성경 주석서

이 장에서 우리는 세 가지 좋은 교훈을 배운다. 여기서 사도는 앞 장에서보다 자신의 교훈들을 더 폭넓게 부연하는데, 이는 그 교훈들을 한층 충분히 강조할 필요가 있음을 알았기 때문이다. I. 합법적 권세에 복종하라는 교훈, 롬 13:1-6. II. 우리의 형제들에게 정의와 사랑을 베풀라는 교훈, 롬 13:7-10. III. 우리 자신 안에서 절제와 경건을 지키라는 교훈, 롬 13:11-14.

민간 통치자들에게 복종할 것을 가르친다. 이는 민간 정부가 하나님의 정하신 질서에 따른 것이며, 합법적으로 세워진 권세를 거스르는 자들이 정죄를 받을 것이라는 사실에 근거한다. 로마서 13:1, 로마서 13:2. 순종하는 자들은 칭찬을 받을 것이다. 로마서 13:3. 합법적인 민간 통치자의 성격. 로마서 13:4. 복종의 필요성. 로마서 13:5. 합법적인 조세를 내는 일의 합당함. 로마서 13:6, 로마서 13:7. 그리스도인들은 서로 사랑해야 한다. 로마서 13:8-10. 시간의 짧음과 불확실성에서 하나님께 즉시 돌이켜야 할 필요가 증명된다. 로마서 13:11, 로마서 13:12. 이방인들이 하나님을 기쁘시게 하도록 어떻게 행해야 하며, 구원을 위하여 주 예수 그리스도로 어떻게 옷 입어야 하는가. 로마서 13:13, 로마서 13:14.

사도가 이 장에서 다루는 중요한 주제들을 얼마나 적절하게 도입하는지를 보려면, 당시 하나님의 교회가 처해 있던 상황에 관해 몇 가지 언급을 해 둘 필요가 있다.

일반적으로 이 서신은 주후 58년경, 곧 클라우디우스 황제가 모든 유대인을 로마에서 추방한 칙령을 내린 지 4년 또는 5년 뒤에 기록된 것으로 인정된다. 그리고 그 초기에는 그리스도인들이 대체로 유대인들과 혼동되었으므로, 이 칙령 안에 양쪽이 모두 포함되었을 가능성이 크다.

