Poslanica Rimljanima 13

Poslušnost vlastima

1 Budite poslušni vlastima jer ih je Bog postavio. Nema te vlasti koju nije Bog postavio.2 Zato tko se suprotstavlja zakonima neke zemlje, suprotstavlja se Božjoj odredbi te sam na sebe navlači osudu.3 Jer vlasti se ne boje ljudi koji čine dobro, nego oni koji čine zlo. Ako se ne želiš bojati vlasti, čini dobro pa ćeš od njih dobiti i pohvalu.4 Vlasti nam je Bog dao da nam budu od pomoći. Zato se boj ako činiš zlo jer one služe da kazne ljude koji gnjeve Boga time što čine zlo.

5 Zato im budi poslušan da ne budeš kažnjen i da ti savjest bude čista.
6 Zato i poreze plaćajte jer službenici vlasti obavljaju posao koji im je Bog namijenio.

7 Svakome dajte što mu dugujete: poreznicima porez, carinicima carinu, a poštovanje i čast ljudima kojima ih dugujete.

Zakon ljubavi

8 Ne ostajte nikome dužni osim da volite jedni druge. Taj dug nikada ne možete potpuno isplatiti. Volite li bližnje, ispunit ćete sve odredbe Božjega zakona.9 Zaista, "Ne učini preljub", "Ne ubij", "Ne ukradi", "Ne poželi" i ima li još koja zapovijed, sadržana je u ovim riječima: "Ljubi svojega bližnjega kao samoga sebe!"

10 Ljubav prema bližnjemu ne čini zla. Ona potpuno ispunjava sve Božje odredbe.
11 Još jedan razlog da živite kako valja je taj što znate da vrijeme istječe. Probudimo se jer nam je čas spasenja bliže nego kad smo uzvjerovali.12 Noć je gotovo na izmaku, dan spasenja se približio. Nemojmo zato živjeti u tami i ne činimo zla djela! Svucimo ih kao prljavu odjeću i odjenimo se u oklop pravednog života, živeći u svjetlosti.13 Živimo pristojno kao ljudi koji žive na svjetlu dana - bez razuzdanih zabava i opijanja, bez preljuba i razvrata, bez svađe i ljubomore!

14 Obucite se radije u Gospodina Isusa Krista i ne ugađajte požudama brinući se za tijelo.

Romans 13

Submission to Civil Government

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment,t and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God.2 So the person who resists such authorityt resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment3 (for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation,4 for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer.5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath of the authoritiest but also because of your conscience.t6 For this reason you also pay taxes, for the authoritiest are God’s servants devoted to governing.t

7 Pay everyone what is owed: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

Exhortation to Love Neighbors

8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.9 For the commandments,t “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet,”s (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”s

10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Motivation to Godly Conduct

11 And do thist because we knowt the time, that it is already the hour for us to awake from sleep, for our salvation is now nearer than when we became believers.12 The night has advanced toward dawn; the day is near. So then we must lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light.13 Let us live decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in discord and jealousy.

14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires.t