Romans 13

Romans 13:1

The sufferings of this present time. The Christian of our time has little conception of the sufferings of the ancient saints, counted as outcasts, despised, persecuted, slain. See Romans 8:36 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. Yet Paul counted these as nothing in view of the hope of eternal glory. The glory which shall be revealed in us. In the saints when they shall have received the inheritance which God bestows in Christ. The comforts of the saint in the midst of suffering are now given: (1) The hope of glory for which all creation, ruined by the Fall, is looking. (2) The present help of the Spirit. (3) The overruling providence of God.

Romans 13:2

The earnest expectation of the creature. “Creature” is rendered “creation” in the Revised Version, and this rendering is approved by all the best critics. Chrysostom says, ``Paul personifies the world, just as the prophets do when they make the floods to clap their hands.’’ The whole world is represented earnestly looking forward to the manifestation of the sons of God, to that day of future glory when the sons of God will have reached their high estate and be revealed as his children. It is a fine, poetic figure, a grand conception.

Romans 13:3

For the creature was made subject to vanity. “The creation” (Revised Version) was subjected to vanity; i.e., became empty; lost its original significance. The Greek word “mataiotes”, rendered “vanity”, means “to seek without finding”. God placed “the creation” under man’s dominion, and when man fell the whole was subject to vanity by God. In hope. A hope was left to creation in its fallen estate. A promise of final redemption was made to fallen man (Genesis 3:15), and the creation is represented as sharing that hope.

Romans 13:4

Because the creature itself also shall be delivered. The Revised Version reads, “The creation was subjected . . . in hope that the creation itself also”, etc. Though “subjected to vanity” (Romans 8:20), it still retained the hope of final deliverance. From the bondage of corruption. Decay and death. Into the glorious liberty. The Revised Version says, “The liberty of the glory”. The present state is “bondage to corruption”. The hope is deliverance from the bondage into “the liberty of the glory”. In the day of the revelation of that glory, “all things shall become new” (Revelation 21:1,5).

Romans 13:5

For we know that the whole creation groaneth, etc. The world is in travail, groaning for deliverance. That it is in travail is certain; there is unrest and crying for deliverance everywhere. It may not understand its trouble, nor even what it wants, but the meaning is that it is fallen, its wishes frustrated, and it is sighing for deliverance. These groans and sorrows are a prophecy of a time of deliverance when there shall be “new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).

Romans 13:6

Not only [they], but ourselves also. Not only does the world groan, but Christians, though they have the firstfruits of the Spirit, a pledge of a rich and full harvest, groan. There is an eager longing for the fuller enjoyment promised. Waiting for the adoption. We are already adopted children, but rather in expectation that in realization. We have not received the inheritance, the full “revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19, Revised Version). The redemption of our body. When the full adoption comes, we will not have these poor, frail, dying bodies, subject to weakness, sinfulness and decay, but spiritual bodies. “For in this we do groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven” (2 Corinthians 5:2).

Romans 13:7

For we were saved by hope. Were saved when we became Christians, not that we had received all the fruits of salvation, but were enabled to hope for all, even for the redemption of the body. “In hope” would be a better rendering than “by hope”. For what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? Hope grasped the full salvation, though not yet attained. We do not hope for what we have, or see.

Romans 13:8

But if we hope, etc. Hope has its blessed office. If we hope for a blessed realization to come, we can labor for it and wait for it with patience. The hopeless soul despairs.

Romans 13:9

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity. While we are waiting in hope, but suffering, the Spirit is a helper of our weakness. It not only strengthens us, but helps us in prayer. We know not what we should pray for as we ought. We often do not know, in our ignorance, what is best. This is especially true in the times of the greatest trial. It was even an experience of our Lord in extremity (John 12:27,28) and of Paul (Philippians 1:22,23). But the Spirit itself. “The Spirit himself” (Revised Version). Observe the climax: The creation groans; we ourselves groan; the Spirit himself groans. The Spirit within us intercedes by groaning which are his, in that they are prompted by the Spirit. Augustine says: ``It is not in himself, nor in the substance of the Eternal and Blessed Trinity that he groans, but in us because he makes us groan.’' Groanings which cannot be uttered. Speechless groanings.

Romans 13:10

Knoweth what [is] the mind of the Spirit. These speechless groanings are understood by God, because it is according to his will that the Spirit intercedes.

Romans 13:11

All things work together for good. The third ground of encouragement to saints in suffering is now given. To them, under God’s providence, all things, even their sorrows, trials and persecutions, work together for blessing. This precious assurance is not to all mankind, saint and sinner, but is limited to a class. To them that love God. These are those who enjoy the blessed assurance just given. Notice the order in the Revised Version, which is the order of the Greek, “to them that love God all things work together for good”. The love of God is the very foundation of the Christian life. See Lu 10:28 and John 14:23. The expression, “them that love God”, is synonymous with “Followers of Christ”. See 1 Corinthians 2:9 Ephesians 6:24 2 Timothy 4:8 James 2:5. The two expressions “them that love God” and “the called” are are different ways of describing the same class. To them who are the called. These have been called by the gospel and have accepted the call. Many others are called Jews and Gentiles, but only those who hear and obey are chosen (Matthew 20:16 20:14). Paul uses the term of the latter class; those who hear and obey. The evidence that we are “the called” is that we love God. According to [his] purpose. This call was purposed from the time that God promised a Deliverer of the fallen race (Genesis 3:15).

Romans 13:12

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate. To foreknow and to predestinate are not the same thing. One is an act of foreknowledge, or knowing something before it occurs; the other is to decree something. We only have knowledge of the past, but God foresees the future even as he sees the past; foresees it, not because he has decreed it, but because there are no limitations on his knowledge. Augustine says: ``There can be no predestination without foreknowledge; but there can be foreknowledge without predestination.’’ “Whom does God foreknow”? Those who shall love God.

As he looked into the future these were present to his mind; foreknown. “What did he predestinate of them”? Not that they should love God. Not that they should believe; nor that some should be saved and others damned; but that those who he saw beforehand would love God, should be conformed to the image of his Son. The only thing predestinated, or foreordained, is that those who love God as revealed in Christ shall become Christlike in life, and like Christ in eternity. This is the only decree in the passage.

Romans 13:13

Whom he did predestinate. He now shows how this is accomplished for those thus foreknown as the lovers of God. Then he also called. They are “called” by the preaching of the gospel, as in 2 Thessalonians 2:14: “Whereunto he called you by our gospel”. It is not stated that these alone are called. We know that many others are called. Them he also justified. The called, accepting the call, are justified. Their sins are blotted out. He also glorified. These are made heirs of eternal glory. As stated by Godet, the purpose of the whole passage may be expressed as follows: ``I see thou dost love God; art a believer; I therefore decree of thee that thou shalt become like my Son and be glorified with him.’’ The steps by which this is accomplished are calling, justification, and final glorification.

Romans 13:14

What shall we then say to these things? The rest of the chapter is a hymn of triumph over this assurance of salvation. If God [be] for us. What has been shown shows that he is for all who love God. Who [can be] against us? If he is on our side, we must prevail.