이 칙령이 무슨 이유로 내려졌는지는 만족스럽게 드러나지 않는다. 수에토니우스는 유대인들이 그들의 지도자 크레스투스 아래에서 계속 소요를 일으켰기 때문이라고 말한다. 사도행전 18:2 주석을 보라. 유대인들이 일반적으로 불안정하고 선동적인 백성이었다는 것은 그들 자신의 역사 전반에서 충분히 분명하다. 그들은 이방 정부에 대해 뿌리 깊은 반감을 가지고 있었다. 또한 세계가 이스라엘 사람들에게 주어졌고, 그들이 어디서나 최고 통치를 가져야 하며, 이방인들은 그들의 종속민이 되어야 한다는 것이 그들의 원칙이었다. 타고난 불안정성 위에 세워진 이런 정치 관념을 가지고 있었다면, 여러 경우에 그들이 로마 정부의 의심을 불러일으킨 것은 이상한 일이 아니다. 로마 정부는 도시의 평화와 안전에 위험하다고 여긴 사람들을 추방할 기회를 기꺼이 찾았을 것이다. 그러므로 테일러 박사와 함께, 그리스도인들도 자신들이 하나님의 특별한 백성이며 오직 그의 나라의 신민이라는 생각 아래서 그런 무질서하고 반역적인 정서에 감염될 위험이 있었다고 보는 것은 불합리하지 않다. 따라서 사도는 그들이 그리스도인으로서 가지는 영예와 특권에도 불구하고, 가장 강한 양심의 의무로 민간 정부에 복종해야 한다는 것을 보여 준다. 이 분별 있는 주석가는 다음과 같이 덧붙인다. “나는 사도가 이 주제를 다룬 놀라운 솜씨와 능숙함을 지적하지 않을 수 없다. 그의 글쓰기의 시야는 언제나 모든 점에서 포괄적이다. 그는 그 지시에서 유익을 얻을 가능성이 있는 모든 당사자를 생각과 교훈 속에 포함한다. 당시 그리스도교가 성장하고 있었고 세상의 권세들이 그것을 주목하기 시작했으므로, 이 편지가 로마 관리들의 손에 들어갈 가능성도 없지 않았다. 그리고 그런 일이 일어날 때마다, 그들이 그리스도교가 선동을 조장하는 것이 아님을 보아야 할 뿐 아니라, 자기들의 의무와 책무를 읽을 기회도 얻어야 하는 것이 마땅했다. 그러나 그들은 너무 교만하고 거만하여 자신들이 노골적이고 직접적인 방식으로 가르침을 받는 것을 허락하지 않았으므로, 사도는 능숙한 손길로 관리의 의무를 묘사하고 강하게 주입한다. 그는 백성을 위해 관리의 입장을 변론하고, 민간 정부에 대한 백성의 의무를 가장 확실하고 견고한 근거 위에 세우는 동안, 교묘하게 관리 편에 서서 선동적 원칙을 받아들였거나 정부에 어떤 소요를 일으키려 할 수 있는 백성에 맞서 그의 권세를 변호한다. 그리고 이 유리한 위치 아래에서 관리에게 민간 정부의 성격과 목적에 관해 훌륭하고도 긴밀한 강의를 들려준다. 전달 방식이 이처럼 교묘하고 흠잡을 데 없어서, 이 서신이 네로 자신에게 들어갔다 하더라도 그는 자기 의무가 분명히 제시된 것을 보지 않을 수 없었을 것이며, 한편으로는 비굴하거나 아첨하는 것을, 다른 한편으로는 공격적이거나 혐오스러운 것을 발견하지 못했을 것이다.

“주의 깊은 독자는 사도가 작은 범위 안에서 얼마나 능숙하고 진실하며 엄숙하게 관리 권위의 기초와 성격과 목적과 정당한 한계를 확언하고 설명하는지 보며 기뻐할 것이다. 그는 관리의 입장을 변론하면서 동시에 백성이 민간 정부에 대해 지고 있는 의무와 순종을 가르친다.” — 테일러 박사의 주석, 352쪽.

INTRODUCTION TO Romans 13

The principal things contained in this chapter, enjoined the saints, are the duties of subjection to magistrates, love to one another, and to all men, and temperance and chastity in themselves: it begins with duties relating to the civil magistrates, requiring obedience of everyone unto them, Romans 13:1, and that for these reasons, because the civil magistracy, or government, is by divine appointment; wherefore to obey them in things of a civil nature, is to obey God; and to resist them is to resist God; and also because of the pernicious consequence of such resistance, damnation to themselves, Romans 13:2, for the magistrate not only causes terror by penal laws, but he inflicts punishment on delinquents, and is the executioner of God's wrath and vengeance on such, Romans 13:3, and likewise because of the profit and advantage to obedient subjects; such not only have the good will and esteem of their rulers, and are commended by them, but are defended and protected in their persons and properties, Romans 13:3, moreover, the apostle enforces the necessity of subjection to them, not only in order to avoid punishment, but to answer a good conscience; this duty being according to the light of nature, and the dictates of a natural conscience; which if awake, must be uneasy with a contrary behaviour, Romans 13:5, and for the same reason he urges the payment of tribute to them, as well as on account of the reasonableness of it, taken from magistrates spending their time, and using their talents, in an attendance on the service of the public, Romans 13:6, and which is further confirmed by the general rule of justice and equity, or of doing that which is just and right to everyone, of which particulars are given, Romans 13:7, and then after a general exhortation to pay all sorts of debts owing to superiors, inferiors, or equals, the apostle passes to the debt of love owing to one another, and to all mankind; which is exhorted to on this consideration, that the performance of it is a fulfilling the law, Romans 13:8, which is proved, by showing that the several precepts of the law, of which an enumeration is given, are reducible to, and are included in love to our neighbours as ourselves, Romans 13:9, and since it is the nature of love not to work ill, but to do good to the neighbour, the conclusion follows, that it must be as asserted, that love is the fulfilment of the law, and ought by all means to be attended to, as a principal duty of religion, Romans 13:10, next the apostle proceeds to exhort the saints to a watchful, chaste, sober, and temperate course of life; as being perfectly agreeable to the privileges they enjoyed, to the present condition they were in, and to that future state of happiness they were in expectation of: he exhorts to be watchful and sober, and not indulge sleep and slothfulness, in consideration of the time in which they were, and with which they were acquainted, it being not night, but day; at least the one was wearing off, and the other coming on; the time of life being short, and the day of salvation approaching nearer and nearer, Romans 13:11, wherefore such actions should be done, as are agreeable to the day, and not the night, to light, and not darkness; and particularly such works of darkness are dissuaded from, which are contrary to temperance and sobriety, as rioting, and drunkenness; and to chastity, as chambering: and wantonness; and to peace and concord, as strife and envying, which frequently follow upon the former: and the chapter is concluded with an exhortation to faith in Christ, and an imitation of him, expressed in a figurative way by a metaphor, taken from the putting on of garments; and with a dehortation from an immoderate provision for the flesh, so as to promote, excite, and cherish, the lusts of it, Romans 13:13.

