Summary
The chapter opens with a declaration that all authority comes from God and commands believers to submit to those in power, warning that resistance invites condemnation. It explains that rulers are meant to punish evil, not good, and that obeying them protects conscience as well as avoids wrath. The text then instructs to pay tribute, honor, and respect those in authority, yet reminds that ultimately all should owe only love to one another. The law is summed up as loving one's neighbour, with love described as the fulfillment of all commandments. The passage shifts to a spiritual exhortation to awaken from spiritual sleep, cast off darkness, and don the armour of light. It calls for honest living, free from drunkenness, idleness, and strife, and encourages believers to clothe themselves in Christ, restraining fleshly desires.