Ep 261: The Christology of Romans and Romans 13

In this episode I explore the Christology of Romans and explain how it must condition our reading of Romans 13:1-7. I discuss how many interpreters correctly read Romans 13 within the context of Romans 12 but fail to account for the wider context of Romans, Paul’s other letters, or his historical context. I argue that the high Christology of Romans, in which Paul unequivocally proclaims Jesus as the promised Davidic Messiah who, by virtue of his death, resurrection, and ascension, currently rules over all creation, must condition our reading of Romans 13. I examine five passages, including Romans 1:1-5, 15:7-12, 16:25-27, 8:31-34, and 10:9, in which Paul makes sweeping claims about the universal, objective, and historical lordship of Jesus, and how his gospel results in faithfulness and obedience to him as king. There is no legitimate reading or Romans 13 that does not account for that high, royal Christology and I offer a reflection on how it helps us to better contextualize Romans 13.  Media Referenced:Government as God’s Servant: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-243-government-is-gods-servant-romans-13-isaiah-10-and-jeremiah-25/ Revisiting Romans 13: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-210-revisiting-romans-13/ 1 Cor. 2:6-8: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-257-the-rulers-of-this-age-are-passing-away-1-corinthians-26-8/ Ascension in Ephesians: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-248-far-above-all-rule-and-authority-ephesians-115-23/ Matthew Bates: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/the-gospel-and-allegiance-to-king-jesus-with-matthew-bates/ Teresa Morgan: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-164-atonement-trust-and-reconciliation-with-teresa-morgan/ The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com.Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at [email protected].  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod, and YouTube, @ProLibertyPod, where you will get shorts and other exclusive video content. For more about the show, you can go to theprotestantlibertarianpodcast.com. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Go to libertarianchristians.com, where you can donate to LCI and buy The Protestant Libertarian Podcast Merch! Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the show’s profile! Thanks!