Read: Romans 13:8-14; Luke 10:25-37
Owe no one anything, except to love each other. (Rom. 13:8)
Most English translations of the Bible place a heading before Romans 13:8. Headings can be helpful, but they aren’t original to the Bible, and often they interrupt the flow of verses that are meant to be read together.
When we go with the flow we can see how verse 8, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other,” connects to the previous verses on paying taxes and the believer’s association with Roman society (12:14-21), expanding our understanding of the believer’s relationship to the state. Paul counsels the believers in Jesus living in Rome not only to pay taxes, but also to “owe no one anything” (13:8). But the one thing that we do owe is “to love each another” (v. 8), or to love our neighbor. Neighbor? Jesus expands our understanding of our neighbor in the parable of the good Samaritan. Our neighbors include not only brothers and sisters in Christ, but people beyond our own family or religious community. As believers in Jesus, we should not only pay our taxes and be good citizens, but imbue society with justice, mercy, and love.
The verses on paying taxes (13:1-7) have sometimes been misapplied by unjust leaders to justify and cover up oppressive forms of government. By going with the flow of the verses in this section, we can take the lesson that our obedience to government should be carried out under love for our neighbors. That includes basic justice and care for the vulnerable.
As you pray, ask for wisdom in practicing love for your neighbors.
Kent Fry is a retired pastor and visiting research fellow at the Van Raalte Institute in Holland, Michigan. He and his wife, Joyce, are active members of Second Reformed Church in Zeeland, Michigan. Kent is an active cyclist, and he and Joyce enjoy time with their children and grandchildren.