J. SUBJECTION TO “THE POWERS THAT BE” (Ch. 13)

The following extract from Thomas Scott’s remarks on Romans 13 is full of strong sense and clear statement:—

“Perhaps nothing involves greater difficulties, in very many instances, than to ascertain to whom, either individually or collectively, the authority justly belongs … If then, the most learned and intelligent men find insuperable difficulties … respecting this subject, how shall the bulk of the people be able to decide it? And if Christians are first to determine concerning the right by which their rulers possess and exercise authority, before they think themselves bound to obedience, they must very commonly indeed be engaged in opposition to ‘the existing authorities.’ But the Apostle’s design was to mark out the plain path of duty to Christians, however circumstanced.… Submission in all things lawful [i.e., not forbidden by the Supreme Divine Authority] to ‘the existing authorities’ is our duty at all times and in all cases; though in civil convulsions, and amid great revolutions, or sudden changes in governments, there may frequently, for a season, be a difficulty in determining which are … ‘the existing authorities.’ ”

CHAPTER 13.

There is not a word to indicate how the transition is made from the discussion of the duties of Christians as members of one body, especially the duties of humility and love in chap. 12, to the special subject which meets us in chap. 13—the duty of Christians in relation to the civil authorities. There is nothing exactly like Romans 13:1-7 elsewhere in Paul’s epistles, and it is difficult not to believe that he had some particular reason for treating the question here. The Christians in Rome, though mainly Gentile, as this epistle proves, were closely connected with the Jews, and the Jews were notoriously bad subjects. Many of them held, on the ground of Deuteronomy 17:15, that to acknowledge a Gentile ruler was itself sinful; and the spirit which prompted Pharisees to ask, Is it lawful to give tribute to Cæsar or not? Shall we give or shall we not give? (Mark 12:14) had no doubt its representatives in Rome also. As believers in the Messiah, “in another King, one Jesus” (Acts 17:7), even Christians of Gentile origin may have been open to the impulses of this same spirit; and unbalanced minds, then as in all ages, might be disposed to find in the loyalty which was due to Christ alone, an emancipation from all subjection to inferior powers. There is here an apparent point of contact between Christianity and anarchism, and it may have been the knowledge of some such movement of mind in the Church at Rome that made Paul write as he did. There is perhaps nothing in the passage which is not already given in our Lord’s word, “Render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and to God the things that are God’s”; yet nothing can be more worthy of admiration than the soberness with which a Christian idealist like Paul lays down the Divine right of the state. The use made of the passage to prove the duty of “passive obedience,” or “the right divine of kings to govern wrong,” is beside the mark; the Apostle was not thinking of such things at all. What is in his mind is that the organisation of human society, with its distinction of higher and lower ranks, is essential for the preservation of moral order, and therefore, one might add, for the existence of the Kingdom of God itself; so that no Christian is at liberty to revolt against that organisation. The state is of God, and the Christian has to recognise its Divine right in the persons and requirements in which it is presented to him: that is all. Whether in any given case—say in England in 1642—the true representative of the State was to be found in the king or in the Commons, Paul, of course, does not enable us to say. Neither does he say anything bearing on the Divine right of insurrection. When he wrote, no doubt, Nero had not yet begun to rage against the Christians, and the imperial authorities had usually protected the Apostle himself against popular violence, whether Jewish or pagan; but even of this we must not suppose him to be taking any special account. He had, indeed, had other experiences (Acts 16:37, 2 Corinthians 11:25 ff.). But the whole discussion presupposes normal conditions: law and its representatives are of God, and as such are entitled to all honour and obedience from Christians.

