Be Subject to Governing Authorities

¹Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities who exist are established by God.

²Therefore whoever resists such authority opposes the ordinance of God, and those who oppose will receive judgment on themselves.

³For rulers cause no fear for good conduct, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of one in authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the authority,

⁴because they function as God’s deacon for you to do good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid, for it doesn’t bear the sword in vain. It is a deacon of God, an avenger for wrath to the one who does evil.

⁵Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also because of conscience.

⁶For this reason y’all also pay taxes, for they are God’s servants, continually doing this very thing.

⁷Therefore y’all pay everyone what is due to them: if taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Love Y’all’s Neighbor

⁸Y’all must not owe anything to anyone, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

⁹For the commandments, “You must not commit adultery,” “You must not murder,” “You must not steal,” “You must not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[#Exodus 20:13-15,17; Deuteronomy 5:17-19,21; #Leviticus 19:18]

¹⁰Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

¹¹Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for y’all to awaken from sleep, for our salvation is now nearer than when we started believing.

¹²The night is far gone, and the day is near. So let us put away the deeds of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

¹³Let us walk properly as in the day, not in hard partying and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and promiscuity, and not in quarreling and jealousy.

¹⁴But y’all are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and makef no provision for the desires of the flesh.