4 have praise of the same; for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but 6 also for conscience' sake. For, for this cause pay ye tribute also for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon the government, create disturbances, and aim to overthrow the government, it is those to whom rulers are a terror. The apostle confines his view to government as regulating the civil relations of its subjects. In the case of religious persecutions on the part of magistrates, he would probably direct the Christians to regard them as trials and afflictions to which they must submit, as they would do other providential dispensations for which they are not responsible; while for the miseries which they would meet in consequence of engaging in schemes against the government they would be personally responsible, as having brought them on themselves unnecessarily and in violation of their civil duties. || Do that which is good; good in your relations to the civil power. Praise of the same. The word same refers to the power: by doing what is good, as a subject, you will have commendation from the authorities. 4. For he is the minister of God, etc.; for the magistrate is a servant of God for your benefit.-The magistrate, even though a heathen, is here regarded as a servant of God, because God established civil government and, by his providence, brought that magistrate to his station of power, thus making him the medium of good even to Christians. || But if thou do that which is evil, etc.; if you disregard your civil obligations, and create disturbances, you may well fear. For he beareth not the sword in vain. The sword, as borne by the magistrate, was an emblem of the power of putting to death for offences against the state. This power of inflicting the punishment of death the magistrate does not possess in vain. The apostle gives not the slightest intimation that the power of capital punishment, lodged with the magistrates, was either unjust or unsuitable. In cases of personal injury he forbids taking vengeance, and directs that punishment be referred to God. 12: 19. But the case of a magistrate, in his public capacity, is different: he may inflict the punishment of death, agreeably to the laws, without the least indulgence of personal revenge; indeed, with the most sincere compassion for the criminal. || For he is the minister of God, etc.; the magistrate, using the sword of justice in the discharge of his office, is a servant of God, an avenger for the punishment of the criminal. 5. Wherefore, etc. The conclusion from the preceding views is here given: it is necessary to be in subjection to the civil power, not only on account of the punishment which would follow resistance, but also to preserve a good conscience. A regard to personal good, and a regard to the claims of conscience, unite in requiring obedience; resistance is incompatible with both. 6. For, for this cause pay ye tribute also. It is uncertain, in the original, whether the first clause of this verse should be regarded as an exhortation to pay tribute, or as a declarative statement that the Roman Christians were in the habit of paying tribute. But whichever of these is the true view, the apostle evidently teaches that the just ground on which the 7 this very thing. Render therefore to all, their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. 8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another for he 9 that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy 10 neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. payment of tribute rests is the very same as he had mentioned for submission to the government in general. He repeats, substantially, the first clause of the fourth verse, as presenting the proper ground for the payment of tribute; namely, that the officers who had charge of this part of the public affairs were servants of God, men called in his providence to this service. The service which they rendered was for the support of the government, and was thus subsidiary to the divine arrangement in appointing magistracy. To refuse the payment of tribute would, therefore, be to oppose a divine appointment.The apostle's language here, if regarded as declarative rather than hortatory, would encourage those who had always viewed the matter in this light, while it would kindly correct the error of any who might have viewed the matter differently. Among the Jews, the payment of taxes to the Romans was a continual grievance. It was a perpetual token of their subjection to a foreign and heathen power, and was the occasion, on the part of daring leaders, of resistance to the government, and of apparently conscientious query among the well-disposed. See Matt. 22: 17. 7. Render therefore to all, their dues. Having shown the grounds of obedience in general to the civil authorities and to the demand for tribute in par ticular, he closes this topic by enjoining the discharge of all dues to state officers. Tribute; taxes. || Custom; duties imposed by law on goods imported or exported. || Fear; in reference to judges. || Honor; in reference to the higher magistrates, or to the magistracy in general.-Compare 1 Tim. 2: 1, 2. Tit. 3: 1. 1 Pet. 2: 13–17. 8, 9. The direction to pay all public officers their dues he now extends, and makes it touch all cases of obligation.