CHAPTER 13

Romans 13:1. ἀπό] Lachm. and Tisch. 8 : ὑπό, which Griesb. also approved, according to preponderant evidence. But ἀπό also retains considerable attestation (D* E* F G, min., Or. Theodoret, Dam.), and may easily have been displaced by a ὑπό written on the margin from the following. After οὖσαι Elz. has ἐξουσίαι, which, according to a preponderance of evidence, has been justly omitted since Griesb. as a supplement; and τοῦ also before the following Θεοῦ is too feebly attested.

Romans 13:3. τῷ ἀγαθῷ ἔργῳ, ἀλλὰ τῷ κακῷ] commended by Griesb., adopted by Lachm., Tisch., Fritzsche, according to A B D* F G P א, 6. 67**, several VSS., and Fathers. But Elz., Matth., Scholz have τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων, ἀλλὰ τῶν κακῶν. A presumed emendation in case and number.

Romans 13:5. ἀνάγκη ὑποτάσσεσθαι] D E F G, Goth. It. Guelph. Ir. have merely ὑποτάσσεσθε. Commended by Griesb. A marginal gloss, as the reading ἀνάγκη (or ἀνάγκῃ) ὑποτάσσεσθε (Lect. 7, 8, Aug., Beda, Vulg.: necessitate subditi estote; so Luther) plainly shows.

Romans 13:7. οὖν] is wanting in A B D* א*, 67**, Copt. Sahid. Vulg. ms. Tol. Damasc. Cypr. Aug. Ruf. Cassiod. Omitted by Lachm., Tisch., Fritzsche. Rightly; for there was no ground for its omission, whereas by its insertion the logical connection was established.

Romans 13:9. After κλέψεις Elz. has οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις, against decisive evidence. Inserted with a view to completeness.

ἐν τῷ] bracketed by Lachm., is wanting in BFG, Vulg. It. and Latin Fathers. But its striking appearance of superfluousness might so readily prompt its omission, that this evidence is too weak.

Romans 13:11. The order ἤδη ἡμᾶς is decisively supported. So rightly Lachm. and Tisch. 8. Yet the latter has instead of ἡμᾶς: ὑμᾶς, according to A B C P א*, min. Clem., which, however, appeared more suitable to εἰδότες and more worthy of the apostle.

Romans 13:12. καὶ ἐνδυς.] Lachm. and Tisch.: ἐνδυς. δέ, which also Griesb. approved, according to important witnesses; but it would be very readily suggested by the preceding adversative connection.

롬 13:1-14.

같은 주제의 계속--정치적·사회적 관계와 동기.

1, 2. 각 사람은--너희 각 사람은

위에 있는 권세들에게 복종하라--또는 "자기 위에 있는 권위들에게 자신을 복종시키라".

권세는 없나니--"권위는 없다"

하나님께로부터 나지 않음이 없고 모든 권세는 하나님께서 정하신 바라--"하나님께서 정하신 것이다."