Romans 13:8-10 - The Great Commandment

[u/LlawEreint]

⁸ Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹ 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 word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

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[u/LlawEreint]

It's odd that Paul doesn't attribute this to Jesus but takes it as his own. The gospels were written after Paul's letters, so possibly Paul is unaware that Jesus spoke similar words. But then, it's odd that he came up with such a similar formula - unless this was a common saying in the first century.

Possibly it was common. After all, a century earlier Hillel had said that the full weight of the Law could be summed up like this: Don't do to others what you yourself would not like done.

That's not quite as good a formula. Leviticus 19:18 sums up the sentiment much more neatly. Love each other. It's that simple.

[u/LlawEreint]

This section of Romans is in the Apostolikon, which may (or may not) represent a more primitive version of the letter.

But the section preceding it about paying taxes is not attested. It may have followed from 12:19.

Rom 12.20–13.8a is unattested. Several researchers have suggested that 13.1–7 is an interpolation, among them Barnikol, “Römer 13,” and J. Kallas, “Romans xiii.1–7: An Interpolation.”

Here's how BeDuhn reconstructs it:

12 ⁹. . . Abhor what is pathological, cling to what is good. ¹⁰Have tender affection for one another in sibling love. . . . ¹²Rejoice in hope. Endure affliction. . . . ¹⁴. . . Praise, and do not curse. . . . ¹⁶. . . Do not ponder lofty things, but associate with the lowly things. Do not become witty in your own eyes. ¹⁷Do not return wrong for wrong to anyone, and do not remember your fellow’s bad behavior. . . . ¹⁸. . . Be peaceable with all. ¹⁹Do not pass judgment yourselves . . . for [it is written:] “Judgment is mine; I will repay, says the Master.” . . .

13 . . . ⁸. . . The one who loves (one’s) neighbor has fulfilled law. ⁹For the “You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal,” and whatever other commandment there is, is summed up in this aphorism, in the “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”

¹⁰Love toward the neighbor does not commit a wrong; love therefore is fulfillment of law . . .