The epistle of Paul to the Romans 13:8-11

Romans

13:8-10

Exhortations12:1-15:13

i] The marks of a Christian community, 12:3-13:14

d) Let love be practical

Argument

Having explained a believer's duties toward the civil authorities, 13:1-7, Paul goes on to speak of the duty to love one another, for "love is the fulfilling of the law." For Paul, the Mosaic law gives shape to love.

Issues

i] Context: See 12:1-2.

ii] Background: The Nomist heresy 1:8-15.

iii] Structure: An instruction toward love:

Instruction:

Take on the obligation of love, v8a.

Reason:

It fulfils the law, v8b.

Scriptural support, v9.

Conclusion:

Love does no harm to the neighbour, v10a;

Love fulfils the law, v10b.

iv] Thesis: See 3:21-31.

v] Interpretation:

Against the critique of his nomist opponents, the judaizers, members of the circumcision party, who claimed that Paul was out to devalue the law, that he was antinomian, a libertarian, Paul continues his ethical instructions, moving to the very heart of the Mosaic moral code.

Addressing the issue of the debt owed to secular government, prompts Paul to speak of a debt that is never discharged; this is the debt of love toward one's neighbour. Referring to some of the specific neighbourly commandments, Paul shows that neighbourly laws are all fulfilled in the single command to love. The command to love can be summarised in the negative as seeking not to harm a neighbour: seducing his wife, murdering him, stealing from him, coveting his possessions, ....... Paul says of the law of love that it is the "fulfilment of the law." The noun plhrwma, "fullness / fulfilment", probably means "complete"; love completes God's law, fully realises its intent, sums it up.

vi] Exposition: A simple exposition of this passage may be found in the linked pew-level Sermon Notes.

Text - 13:8

The Law gives shape to obedience, the essential nature of which is love, compassion, v8-10: There is one debt which will always be outstanding, and this because it is impossible to clear. The obligation we must try to clear and never will, is our obligation to love. This love toward "one another" is a self-giving compassion toward the brotherhood. To show this compassion is to "fulfil the law"

ofeilete (ofeilew) pres. imp. "debt" - [to no one] owe [nothing]. The present imperative expresses continued action; "Do not owe anything to anyone." The double negative mhdeni mhden, "to no one nothing", is emphatic by use.

ei mh "except" - except. Serving to express a contrast by designating an exception. Possibly here "but", although "except" is better, as NIV.

to agapan (agapaw) pres. inf. "the continuing debt to love" - to love [one another]. The articular infinitive serves as the subject of the subordinate clause.

gar "for" - because. Introducing a causal clause explaining why love is owed to another.

oJ ... agapwn (agapaw) pres. part. "whoever loves" - the one loving. The participle serves as a substantive.

ton eteron "his fellowman / others" - the other. The other what? Most likely "his neighbour", Cassirer.

peplhrwken (plhrow) perf. "has fulfilled" - has fulfilled [the law]. The perfect is gnomic; in the sense of realised its intent, completed it. "To love your neighbour is to fulfil the whole law", Barclay.

The thought expressed in v8b is now confirmed. Paul quotes some examples from the second table of the Ten Commandments and then quotes the summary of this table from Leviticus 19:18.

gar "-" - for. More reason than cause, explaining how love fulfils the law; best left untranslated.

to "the commandments" - the [you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet]. The singular neuter article serves as a nominalizer, gathering the four sample commandments and the catch-all indefinite relative clause, "whatever ...", into a nominal construction, subject of the verb "are summed up"

ei tiV [+ ind.] - "[and] whatever" - [and] if any [other commandment]. Introducing an indefinite relative clause; "whatever other commandment there is", Berkeley.

anakefalaioutai (anakefalaiow) pres. pas. "are summed up" - is summed up. The gathering up of a large number of details under a single statement or heading.

en + dat. "-" - in [this word]. Locative; expressing space; "in this one precept", Cassirer.

ton plhsion adv. "[love your] neighbour" - [you shall love] the neighbour [of you]. Accusative object of the verb "to love", a future indicative of command (as are the four other commands in this verse). The "neighbour" was always a fellow Jew, but it could extend to "the stranger within your gates." A direct application in Christian circles would be a fellow believer, a brother or sister in the Lord. This is reflected in an instruction like "do good to all men", but "love the brotherhood". Yet, God sends "rain on the just and the unjust alike", and Jesus' use of a Samaritan (in no way a neighbour to a Jew) in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, reveals that, when it comes to perfection, love is not particularised.

wJV "as" - as, like [yourself]. Comparative; "in the same way as." The command that we love our brother as we love ourselves is not promoting self-love as such, rather it recognises our selfishness and uses this self-interest as a gauge to define, in practical terms, our obligation toward others.

v10

The golden rule in reverse. The exercise of love does not disadvantage a brother

ouk ergazetai (ergazomai) pres. mid. "does no harm" - [love] does not do, work [harm, evil]. The present tense is best taken as gnomic. "Love toward a neighbour does not work evil." The commandments give shape to the law of love and therefore, perfect love perfectly fulfils the law (an impossible ideal).

tw/ plhsion adv. "to a neighbour" - to the one near = neighbour. The adverb is turned into a substantive by the nominalizer tw/; dative of indirect object / interest, advantage.

oun "therefore" - therefore. Drawing a logical conclusion / inferential.

plhrwma (a atoV) "the fulfilment" - [love is] the completion, fulfilment. Predicate nominative of an assumed verb to-be. "Love, which is faith in action, fulfils (completes) what is involved in the law (law of Moses)", Dumbrell.

nomou (oV) gen. "of the law" - of law. The genitive is usually taken as verbal, objective; "love fulfils the requirements of God's law", NLT.

Romans Introduction.

Exposition

lectionarystudies.com