新约 - 罗马书(Romans)第13章

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.
Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
罗马书第十三章   罗 13:1-7> 有说基督徒不应从政,有说基督徒应挺身而出,成为榜样──我这基督徒该如何取舍? 

  13:1-7 基督徒对这段经文的理解常常有分歧。当然在政治环境容许基督徒有宗教信仰自由的时候,我们都同意应与政府保持和谐的关系。但是怎么样达到“和谐关系”呢?数百年来最少出现三种不同的理论: 

  ( 1 )政治是腐败的,越少参与越好;在不违背信仰原则下,基督徒应该作一个好公民,但是他们却不应该加入政府公职、或是去投票、去当兵。 

  ( 2 )神赐给政府和教会不同的权柄,基督徒可以同时对二者效忠,也可以为其一工作。不过却不应该将二者混淆,因为教会和政府各有所统,彼此分属不同的范畴,一个属灵,一个属世。二者可以彼此互相补足,却不能够在组织上互相合作。 

  ( 3 )基督徒有责任改善政府的情况。他们可以通过参政,选举基督徒或有高尚品德又坚持原则的领袖。他们也可以参与社会不同的层面的各项工作和活动,建立道德的榜样,发挥好的影响力。认为政府和教会能共同为人民的利益彼此衷诚合作。 

  以上三种看法,没有一种鼓吹跟政府对抗,或采取不服从政府命令和法律的态度,除非政府要求人民做一些明显跟神启示的道德原则相冲突的事情。无论我们在什么地方,都要作一个既负责任的基督徒又负责任的公民。 

  罗 13:3-4> 保罗在这里所说的,若能叫执法者读到就好了…… 

  13:3-4 执法者要是不公正,公民就只有生活在恐惧当中。在本节里,保罗指出执法者应该按着他的本分执行任务,只要他们秉公办事,循规蹈矩的百姓就没有什么值得惧怕的。 

  罗 13:8> 去爱,行出爱,是甘心的,保罗说成是因为我们都亏欠了人,我又何来亏欠了人? 

  13:8 为什么“惟有彼此相爱,要常以为亏欠”?对于基督为我们所付出的无尽的爱,我们永远都是一个负债者。惟一可以使我们稍做偿债的,就是我们尽力去爱其他人。因为基督的爱远超过我们所能付出的爱,所以我们永远有责任去爱别人。 

  罗 13:9> 努力去爱,只爱别人不爱己?那爱人如己该如何解释? 

  13:9 有些人也许误解,以为圣经禁止我们爱自己。如果真是这样的话,那么爱邻舍如同爱自己就变得毫无意义了。保罗肯定人必须自爱,即使你轻视自己,也不会任由自己忍受饥寒,总会努力为自己寻找衣食和栖身之所,尽量不让自己受到伤害。我们也要对邻舍施出同样的爱。爱人如己表示我们要努力争取让别人得到他们的基本需要。有趣的是,那些关心别人多于自己的人,很少有自卑的心态。 

  罗 13:10> 爱人如己只是一句话,我不用太认真去守,没有法律效力嘛…… 

  13:10 基督徒必须服从爱的律法(参雅 2:8-9 ; 4:11 ;彼前 2:16-17 ),这律法高于一切宗教和政府的法典。有些时候我们对别人袖手旁观,全是因为我们觉得自己没有法律上的义务去帮助他们;甚至有时我们会钻法律空隙、合法地伤害别人。但是在耶稣爱的律法里,却永远不会有漏洞的。爱要求我们做一些超越人类法律要求的行为,就是学习和效法神的爱。 

  罗 13:12-14> 行在黑夜中,披戴主基督,活出白昼样,保罗所说,我真能作? 

  13:12-14 “黑夜”是指现今邪恶的时代,“白昼”是指基督再来的时候。保罗为什么把争竞嫉妒、荒宴、醉酒和性罪行这些较明显又较严重的罪放在一起呢?像耶稣在登山宝训中(参太 5-7 章)所说的一样,保罗认为一个人的心态跟他的行为同样重要。如同仇恨引来谋杀,嫉妒引来争斗,情欲引来奸淫一样。当耶稣再来的时候,祂希望见到祂的子民表里一致,内外全都清洁无瑕。 

  罗 13:14> 听保罗的语气,披戴二字的含意可能极深,我认为是…… 

  13:14 我们怎么样“披戴”耶稣基督呢?首先,我们藉着洗礼表明与基督一起(参加 3:27 ),见证自己已经与基督同死、同葬、同复活。其次,我们体现出基督在地上的生活榜样,如爱、谦卑、真诚、服事等等。换句话说,我们在自己的生活中扮演基督的角色(参弗 4:24-32 ;西 3:10-17 )。再者,我们要控制我们的欲望,不要让它有机可乘,引诱我们去犯罪。