Thoughts on Romans 13:8-10

Thoughts on Romans 13:8-10 by John W. Ritenbaugh

"Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. (9) For the commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, ou shall not covet,
and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (10) Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

Paul presents us with an interesting paradox. On one hand, he says that we should owe no man anything that he can rightfully claim from us. But on the other hand, we must owe everyone more than we can hope to pay, that is, perfect love.

He extends and intensifies the concept of obligation. We must be more scrupulous within the limits of the common idea of indebtedness, and also infinitely widen the range within which it operates.

Did not our failure to meet our obligations to God and man accrue for us an unpayable debt? Now that the debt has been paid, we are obliged not only to strive to avoid further indebtedness, but also to expand and perfect the giving of love which Christ paid to satisfy our debt.

This paradox is apparent because love is not an added duty but the inclusive framework within which all duties should be done. Love is the motivating power that frees and enables us to serve and sacrifice with largeness of heart and generosity of spirit.

If we view love as just the keeping of God's laws, we are stuck on a low-level, letter-of-the-law approach to righteousness. Do not misunderstand, keeping God's law is a necessary aspect of love, but love is far more complex.

Commandment keeping is compulsory and can be done in an attitude that concludes, "I must love the person, but I don't have to like him."

Drawing upon Christ's teaching, Paul gives an entirely new significance to the idea of our obligation to like our fellow man and to love him as Jesus loves him.