Name: Leonardo Choi Date: 06-29-2014

NT 5212: Greek Exegesis III

Exegesis Worksheet
Text: Romans 13:1-7
Syntax Diagram
Pasa yuch\ exousiai uJperecou/sai uJpotassesqw. (main clause: commandment)
ouj gar estin exousia ei mh\ uJpo\ qeouv, (main clause: reason)
ai de ousai uJpo\ qeouv tetagmenai eisin. (main clause: coordinate)
wste oJ antitasso/meno thv exousia thv touv qeouv diataghv
anqesthken, (sub: result)
oi de anqesthko/te eautoi krima lh/myontai. (sub: coordinate)
oi gar arconte oujk eisin fo/bo tw agaqw ergw (sub: reason)
alla tw kakw. (sub: adversative)
qelei de mh\ fobeisqai th\n exousian: (sub: coordinate)
to\ agaqo\n poiei, (sub: commandment)
kai exei epainon ex aujthv: (sub: result)
qeouv gar diakono/ estin soi ei to\ agaqo/n. (sub: reason)
ean de to\ kako\n poihv, fobouv: (sub: conditional, adversative)
ouj gar eikhv th\n macairan forei: (sub: reason)
qeouv gar diakono/ estin ekdiko ei ojrgh\n tw to\ kako\n
prassonti. (sub: reason)
dio\ anagkh uJpotassesqai, ouj mo/non dia th\n ojrgh\n (sub2: purpose)
alla kai dia th\n suneidhsin. (sub2: adversative, purpose)
dia touvto gar kai fo/rou teleite: (main clause: reason)
leitourgoi gar qeouv eisin ei aujto\ touvto proskarterouvnte. (sub: reason)
apo/dote pasin ta ojfeila, (sub: commandment)
tw to\n fo/ron to\n fo/ron, (sub: commandment)
tw to\ telo to\ telo, (sub: commandment)
tw to\n fo/bon to\n fo/bon, (sub: commandment)
tw th\n timh\n th\n timh/n. (sub: commandment)


Context
Previously, in Romans 12:14-21, Paul is talking about the import of not returning bad to those
who do evil to us, because the Lord is the one would do justice to us. This passage shows us that
the authorities are Gods appointed to exercise justice in his place. Therefore we need to
eliminate any kind of desire to do justice by our hands. This is connected with the following
verses in the commandment of loving each other (Rom 13:8-10)
Translation
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.
For no authority exists as such except by Gods appointment,
and the authorities which are have been ordained by God.
Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed,
and those who resist will incur judgment.
For rulers are not a terror to good conduct,
but to bad.
Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority?
Do what is good,
and you will receive his approval
for he is Gods servant for your good.
But, if you do wrong, fear;
for it is not to no purpose that it is armed with the sword;
for it is Gods minister, an agent of punishment for wrath to him who does evil.
Therefore there is a necessity to be subject not just by reason of the wrath
but also by reason of conscience.
For it is for this reason that you do actually pay tribute:
for, when they busy themselves earnestly with this very matter, they are Gods servants.
Render to all that which it is your obligation to render them,
to him to whom you owe tribute tribute,
to him to who you owe indirect tax indirect tax,
to him to who you owe fear fear,
to him to who you owe honor honor.

Major Exegetical Comments
Pasa yuch\ every person, a semitic expression (kol nepes)
uJpotassesqw pres, pass, imp, 3sg
ousai pres, part, fem, pl, nom
tetagmenai perf, mid, ptc, fem, pl, nom
anqesthken perf, act, ind, 3sg
anqesthko/te perf, act, ptc, masc, pl, nom
lh/myontai fut, mid, ind, 3pl
fobeisqai inf, pres, mid/pass
exei fut, ind, act, 2sg
uJpotassesqai pres, mid/pass, inf
apo/dote aor, act, imper, 2pl
dia touvto refers backward, not forward (Cranfield, 668)

Word Study
exousia, -a
2 Kgs 20:13; Ps 113(114):2; 135(136),8. 9; Prv 17:14 power, authority 1 Ezr 4:28;
control over [tino] Ps 135(136):8; permission [+inf.] 1 Mc 11:58; office, magistracy Dn
3:2; <ai> exousiai (the) authorities (personification of invisible, angelic powers)
Dn
LXX
7:27
--A Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint
1849.
1. power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases; leave or permission
2. physical and mental power; the ability or strength with which one is endued, which he
either possesses or exercises:
3. the power of authority (influence) and of right
4. the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must
be submitted to by others and obeyed
--Thayer

1. freedom of choice, right to act, decide, or dispose of ones property as one
wishes
2. ability to do someth., capability, might, power
3. authority, absolute power, warrant
4. the power exercised by rulers or others in high position by virtue of their office.
a. ruling power, official power
b. the domain in which the power is exercised
c. the bearers of the authority
1. human authorities, officials, government
2. rulers and functionaries of the spirit world
--BDAG, 277-8.

Other Exegetical I ssues
A) Obeying our authorities
The command to obey the authorities balances the command to avoid private vengeance in
Romans 12:19-21 (Romans 13:1-7 has often suffered from being detached from its context but it
means what it means precisely here). When Paul says in 12:19 (quoting Deut 32:25) that
vengeance belongs to the one God, and then so soon afterwards that this creator God has given
civic authorities the task of exercising vengeance (the same word) on wrongdoers, it is clear that
the two go together. Anarchy encourages vigilante movements, as people take the law into their
own hands, either from a general fear or from anger against perceived and unpunished offence or
attack. The alternative is some kind of structure of authority; whether or not the authorities are
doing their job, it is vital for normal human life, and particularly normal Christian life, that they
are there and carry that responsibility. (N.T. Wright, Paul and the faithfulness of God, 1303)

B) Romans 13:3-4
The difficulty is that Paul seems to take no account of the possibility of the governments being
unjust and punishing the good work and praising the evil. One possible explanation is that Paul
means that consciously or unconsciously, willingly or unwillingly, in one way or another, the
power will praise the good work and punish the evil. The promise of v.3 is absolute: The
Christian, in so far as he is obeying the gospel, may be sure that the power will honour him. It
may indeed intend to punish him, but its intended punishment will then turn out to be praise. It
may take his life, but in so doing it will but confer a crown of glory. On the other hand, if he
does evil, it must needs punishment, though it may be by shameful honours or a false security.
(Cranfield, 664-5)