(For more on the book of Romans, check out my summary of the book’s argument/story.). The English parliament called it a revolution and the "rebellion of the Elders." This was not rebellion against government that the Christian could not support but local established governments resisting the right of kings and distant unrighteous government. Also, consult Dunn (1988: 768-69). Paul’s admonitions in 13:1–7 should be read as a continuation of his exhortations in chapter 12. Thanks, Dave. Christ and Caesar: The Gospel and the Roman Empire in the Writings of Paul and Luke. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2004. Relates to: Romans. There are a number of reasons for this, including what appears to many as a \"crisis in character.\" In any event, this is, generally speaking, the situation. These factors make the presence of Christianity in Rome likely from the mid to late 30s on into the reign of Claudius. [12] I appeal to Dr. Chris Miller’s class notes from BENT 4110 – Romans and Galatians (Spring 2012), and also Wright’s work on Romans (2004) to prove this point, for a complete discussion of this common theme exceeds the scope of this essay. During this time, Claudius began showing favor to Britannicus, which only enraged Agrippina even more. It is possible that Paul was beheaded around the time of Nero’s persecution of the Roman Christians, just a few years after the apostle had written, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities” of Rome—the place where, according to Tacitus, “all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular.”, (Tomorow: Can We Celebrate Independence without Celebrating Revolution?). [17] Schreiner (1998: 679) notes that there is considerable debate as to whether this refers to the eschatological judgment of God or to judgment imposed by earthly rulers. The following year, rumors of incest between Nero and his mother began to surface. [15] All Bible quotations, unless otherwise noted, come from the NET Bible. The Nicene and Alexandrian Creeds and the Definition of Chalcedon, surely the best things to come out of the entire early church period, owe a considerable debt to Greek philosophy. Yes, I hesitate to use the term "Christian society" for similar reasons you might. [1], Many commentators in recent years have recognized the importance of interpreting this passage in light of its historical context at the time of its composition (c. A.D. 57[2]), instead of assuming that these verses are Paul’s fundamental views on how church and state should relate to each other. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996. There are always holdouts of paganism, particularly among the elites, but there is only one openly pagan emperor thereafter, Julian. καὶ … It was around this time, with the backdrop of ten years of murders, adulteries, and injustices by the rulers of the Roman Empire, that the Christians in Rome received a letter from the apostle Paul which said in part, Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. (For more on the book of Romans, check out my sermon on Romans 1:1-17.). The authorities that exist have been established by God. Update or delete your post and re-enter your post's URL again. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005. New York: T & T Clark International, 2004. They did so because so many of Washington's Colonels were Elders in the Presbyterian churches and they saw a religious foundation just like their own prior revolution of the Puritans. Much of what Paul has to say in this epistle speaks to this issue: the relationship between Jewish and Gentile Christians within the Roman context. But it was unthinkable to Paul to effect God’s kingdom in a way that ran against the grain of that kingdom of love, justice, and peace. a. 1Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. [8] Wright pulls these themes together quite well: [P]recisely because of all the counter-imperial hints Paul has given not only in this letter and elsewhere but indeed by his entire gospel, it is vital that he steer Christians away from the assumption that loyalty to Jesus would mean the kind of civil disobedience and revolution that merely reshuffles the political cards into a different order. With this background information, it is easy to see why Paul here gives advice to his readers, a cosmopolitan church in Rome struggling to figure out Jew-Gentile dynamics in the early years of Nero’s reign, so as to prevent them from drawing negative attention to themselves and damaging the effectiveness of the gospel mission. Paul’s Letter to the Romans: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. These are professors of history at three public universities. The Epistle to the Romans. Home >> Bible Studies >> Romans Studies >> Romans 13 These small group studies of Romans contain outlines, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, and applications. Schreiner, Thomas R. Romans. Your email address will not be published. Of these three, Tacitus, who was a close friend of Pliny the Younger, lived closest to the time of the events surrounding the book of Romans, and his accounting of that time period is the most detailed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1988. The state, however, is to be administered according to the principles of God‘s Law. While it is difficult to pinpoint the beginning of Christianity in Rome, it is known that “visitors from Rome” were at Pentecost (Acts 2:10), Romans were converted to Christianity before Paul’s conversion (Rom. Soon after Nero’s homosexual wedding, Rome was engulfed in flames. Yet, the Senate persuaded him not to by claiming it would bring ruin to the State. The specific rules that governed the theocracy of ancient Israel no longer held sway for the international and multi-ethnic body of Christ. Daily Reflection / Produced by The High Calling Everyone must submit to governing authorities. [3] (Kim 2008: 37), who points to P. Stuhlmacher, Paul’s Letter to the Romans: A Commentary, trans. In Romans 13:1-7, Paul exhorts the Roman believers to apply his previous commands toward love (12:9), harmony (12:16), and peace (12:18) in the context of obedience to government (13:1-5) and the payment of taxes (13:6-7). I would recommend that anyone interested in history get hold of the book "Telling the Truth About History," by Joyce Appleby, Lynn Hunt, And Margaret Jacob. Positively, then, when Romans was written, the original audience enjoyed a period of relative peace and stability before the chaotic upheaval that would take place in A.D. 59. The first reason for this submission is that the authorities have been appointed by God (13:1b). The immediate reason is because to not to submit may bring the wrath of government and be against the Christian conscience. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed…. I don't believe I've ever seen Nero superimposed over an American flag before now. He appeals to the structure of the text (gar in 3a) to conclude that the latter option is more likely. The Heroes of the faith at Hebrews 11 have several listed whose acts of faith involved resistance to human government. Paul for Everyone: Romans: Part Two. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008. It is authored by Paul the Apostle, while he was in Corinth in the mid 50s AD, with the help of an amanuensis (secretary), … About a year later, when Claudius was away at the harbor city of Ostia, Messalina married the man with whom she was having an affair. Dunn, James D. G. Romans 9-16. 13:7 seems to be continued in a different sense in Rom. There were Jews who had endured temporary expulsion by the Roman government, there were slaves who were in danger of execution if their masters were killed, and there were citizens subject to the exploits of tax collectors. Instead, the Roman believers are to “overcome evil with good” (12:21b), and this is illustrated in 12:20, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head.”. Her rage soon turned against Claudius, and she plotted his death after hearing him say “it was his destiny to have to endure his wives’ infamy and at last punish it” (The Annals, Tacitus). This view was the prevailing view form the 1920s on. As the poison choked out Britannicus’ life during a dinner with other nobles and their families, Nero calmly told those in attendance that Britannicus was simply having an epileptic seizure and would soon recover. While a full analysis of the argument of the text at hand is beyond the scope of this essay, a brief trace of the thought-flow of Romans 13:1-7 will aid in comprehension of its contextually-appropriate meaning. Agrippina saw this as her opportunity to poison him and move Nero into the position of emperor. Stein, Robert H. “The Argument of Romans 13:1-7.” Novum Testamentum (BRILL) Vol. Church & State. He preferred his niece, Agrippina, the daughter of his brother, Germanicus. Norton and Co., 1994. Agrippina held sway over her son, Emperor Nero, until he began an affair with a former slave. Tensions were building because of indirect taxation. 13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. Careful exegesis … he is God’s servant for your good…. Moo, Douglas J. All of this is supposedly done to prompt us toward active participation in our civil government and unquestioning obedience to all of its laws. This is only one example of many misuses of Romans 13. 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