Romans 13.7b-Paul Commands Roman Believers To Fulfill Their Obligations Of Giving Reverence And Honor To The Governmental Authorities
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday January 17, 2010
Romans: Romans 13:7b-Paul Commands Roman Believers To Fulfill Their Obligations Of Giving Reverence And Honor To The Governmental Authorities
Lesson # 443
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 13:1.
Thursday evening we began a study of Romans 13:7 by noting the first two of four obligations that the Roman believers were to fulfill, namely the paying of the direct tribute and indirect custom taxes to the Roman governmental authorities.
This morning we will complete our study of this verse by noting the last two obligations, which are having reverence and honor for the governmental authorities.
The first two obligations are tangible and the last two are intangible.
Romans 13:1, “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”
Romans 13:2, “Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.”
Romans 13:3, “For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same.”
Romans 13:4, “For it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”
Romans 13:5, “Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.”
Romans 13:6, “For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.”
Romans 13:7, “Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”
“Render” is the second person plural aorist active imperative form of the verb apodidomi (a)podivdwmi) (apo-dee-doe-mee), which means “to fulfill.”
“To all what is due them” is composed of the dative masculine singular form of the adjective pas (pa$), “to all…them” and the articular accusative feminine plural form of the noun opheile (o)feilhv) (o-fay-lay), “what is due.”
The noun opheile is used in the plural form meaning “obligations” and refers to the obligations that the Roman believers have with regards to the Roman governmental authorities which are four-fold.
Therefore, Paul is saying that the Roman believers are to “fulfill” their obligations to the Roman governmental authorities, which Paul makes clear consists of two tangible obligations and two intangible ones.
“Tax to whom tax is due” is composed of the dative masculine singular form of the definite article ho (o() (ho), “to whom” and twice the articular accusative masculine singular form of the noun phoros (fovro$) (foe-roce), “tax…tax.”
The noun phoros appears five times in the Greek New Testament (Luke 20:22; 23:2; Romans 13:6, 7 twice) and means “direct tribute tax” referring to that which is received by the Roman government from its citizens and those nations that are subjected to it for services rendered.
“Custom to whom custom” is composed of the dative masculine singular form of the adjective pas (pa$), “to whom” and twice the articular accusative masculine singular form of the noun telos (tevlo$) (te-loce), “custom…custom.”
In Romans 13:7, the noun telos means “custom” and refers to the taxes that were levied at ports of entry such as bridges, crossroads and places of commerce on the transport and sale of goods.
This type of tax was levied on goods and services and was levied on everything that was traded whether it was grain, animals or even sex (P. A. Brunt, Revenues of Rome, Roman Imperial Themes; page 329).
Unlike the direct tribute tax (phoros), Romans citizens were not exempt from the payment of telos.
Romans 13:7, “Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”
“Fear to whom fear” is composed of the dative masculine singular form of the adjective pas (pa$), “to whom” and twice the articular accusative masculine singular form of the noun phobos (fovbo$) (foe-boce), “fear…fear.”
The noun phobos means “reverence” and its subject is the Roman believers and its object is the Roman governmental authorities.
Therefore, the noun connotes respect or reverence for the governmental authorities.
When used in relation to the Roman believers’ attitude and conduct toward the Roman governmental authorities the word refers to an attitude of deep respect tinged with awe for the emperor, his officials and magistrates as well as deference, respect or esteem for them.
It also refers to submission to their laws and fulfilling their obligations to them.
“Honor to whom honor” is composed of the dative masculine singular form of the adjective pas (pa$), “to whom” and twice the articular accusative masculine singular form of the noun time (timhv) (tee-may), “honor…honor.”
The noun time means “honor” that was to be demonstrated by the Roman believers toward the Roman governmental authorities.
In the first century, in the days of the Roman Empire, honor was something the governmental authorities received from the inhabitants of the empire.
The Romans believed that honor was derived from the power to provide the inhabitants of the empire what they needed or desired.
Honor was a very important principle in the Graeco-Roman mind.
J. E. Lendon writes, “Honor was a filter which the whole world was viewed, a deep structure of the Graeco-Roman mind, perhaps the ruling metaphor of ancient society…Every thing, every person, could be valued in terms of honor and every group of persons” (Empire of Honour: The Art of Government in the Roman World; Page 73; Oxford: Clarendon, 1997).
The Roman governmental authorities such as the emperor were worthy of honor not only because of the power and authority they possessed but also because of their actions or decisions or decrees that benefited the public and provided for their welfare.
Not only were the inhabitants of the Roman Empire obligated to bestow honor upon the emperor but also they had an obligation to honor lesser officials for their beneficent rule
This honor was bestowed on the emperor in both tangible and intangible ways.
The former would include a front seat at public events, a purple robe and officiating at religious sacrifices (Strabo, Georg. 14.1.3) and the latter would express itself simply with expressions of gratitude.
So Paul is teaching the Roman believers that they are to honor the Roman governmental authorities because they are public servants commissioned by the Father for their benefit to protect them and promote their welfare.
Paul issued this command in Romans 13:7 when there was great civil unrest in the Roman Empire regarding oppressive taxation.
The historian Suetonius writes that Nero increased both the direct tribute tax and the indirect custom tax in order to raise revenue for a military campaign (Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, Nero 44.2).
He required that all classes had to contribute a part of their incomes and that every tenant of a private house or flat owed a year’s rent to his personal treasury (Ibid.)
Thus even Roman citizens could not escape this tax burden.
He insisted on being paid in newly minted coins, refined silver or pure gold (Ibid).
Many people refused protesting that he would do much better if he reclaimed the fees from his informers (Ibid).
Those who refused were punished for tax evasion, which was a criminal offence in the empire.
Nero went to an even further extreme by putting into law that the estates of those who did not make provision for him in their wills in response to his benefactions, had their estates confiscated.
Therefore, we can see why Paul feels the need to raise the issue of the Roman Christians relationship to the governmental authorities who were led by the tyrant Nero who placed an oppressive tax burden on the inhabitants of the empire.
Even though Nero was a tyrant and unreasonable, the Roman believers were still required to fulfill their four-fold obligation to the emperor and his government since they were still God’s public servants commissioned by Him for the benefit of not only the Roman believers but all men.
Even though taxes in the empire were unreasonable and oppressive, the Roman believers were still required to pay taxes, both the direct tribute tax and the indirect custom tax because the governmental authorities were public servants commissioned by God.
The revenue from these taxes maintained the government, which God had established.