory of God. ⁸For I say that the Messiah became a servant of the circumcised ^aon behalf of God’s truth, ^bto confirm the promises to the fathers, ^c9and so that Gentiles ^dmay glorify God for His mercy. ^eAs it is written:

Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles,

and I will sing psalms to Your name. ^fg

¹⁰Again it says: Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people! ^hi11And again:

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;

all the peoples should praise Him! ^jk

¹²And again, Isaiah says:

The root of Jesse ^lwill appear,

the One who rises to rule the Gentiles;

the Gentiles will hope in Him. ^mn

¹³Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him ^oso that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ^p

From Jerusalem to Illyricum

¹⁴My brothers, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, ^qfilled with all knowledge, ^rand able to instruct one another. ¹⁵Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points ^sbecause of the grace given me by God ^t16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ^userving as a priest of God’s good news. ^vMy purpose is that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, ^wsanctified by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷Therefore I have reason to boast in Christ Jesus ^xregarding what pertains to God. ^y18For I would not dare say anything except what Christ has accomplished through me ^zto make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, ¹⁹by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, ^aand by the power of God’s Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the good news about the Messiah from Jerusalem ^ball the way around to Illyricum. ^cd20My aim is to evangelize where Christ has not been named, ^eso that I will not build on someone else’s foundation, ^f21but, as it is written:

Those who were not told about Him will see,

and those who have not heard will understand. ^gh

Paul’s Travel Plans

²²That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you. ⁱ²³But now I no longer have any work to do in these provinces, ^jand I have strongly desired for many years to come to you ^k24whenever I travel to Spain. ^lFor I hope to see you when I pass through, and to be assisted by you for my journey there, ^monce I have first enjoyed your company ⁿfor a while. ²⁵Right now I am traveling to Jerusalem ^oto serve the saints, ^p26for Macedonia ^qand Achaia ^rswere pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. ²⁷Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits, ^tthen they are obligated to minister to Jews in material needs. ²⁸So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds ^uto them, ^vI will visit you on the way to Spain. ²⁹I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing ^wof Christ.

³⁰Now I appeal to you, brothers, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, ^xto join with me in fervent prayers to God on my behalf. ^y31Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, ^zthat the gift I am bringing to ^aJerusalem ^bmay be acceptable to the saints, ^c32and that, by God’s will, ^dI may come to you with joy ^eand be refreshed together with you.

³³The God of peace be with all of you. ^fAmen.