Advent · The First Sunday in Advent
Romans 13:8-10 (11-14)
Love, for the Day is Near
November 30, 2025
Overview & Insights
“Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Romans 13:10)
Romans 13:8–14 resumes Paul’s discussion about Christian love in 12:9–21. At the same time, 13:8–14 anticipates Paul’s challenge to the Roman Christians to love one another in 14:1–15:13. Romans 13:8–14 divides into two sections: the ethic of love (vv. 8–10) and the dawning of the eschaton (vv. 11–14). The two paragraphs are closely related: love is the power of the age to come, the stipulation of the new covenant; only it, not the law, can overcome the flesh of this present evil age. I outline these two sections in this way: 1. The ethic of love (13:8–10) a. The fulfillment of the law and the presence of the new covenant (13:8, 10) b. Love is the fulfillment of the law in the way it treats one’s neighbor (13:8–10) 2. The dawning of the age to come (13:11–14) a. The indicative of the age to come (13:11–12a) b. The imperative needed for the present evil age (13:12b–14)
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Commentary
Commentary on Romans 13:8-14 - Working Preacher Working Preacher
The exact verses carry an RCL commentary (Proper 18), so this Luther Seminary reading of love as the law's fulfillment applies directly.
Romans 13:8-14 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching
A Reformed preaching commentary on owing no one anything but love and waking from sleep as the day draws near.
Romans 13 Commentary: Love Fulfills the Law, Verse by Verse Enduring Word · David Guzik
David Guzik unpacks the debt of love, the summed commandments, and putting on the armor of light.
Romans 13:8 Commentaries BibleHub
Classic commentators compared side by side on owing nothing but to love one another.
Background & Word Study
Romans 13:8 Interlinear BibleHub
Greek text with parsing for the language of debt, love, and the fulfilling of the law.
Living Under the Power of God (Romans 13) | Theology of Work Theology of Work
How 'put on the Lord Jesus Christ' and the debt of love reshape everyday life and work.
Overview: Romans 5-16 | Watch an Overview Video BibleProject
BibleProject's walk-through of Paul's argument as it turns to the new-creation life lived in the light of the coming day.
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
Why is Romans 13 an Advent reading?
Paul calls the church to wake from sleep, for salvation is nearer than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand, so we put on Christ and walk in love.
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