independentparticipialcausecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
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Submission to the governing authorities 13:1–7
vv. 1–2 — the principle: submit, for authority is from God
1
Πᾶσα ψυχὴ ἐξουσίαις ὑπερεχούσαις ὑποτασσέσθω.independent — the thesis imperative — universal, no one exempt
οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐξουσία εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ θεοῦ,cause — the first ground — no authority but from God
αἱ δὲ οὖσαι ὑπὸ θεοῦ τεταγμέναι εἰσίν.cause — the second ground — the existing powers set in place (τάσσω)
2
ὥστε ὁ ἀντιτασσόμενος τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ διαταγῇ ἀνθέστηκεν,independent — ὥστε — the inference; the τάσσω wordplay: ἀντιτασσόμενος against τεταγμέναι
οἱ δὲ ἀνθεστηκότες ἑαυτοῖς κρίμα λήμψονται.independent — the sentence — κρίμα self-incurred, God's judgment through the civil process
vv. 3–4 — the ruler's two faces: servant for good, avenger of evil
3
οἱ γὰρ ἄρχοντες οὐκ εἰσὶν φόβος τῷ ἀγαθῷ ἔργῳ ἀλλὰ τῷ κακῷ.cause — why the judgment — rulers terrify evil, not good
θέλεις δὲ μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν;independent — mini-diatribe — the single reader addressed
τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποίει,independent — the imperative answer
καὶ ἕξεις ἔπαινον ἐξ αὐτῆς·independent — the promise — commendation from the power
4
θεοῦ γὰρ διάκονός ἐστιν σοὶ εἰς τὸ ἀγαθόν.cause — the ground — θεοῦ fronted: GOD'S servant, the first naming
ἐὰν δὲ τὸ κακὸν ποιῇς,conditional — protasis — leans on the warning below
φοβοῦ·independent — apodosis — a one-word warning
οὐ γὰρ εἰκῇ τὴν μάχαιραν φορεῖ·cause — why fear — the sword is not carried idly
θεοῦ γὰρ διάκονός ἐστιν,cause — the refrain returns — the second naming
ἔκδικος εἰς ὀργὴν τῷ τὸ κακὸν πράσσοντι.phrase modifier — verbless apposition — the ἔκδικος executes the wrath reserved to God (12:19)
vv. 5–7 — the conclusion: submit for conscience, pay every due
5
διὸ ἀνάγκη ὑποτάσσεσθαι,independent — διό — the conclusion of vv. 1–4; verbless ἀνάγκη
οὐ μόνον διὰ τὴν ὀργὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὴν συνείδησιν.cause — the double διά — the lower motive and the higher
6
διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ φόρους τελεῖτε,cause — the proof from practice — τελεῖτε read as indicative, not imperative
λειτουργοὶ γὰρ θεοῦ εἰσινcause — λειτουργοί — the officials as God's public ministers
εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο προσκαρτεροῦντες.participial — their occupation — persistent attention to governing (προσκαρτερέω)
7
ἀπόδοτε πᾶσι τὰς ὀφειλάς,independent — the summary command — every obligation discharged
τῷ τὸν φόρον τὸν φόρον,phrase modifier — distributive, verbless — the direct tax (φόρος)
τῷ τὸ τέλος τὸ τέλος,phrase modifier — distributive — the indirect tax (τέλος, customs)
τῷ τὸν φόβον τὸν φόβον,phrase modifier — distributive — respect where respect is due (cf. vv. 3–4)
τῷ τὴν τιμὴν τὴν τιμήν.phrase modifier — distributive — honor; ὀφειλή bridges to the one abiding debt (v. 8)
Love, the fulfillment of the law 13:8–10
8
Μηδενὶ μηδὲν ὀφείλετε,independent — the debt-command — all accounts cleared
εἰ μὴ τὸ ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν·phrase modifier — the exception — the one debt never paid off
ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἕτερον νόμον πεπλήρωκεν.cause — why love is the standing debt — the law's demand met (perfect)
9
τὸ γὰρ Οὐ μοιχεύσεις,cause — the series opens — subject (τὸ) suspended until its verb; Deut 5:18 LXX: adultery
Οὐ φονεύσεις,content — Deut 5:17–18 LXX order — murder after adultery (so Luke 18:20; Jas 2:11)
Οὐ κλέψεις,content — Exod 20:15 — theft
Οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις,content — Exod 20:17 — coveting, the command that indicts desire (7:7)
