The Father's Order in Governing Authority
13 1 Let every person submit to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from our Father, and those that exist have been established by our Father. 2 So whoever resists the authority is opposing what our Father has appointed, and those who oppose will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval. 4 For he is our Father's servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is our Father's servant, an agent of justice who carries out punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore you must submit, not only to avoid punishment but also for the sake of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are our Father's ministers, devoting themselves to this very thing. 7 Pay everyone what you owe them: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
Love Fulfills the Law
8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one 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 covet" — and any other commandment are summed up in this one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11 And do this, understanding the present time: the hour has already come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the sinful nature, to gratify its desires.