Romans 13 10

Romans 13:10 kjv

Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Romans 13:10 nkjv

Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Romans 13:10 niv

Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Romans 13:10 esv

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Romans 13:10 nlt

Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God's law.

Romans 13 verses

Romans 13 10 Meaning

Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. This verse emphasizes that love, particularly the sacrificial and action-oriented love commanded by Christ, is the ultimate expression and completion of all divine laws. It is not merely an emotion but a principle of action that intrinsically prevents wrongdoing towards others, thus satisfying the core intent of God's commandments.

Romans 13 10 Context

Romans 13 begins by instructing believers to submit to governing authorities, viewing them as instituted by God for the maintenance of order and the punishment of evildoers. This submission is a practical outworking of Christian living within society. The instruction to "owe no man anything except to love one another" (Romans 13:8) directly precedes verse 10. This transition sets up love as the primary and ever-present debt believers owe, surpassing all other obligations, including financial ones. Verse 10 then expounds on this, clarifying that fulfilling the law's demands inherently means practicing love, as love naturally opposes and negates actions that harm others. The broader context of Romans is to explain the gospel and its implications for both Jewish and Gentile believers, emphasizing righteous living as a result of faith in Christ.

Romans 13 10 Word Analysis

• Ἀγάπη (agápē): Love. This is not mere sentimentality but a volitional, sacrificial love, an active benevolence that seeks the highest good of the other. It is the defining characteristic of God and His people.
• οὐδὲν (ouden): Nothing. Emphatically states the absence of any negative action towards a neighbor.
• κακὸν (kakon): Evil, harm, injury, wrongdoing. It signifies that love actively abstains from causing any detrimental effect on another person.
• ποιεῖ (poiei): Does, makes, commits. Highlights the active nature of love; it performs good rather than evil.
• τῷ (tō): To the. Dative case indicating the recipient of the action.
• πλησίον (plēsion): Neighbor. Refers to any human being, particularly fellow believers, but broadly extended to all people within one's sphere of influence.
• πλήρωμα (plērōma): Fulfillment, completion. This suggests that love not only adheres to the law but completely satisfies its requirements and brings it to its intended perfection.
• νόμου (nomou): Of the law. Refers to the divine law, specifically the Mosaic Law as summarized by Jesus and applied to Christian conduct.

Words-Group Analysis

• "Love does no harm to a neighbor": This phrase succinctly encapsulates the ethical outcome of genuine love. It asserts that an action rooted in agape cannot, by its very nature, inflict suffering, injustice, or any form of injury on another person. This implies that all commandments against harmful actions are met when love is properly expressed.
• "therefore love is the fulfillment of the law": This is the logical conclusion drawn from the preceding statement. If love naturally prevents harm, and much of the law prohibits harm, then love effectively fulfills the essence and intent of the entire law. It highlights love as the singular, unifying principle that underpins and completes all other ethical and ceremonial requirements.

Romans 13 10 Bonus Section

The concept of love fulfilling the law is a recurring theme throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament, passages like Leviticus 19:18 ("You shall love your neighbor as yourself") provide the foundation. Jesus himself identifies this as the second greatest commandment, closely related to the first: loving God with all one's heart (Matthew 22:39). Paul's writings consistently emphasize that the Holy Spirit enables believers to walk according to God's will, producing the fruit of love (Galatians 5:22). Therefore, fulfilling the law through love is not a legalistic effort but a supernatural work of the Spirit in the lives of believers. This emphasizes that outward conformity to rules without internal love is insufficient; true fulfillment comes from a transformed heart empowered by God's love.

Romans 13 10 Commentary

Romans 13:10 provides a powerful distillation of the Christian ethical imperative. The Apostle Paul, having established the believer's obligation to civil authorities, turns to the mutual obligations among believers and society at large. He posits that love is not just a guideline but the very essence of fulfilled law. When believers truly love their neighbors as themselves—embodying Christ's selfless love—they inherently refrain from murder, theft, adultery, bearing false witness, coveting, and all other acts that constitute wronging another. This is the principle that underpins the Great Commandment. The law, therefore, finds its ultimate purpose and completion not in rigid adherence to outward rules, but in the inward disposition and outward manifestation of love. This means that true spiritual maturity is marked by an increasing capacity to love, which in turn demonstrates a proper relationship with God's law. Love for God and love for neighbor are intrinsically linked; one cannot fulfill the law's intent without exhibiting both.