Romans 13:14 Explained in Context

Selected verse

Verse 14. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions

Quick Meaning

This verse commands putting on Jesus Christ and refusing plans that feed fleshly desire, without shaming ordinary bodily care.

Read It With

Romans 13:8–14

Read Romans 13:14 with 13:8–14. This verse commands putting on Jesus Christ and refusing plans that feed fleshly desire, without shaming ordinary bodily care. The complete unit establishes: Love fulfills law by doing no harm, and eschatological wakefulness takes embodied shape in Christlike conduct rather than indulgent rivalry.

Why This Verse Appears Here

The unit supplies the deepest motivation and boundary for the civic paragraph before it. Within that movement, this verse commands putting on Jesus Christ and refusing plans that feed fleshly desire, without shaming ordinary bodily care.

Follow the Context

The continuing debt is mutual love.
Neighbor-love sums commands by refusing harm.
The approaching day summons wakefulness, honorable conduct, and putting on Christ.

What This Verse Is Not Saying

Owe nothing does not forbid responsible credit, mutual aid, or assistance to people in debt.

What Remains True

This verse commands putting on Jesus Christ and refusing plans that feed fleshly desire, without shaming ordinary bodily care. This supports the unit's enduring claim: Love fulfills law by doing no harm, and eschatological wakefulness takes embodied shape in Christlike conduct rather than indulgent rivalry.

How It Can Shape Life

For Romans 13:14, preserve this contribution in practice: commands putting on Jesus Christ and refusing plans that feed fleshly desire, without shaming ordinary bodily care. Evaluate civic, sexual, economic, and communal conduct by concrete harm and active neighbor-love.

Teach It Back

Explain Romans 13:14 inside Romans 13:8–14, including its role, the surrounding movement, one material uncertainty, and one use the unit rejects.

Explain the verse in context

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Continue in Context

The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.

Read Romans 13:8–14 — Love Fulfills Law as the Day Approaches

Sources used for this Verse Lens

How certain is this explanation? probable

Where care is needed

Owe no one anything may concern unpaid obligations rather than banning all lending; make no provision for flesh does not forbid ordinary bodily care.

These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.

Biblical text

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society

USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.

Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.

Exact location: Romans 13:8–14, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus

Open source ↗

Greek textual evidence

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition

Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos

Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010

Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, and base text for original-language discussion.

Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/Rom.txt, 13:8–14

Open the Romans Greek text file ↗

Translation and textual notes

NET Bible - Romans with translators' and textual notes

Biblical Studies Press

Biblical Studies Press, 2005-2026 online edition

Supports: Verse-level syntax, KJV-era wording, material variants, and interpretive alternatives.

Exact location: NET Bible official Romans chapter print view, 13:8–14, translation and attached translator, study, and textual notes

Open NET Romans 13 notes

modern open commentary

Romans

Donny Ray Mathis II

The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, 2023

Supports: Complete evangelical Protestant whole-letter exposition, historical setting, argument flow, and theological synthesis.

Exact location: Mathis, 'Romans,' introduction and commentary section covering 13:8–14, with bibliography and endnotes

Open source ↗

modern catholic translation notes

The Letter to the Romans: introduction and chapter notes

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2010-2026 online edition

Supports: Catholic exegetical orientation, salvation-history frame, concise verse notes, and faith-new-life synthesis.

Exact location: USCCB, Romans introduction and chapter notes covering 13:8–14

Open source ↗

modern jewish annotated new testament

Romans introduction and annotations in The Jewish Annotated New Testament

Mark D. Nanos; edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler

Oxford University Press, 2011

Supports: Jewish historical context, Paul-within-Judaism alternatives, diatribe restraint, and anti-supersessionist controls.

Exact location: Nanos, Jewish Annotated New Testament, first edition print pp. 253-286, introduction and annotations on 13:8–14

Open source ↗

peer reviewed rhetorical exegetical article

From Submission to Love: Understanding the Motivations in Romans 13:1-10

Juan Manuel Granados Rojas, S.J.

Isidorianum 33.2, 2024

Supports: Romans 13:1-10 readings and the rhetorical controls of doing good, avoiding harm, conscience, and love.

Exact location: Granados Rojas, 'From Submission to Love,' Isidorianum 33.2 (2024), journal pp. 207-233

Open source ↗

Open the complete thought-unit research record