World English Bible · Under Rome
Romans 13
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Let every be in subjection to the higher , for there is no except from , and those who exist are ordained by . Therefore he who resists the withstands the of ; and those who withstand will receive to themselves . For are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you to have no fear of the ? Do that which is good, and you will have from the , for he is a to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn't bear in ; for he is a , an for to him who does evil. Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the , but also for ' sake. For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of , continually doing this very thing. Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if , then . Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled . For , "You shall not ," "You shall not ," "You shall not steal," "You shall not ," and whatever other there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love doesn't harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of . Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for is now nearer to us than when we first . The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let's therefore throw off the deeds of , and let's put on the armor of . Let's walk properly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and lustful acts, and not in strife and . But put on , and make no provision for , for its lusts.
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.