Ep. 302. Romans 13 | Love Your Neighbor

EPISODE 302

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR: ROMANS 13

Give to everyone what is due them. Give honor to those to whom it is due and let your taxes also be given to those to whom they are owed; but as far as it is possible, walking as a believer, "Owe no one anything, except to love each other."

Many Jews in Paul's day were insistent that the Gentiles who put their faith in Jesus also adhere to Jewish laws and practices. Of course, we know from the counsel in Jerusalem, recorded for us in Acts 15, that the Gentile believers were not held to the standard of the law. And we shall soon see, in Galatians, that Paul had powerful negative feelings toward those who taught the law as a means to holiness.

To the Jews who were concerned about upholding the Jewish law, both Jesus and Paul reminded them that " the one who loves another has fulfilled the law." And "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

We need to remember that, for most of us reading this, we are not Jews, and even if we were, neither the Jew nor the Gentile in faith is held to the standard of the Mosaic law. I would be remiss if I did not again point you to 2 Corinthians 3:6-11.

ADDITIONAL READING: Leviticus 19:18; Exodus 20; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-5; Romans 6:4,6,11