The Triumph of Grace: Romans 9–16
Lesson Five—Page 1
Lesson Five—Romans 13 Grace and our relationship with our government
13:1-7 Because of God’s grace, the Christian can obey the government without fear Verse 1 People often misinterpret what Paul says here. Some say that Paul is referring only to good and God-pleasing governments.
Describe the Roman government of Paul’s day. What lesson is here for us?
In this verse Paul has all governments in mind. Notice the two statements he makes about the existence of governments. Put together, how do they rule out any exceptions?
Acts 4:19–20 (EHV) 19But Peter and John answered them, “Decide whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God. 20For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Verse 2 Why is rebellion against the government such a serious offense in God’s eyes?
The Fourth Commandment is placed right after those dealing with what we owe God. Why?
Verses 3,4 What is the purpose of the government? Evaluate: When the anti-Christian Communist party was in power in the former Soviet Union, that country did not have a government sent by God.
According to Acts 4:19,20, what is the only God-pleasing reason for not obeying the government?
What is the power of the sword? What do these verses teach about capital punishment?
The Triumph of Grace: Romans 9–16
Verse 5 Christians do not obey the government simply because they may be punished if they don’t. What other motive do they have for obeying the government?
Verses 6,7 Why do Christians pay taxes?
Lesson Five—Page 2
4. If you are drafted into the army during a war in which you sincerely believe your government should not be involved, what could you do?
5. You are living under a dictator who is oppressing the people of his country and ruining its economy. Because of all the suffering, some of your friends are joining an underground anti-government movement. You sympathize with their concerns. What should you do?
Additional discussion: 1. Although Paul is talking about governmental authorities in these verses, he mentions God. Count the number of times God is mentioned. What does this teach us? (Remember, this is the same God who has given us his gracious pardon and made us his children in Christ.)
2. Why is God’s grace central to our understanding of why we can obey the government?
6. Your friends are laughing at a political cartoon that is openly hostile to the President. Then they begin mocking him. What should you do?
7. True or false: God overlooks the evil a government might do since that government is acting as his agent.
8. Agree or disagree: Anarchy is better than a corrupt government. 3. If you had been a Christian at the time of the Revolutionary War, what would you have done? All government authority is derived from God, who has given us his grace. Governments keep order in the world. Therefore we ought to obey them and pay our taxes.
The Triumph of Grace: Romans 9–16
13:8-14 God’s grace leads us to love and thus obey the commandments Verse 8 How does it feel to be in debt? What do you want to do when you are in debt?
What debts should we always pay off?
What debt should we never consider as paid off?
Verses 9-11 In John 13:34 Jesus told his disciples that he was giving them a new command: to love one another. Use these verses of Romans to explain why that was a new command. (Hint: The “newness” refers not to what the person does, but to the motivation behind the action.)
Verses 11,12 What does “night” refer to in this passage? What does “day” refer to?
Why does Paul write such sharp words to Christians whom he has praised for their faith and Christian living? Do we need to hear these same words?
Lesson Five—Page 3
Verse 13 What beautiful gospel message is there in the word daytime? What should the message of that word lead us to do?
Verse 14 How do we clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ? What effect does that have on our daily plan of activity?
God’s grace leads us to love. Paul stirs up this desire within us by reminding us of the blessings of God’s grace: his love and the light into which he has called us. Summary God’s grace leads us to honor and obey our governments and to strive to live as those who have been called into the light of God’s heaven.
For next time 1. Read Romans 14:1–15:13 twice and work on understanding Paul’s line of thought. 2. Think about what the early church must have been like with its mixture of Jews and Gentiles. What problems may have arisen in that setting? 3. Think about some things a modern Christian may use or not use depending on his or her level of Christian understanding and maturity.
The Triumph of Grace: Romans 9–16
Lesson Five—Page 4
Romans 13 (EHV) Governments Are Established by God
13 Everyone must submit to the governing authorities. For no authority exists except by God, and the authorities that do exist have been established by God. 2Therefore the one who rebels against the authority is opposing God’s institution, and those who oppose will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to evil. Would you like to have no fear of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will receive praise from him, 4 because he is God’s servant for your benefit. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because he does not carry the sword without reason. He is God’s servant, a punisher to bring wrath on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore it is necessary to submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of conscience. 6 For this reason you also pay taxes, because the authorities are God’s ministers, who are employed to do this very thing. 7Pay what you owe to all of them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, and honor to whom honor is owed. Love One Another 8
Do not owe anyone anything except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9For the commandments—do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet (and if there is any other commandment)—are summed up in this statement: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10Love does no harm to a neighbor, so love is the fulfillment of the law. The End of the World Is Approaching 11
And do this since you understand the present time. It is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost over, and the day is drawing near. So let us put away the deeds of darkness and put on the weapons of light. 13Let us walk decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual sin and wild living, not in strife and jealousy. 14 Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not give any thought to satisfying the desires of your sinful flesh.