-Owe no man any thing, but to love one another. Be in no man's debt, as to any thing: with the exception of one debt, or obligation, which it is impossible should be ever so discharged as to warrant an exemption from it; namely, the debt of mutual love. From this we can never be discharged; it is perpetually binding. The pressure of this duty we ought ever to feel; for in performing it, we are fulfilling the law of God; since all the directions of his law, pertaining to our social relations, may be comprised in the one direction, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Obviously, true love to others will prevent all those social wrongs which the decalogue forbids, and secure obedience to any command which provides for the good of others. 10. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor. True love to one's neighbor cannot prompt injury to him, but rather the opposite good: it is therefore the 11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when 12 we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on 13 the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day: not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wanton14 ness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. and the nearer it was, the more prepared for it should they seek to become. fulfilling of the law, because the law forbids all wrong doing to a neighbor, that is, to any other person. If, also, a man have the spirit of love, 12. The night is far spent. The he has that which prompts a cheerful whole period of the present state is obedience to all divine commands. here regarded as comparatively night, Christian obedience is not merely and this was to them now far adcompliance with extraneous com- vanced. The day; the state to mands; it springs from the heart. which the disciples of Christ were Where genuine love is the ruling tending, the endless day of holiness principle, obedience to the divine and bliss in the Messiah's kingdom. will follows naturally and sponta- || Let us therefore cast off the works of neously. darkness, etc. Darkness is expressive of ignorance and sin; works of darkness are sinful deeds and indulgences not fit to see the light. Light is expressive of knowledge and holiness; to put on the armor of light is to be in constant readiness for all righteous deeds. The exhortation is, Cease from sinful indulgences and in good earnest live righteously. 11. And that. An enforcement now follows of the injunction in the 8th verse, not to leave any social obligation undischarged, from the consideration that we are rapidly hastening to our complete salvation. Knowing the time, etc.; knowing what point of time we have reached, that it is the hour for us to be already aroused from sloth and earnestly engaged in the work of the Christian life. Compare 1 Thess. 5: 6-9. The Roman Christians would doubtless feel that, in view of their obligations and prospects, they were not half awake and needed to be aroused from spiritual torpor. Salvation; deliverance from the annoyances and temptations of the present state these were great and numerous amid the prevailing vices of Rome and the hostility which, in various forms, the Christians were compelled to encounter. Salvation would also be the consummation of their hopes in heaven. That glorious end of the Christian course, the apostle felt, was drawing near to him and his fellow Christians; 13. Let us walk honestly as in the day, etc. Let us live as in broad day light, honorably, in a manner becoming our Christian profession and our avowed hopes, not in bacchanalian revels, in licentiousness, in strife and heart-burnings. 14. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. To put on Christ is to come into close intimacy with Christ in our affections and conduct, as a garment is closely connected with its wearer, and to make ourselves known by our lives as those to whom Christ has united himself and who worthily represent his religion. In other words, Be decidedly Christ-like in your temper and life; and make no provision for carnal indulgences. CHAPTER XIV. Mutual accommodation in matters which are liable to diversity of judgment, 1-23. CHAPTER XIV. The Mosaic law enjoined, also, the observance of several days in the course of a year, both as feasts and as fasts; and custom had increased the number of such days. Some of the converted Jews felt consciencebound on this point, while many of their fellow Christians, both Jewish and Gentile, of more comprehensive views and untrammelled by a weak conscience, acknowledged no such distinction of days. Compare Gal. 4: 10. Col. 2: 16-23. hibited, in reference to food, and not having been taught, by preachers of The harmony of the Roman church the gospel, any distinction of this had been disturbed by questions about kind as belonging to the Christian the lawfulness of animal food and the religion, and being superior to any religious observance of certain days. scruples about idolatry, while conThe Mosaic law forbade the use of scious of not practising, or approvcertain animals as food; and the ing, it, could not sympathize with Jews consequently felt bound to avoid the Jewish sentiment, and felt at them, as unclean and unlawful. It