Romans 13:8

• The idea of obligation connects 13:1–7 and 13:8–10. Christians should “pay everyone what you owe him” (13:7). At the same time, Christians always owe love to their neighbors.

• Be indebted to no one: Debt is not wrong, but Christians should avoid it. If a Christian does incur debt, it should be repaid promptly. This allows the believer to remain free to serve others in love (see Proverbs 22:7).

• to one another in love: Christians are called to love all people they encounter (Romans 12:14–21; Luke 10:25–37). However, this phrase especially emphasizes the love that each Christian owes to other Christians.

• has fulfilled the law: This teaching closely follows the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 22:34–40.

These verses explain how Christians should treat other people. True love for others will be shown through actions that follow God’s commandments about human relationships.

This section of Romans explains the moral and ethical demands of the gospel. God’s gift of salvation in Christ calls for a response from believers.

God not only forgives sin. He also wants to transform how people live.

Much of what Paul teaches here about the moral duties of believers also appears in his other letters. However, Paul also addresses issues that were especially important for the church in Rome. One key issue was the disagreement between people who were weak in faith and people who were strong in faith(14:1–15:13).