Chapter 13

Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the Epistle of St Paul to the Romans — Chapter Thirteen

¹ Chapter Thirteen. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. Since he had sufficiently set in order the manners of his hearers, and had taught them to be kindly even toward enemies, he introduces this exhortation also; teaching every soul—even if one be a priest, even a monk, even an apostle—to be subject to the rulers. For this subjection does not overthrow piety. And the Apostle exhorts this, showing that the Gospel does not teach apostasy, nor disobedience, but rather right-mindedness and ready obedience.

² For there is no power but from God; and the powers that be are ordained by God. So that he who sets himself against the power resists the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves judgment. What do you say? Has every ruler been appointed by God? I do not say this, he says, nor is my discourse now concerning the rulers individually, but concerning the thing itself. For that there should be governments, and that some should rule and others be ruled, and that all things should not be confounded up and down, I declare to be the work of God’s wisdom. For he did not say, There is no ruler, but, “There is no power except from God.” So that he discourses concerning the thing itself, that is, government. Just as also when a certain wise man says, By the Lord is a woman fitted to a man; he does not mean this, that he himself joins each man who comes together with a woman, but that he himself made marriage. All powers, then, are justly ordained by God, whichever you may consider—whether that of father toward son, or that of husband toward wife, or all the rest. And lest the faithful be able to say, You debase us, who are about to enjoy the kingdom of the heavens, by subjecting us to rulers—he shows that he who is subject to the governments is subject to God; or rather he sets down the more fearful thing, that he who does not obey these sets himself against God, who ordained the governments; and he who resists shall be punished both by God and by men. For this he hints at, saying, “They that resist shall receive to themselves judgment.”

³ For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt you then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and you shall have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid; for he bears not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, an avenger for wrath upon him that does evil. Wherefore it is necessary to be subject, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For for this cause pay you tribute also. For they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour. Why do you dread and shudder? For he does not rebuke you when you do well, nor is he fearful to you who are diligent for virtue; but if you do good, rather the ruler sits as one that praises you. He cooperates, he says, with the will of God; for instance, God counsels you concerning temperance through the Gospel, and the ruler says the same things through the laws. God exhorts not to be covetous, nor to plunder; and that one sits as a judge over these matters. So that he is a fellow-worker with us unto good deeds, if we give heed to him. So that it is not the ruler who makes the fear, but our own wickedness, on account of which also the sword of the ruler is active—that is, the punitive power. For not in vain has the ruler girded on the blade, but that he may punish, frightening the wicked thereto. It is necessary, he says, to be subject, not only that you may not make trial of the wrath both of God and of the ruler, as disobedient, and be punished unbearably, but also that you may not seem to be void of conscience and thankless toward your benefactor. For rulers greatly benefit the cities. You bear witness, he says, that you are benefited by the ruler, and you pay him a wage; for it is plain that this is as of one who provides for you. A debt, he says, is laid inescapably upon you—right-mindedness toward the rulers. Render therefore what you owe to all who have been entrusted with the various governments. For fear is twofold: the one, which they that err fear, from an evil conscience, which the Apostle above forbade; the other, which they that love have toward those whom they love—that is, the surpassing honor, as it is said: There is no want to them that fear him; and, The fear of the Lord endures for ever and ever. For here he intimates reverence.

⁴ Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shall not commit adultery, Thou shall not kill, Thou shall not steal, Thou shall not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shall love your neighbour as thyself. Love works no ill to his neighbour: love therefore is the fulfilling of the law. The other debts, he says, render; but never wish to render love fully paid, but ever hold it as a continual debt. For do not, because today you have displayed a loving disposition toward your neighbor, suppose that you have discharged the debt, and on this account overlook him tomorrow; but continually deem that you owe love to your neighbor. He that loves his neighbor fulfils the whole law. So that henceforth he has a debt to love him, seeing that he is so greatly benefited by him and by the love toward him, as to fulfill the whole law. He did not say, It is fulfilled, but, “It is comprehended”—that is, in brief and short compass the whole of the commandments is completed. For indeed love is both the beginning and the end of virtue. He shows both forms of virtue to be present in love: both the abstaining from evils, in saying, “It works no ill,” and the working of good things, in saying, “Love therefore is the fulfilling of the law.” For it sets fully right in us the whole virtue that is shown forth through the law.

⁵ And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time for us to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when 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 the armour of light. Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in revellings and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying: but put you on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. You ought, he says, to make much of love, and through it of all the other virtues also; and because of the time, since the resurrection is near, the judgment is near, and we must awake from the sleep of slothfulness, and be ready for the works worthy of the resurrection. Since it was likely that at the beginning of the faith they were more earnest, and then, as time went on, grew cold, he says that Now we draw nearer to the age to come. For he named this “salvation” from the kindlier name; for to sinners it is not salvation, but destruction. This is it: the night is near its end. And he calls the present age night, because the servants are in darkness, and because the lives of each are covered over; and the age to come day, both because of the light of the righteous, and because the hidden things of all are then made manifest. But in the Gospel the present is called day, because one must work in this; and night the age to come, because then no one works. He called the deeds of sin “works,” as having much toil and difficulty, and ten thousand dangers, even in the present age; and “armour of light” the works of virtue; for they render orderly the one who possesses them; for they are armour, and make him to shine, since they are of light. And in saying, “Let us cast off,” and, “Let us put on,” he showed the easiness of both—both the fleeing from wicked deeds, and the inclining toward virtue. Having stripped us of the wicked garments, he then adorns us, no longer clothing us with armour of light, but—what is far more awesome—giving us the Master himself as a garment. For he that is clothed with him has the whole of virtue. He does not forbid the providing for the flesh, but the “unto lusts.” Care for the flesh, he says, unto health, but not unto wantonness. For it would no longer be provision, when you kindle the flame, or when you make the furnace grievous. Seek one thing only, how you may keep the flesh in health; but beyond that busy yourself with nothing, so as to kindle its lusts, but spend all your diligence upon spiritual things.