καὶ εἴ τις ἑτέρα ἐντολή,phrase modifier — εἴ τις — the list left open: every command included
ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται,cause — ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται — the suspended subject finds its verb: all headed up in one saying
ἐν τῷ· Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν.content — Lev 19:18 — the summing word (cf. Gal 5:14; Matt 22:39)
10
ἡ ἀγάπη τῷ πλησίον κακὸν οὐκ ἐργάζεται·independent — the aphorism — love and harm cannot coexist
πλήρωμα οὖν νόμου ἡ ἀγάπη.independent — the οὖν conclusion — verbless: love, the law's πλήρωμα
The day at hand 13:11–14
vv. 11–12a — the hour read off the clock: night ending, day near
11
Καὶ τοῦτο εἰδότες τὸν καιρόν,independent — Καὶ τοῦτο elliptical — 'and do all this,' the whole ethic set on the clock
ὅτι ὥρα ἤδη ὑμᾶς ἐξ ὕπνου ἐγερθῆναι,content — epexegetic ὅτι — what the καιρός is: the waking hour
νῦν γὰρ ἐγγύτερον ἡμῶν ἡ σωτηρία ἢ ὅτε ἐπιστεύσαμεν.cause — verbless ground — salvation closer than at first faith
12
ἡ νὺξ προέκοψεν,independent — the clock read — night nearly over
ἡ δὲ ἡμέρα ἤγγικεν.independent — the paired line — ἤγγικεν: dawn at hand
vv. 12b–14 — the wardrobe of the day: off with darkness, on with Christ
ἀποθώμεθα οὖν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ σκότους,independent — hortatory οὖν — the night-clothes stripped
ἐνδυσώμεθα δὲ τὰ ὅπλα τοῦ φωτός.independent — the counterpart — ὅπλα τοῦ φωτός, the day's armor donned
13
ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ εὐσχημόνως περιπατήσωμεν,independent — the manner — ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ: live now by the coming day's light
μὴ κώμοις καὶ μέθαις, μὴ κοίταις καὶ ἀσελγείαις, μὴ ἔριδι καὶ ζήλῳ,phrase modifier — verbless — three renounced pairs, datives of manner: the night-list
14
ἀλλὰ ἐνδύσασθε τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν,independent — the climactic imperative — Christ himself the clothing (cf. Gal 3:27)
καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς πρόνοιαν μὴ ποιεῖσθε εἰς ἐπιθυμίας.independent — the negative counterpart — πρόνοια cut off: desire given nothing to feed on
Analysis. Romans 13 alternates command and ground, and the shape shows it: the section on the authorities (vv. 1–7) opens with one flush-left imperative — Πᾶσα ψυχὴ ὑποτασσέσθω — with its double γάρ ground stacked beneath it (no authority but from God; the existing ones God-appointed), then returns to the margin for the ὥστε inferences, the mini-diatribe (θέλεις δὲ μὴ φοβεῖσθαι; — do the good — and you will have praise), and the twice-sounded refrain θεοῦ γὰρ διάκονός ἐστιν, each time hanging as an olive ground under the promise or warning it explains; the section closes with ἀπόδοτε and four dashed verbless distributives (the tax the tax, the toll the toll, the fear the fear, the honor the honor). Verses 8–10 hold this chapter's small catena: the four Decalogue prohibitions hang as suspended quotation lines from the one article τὸ, resolved only when the subject finds its verb in ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται and the summing word of Lev 19:18. Verses 11–14 sit almost entirely on the margin — clock-readings (the night far gone, the day near) alternating with hortatives (put off, put on, let us walk) down to the final pair: put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and give the flesh no forethought. Interpretive choices the layout takes a side on: τελεῖτε (v. 6) is read as indicative ('you pay') — an appeal to existing practice, not a new command; the ὅτι of v. 11 is taken as epexegetic of τὸν καιρόν (the season defined as the waking hour); Καὶ τοῦτο (v. 11) is read as an elliptical imperative gathering up all of 12:1–13:7; κρίμα (v. 2) as God's judgment mediated through the civil process; and the order of the commandments (adultery before murder) is that of LXX Deut 5, as in Luke 18:20 and Jas 2:11.