liberty to eat whatever they chose. also forbade the use of blood: ani- Doubtless, some of the Jewish believmals, allowed for food, must be pre- ers also, in accordance with the spirit pared for use in a manner that would of the apostle himself, regarded the effectually drain their blood. Some Mosaic prohibition as no longer bindpractices among the Gentiles in re- ing and had correct ideas of Christian gard to the slaughtering of animals liberty. and preparing them for food, naturally deepened the Jews' abhorrence of what they regarded as polluted, and polluting, food. The Gentiles offered animal sacrifices, also, to their gods, and portions of such sacrifices were sent to the markets for sale; so that purchasers were constantly liable to buy food that had been offered up to a heathen god. The use of such food was regarded by many as sharing in the guilt of idolatry. By these united influences, it is probable that some of the Jews had become prejudiced against all animal food, since they might, unconsciously, whenever they ate it, be partaking of food that would defile them by its very kind, or by the manner of its preparation, or by its having been offered to idols; and when Jews of such sentiments became Christians, they probably retained their conscientious scruples, and, besides believing that it would be wrong in them to use animal food, objected to its use by any Christians. The Gentile believers, not having been accustomed to the distinction between clean and unclean, or lawful and pro The Diversity of opinion in the Roman church, on both of these subjects, led to mutual alienation: the unduly scrupulous condemned those who felt at liberty to dispense with ritual observances; the more strong-minded held the weak in contempt. apostle aimed to restore harmony by bringing the contending parties to a spirit of mutual accommodation. He censured each of them as wrong in their conduct towards the other, whether in condemning or in despising. But while he defended the strong-minded against the harsh judgment of their weaker brethren, he was 1 HIM that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubt2 ful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all 3 things; another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth, despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not, judge him that eateth: for God hath re4 ceived him. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth: yea, he shall 5 be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own 6 mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the more particularly solicitous to correct the unfraternal feelings of the strongminded and to caution them against a use of their liberty, which might be pernicious to their brethren. 1. Him that is weak in the faith; a Christian brother who is unable to extricate himself from needless scruples of conscience. | Receive ye, etc.; admit him to your Christian regards, not to disputes about his doubts, or about matters respecting the allowableness of which he is not able to satisfy himself. 2. The apostle now presents one of the cases which had produced diversity of opinion and conduct in the Roman church, and in respect to which persons who took opposite sides equally needed advice. One believeth, etc. One firmly believes it right for him to eat all kinds of food, animal as well as vegetable: but another who is weak-minded in regard to ceremonial matters, and whose conscience is morbidly scrupulous, eateth vegetable food only. 3. Directions are now given to the two classes, represented by these two Christians. Let not him that eateth despise, etc.; let not him that eateth all kinds of food despise him who, through weakness of judgment and conscience, abstains from every thing but vegetable food: on the other hand, let not him who does not use animal food pass judgment on him who uses it. For God has received to his favor him who eateth as well as him who eateth not; being a believer in Christ, he, as well as the one of a weakly-sensitive conscience, is admitted to favor with God. 4. The impropriety of the weak brother's passing judgment on the other is now exposed.- Who art thou that judgest, etc. What right hast thou to pass judgment on a servant who does not belong to thee, but to another, even to Christ? Christ is his Master; and according to his own master's judgment he is to stand accepted, or to fall condemned. Yea: he shall be made to stand, since he is a believer; for God is able to make him stand in Christian_integrity and in divine approval. Instead, then, of harshly judging him that eats, regard him as a fellow-servant accountable to the same common Lord as thyself. 5. The other case which had disturbed fraternal harmony is next presented.—One man esteemeth one day above another, etc. Some Jewish Christians retained a conscientious feeling in regard to the days appointed by the Mosaic law for sacred observances: the Gentile Christians in general, not having been accustomed to the observance of those days, and doubtless some Jewish Christians, felt under no obligation to regard them. The apostle's direction in regard to this matter is, that every Christian should act according to his own conviction of what God requires. 6. In sacredly regarding such a |