John Calvin Commentary Romans 13:11

"And this, knowing the season, that already it is time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when we [first] believed." — Romans 13:11 (ASV)

Moreover, etc. He now begins another subject of exhortation: that as the rays of celestial life have begun to shine on us, as it were, at the dawn, we should do what those in public life and in the sight of others are accustomed to do—they take diligent care to avoid committing anything base or unbecoming. For if they do anything wrong, they see that they are exposed to many witnesses. But we, who always stand in the sight of God and of angels, and whom Christ, the true Sun of Righteousness, invites to His presence, indeed should be much more careful to guard against every kind of pollution.

The meaning of the words, then, is this: “Since we know that the opportune time has already come when we should awaken from sleep, let us cast aside whatever belongs to the night, let us shake off all the works of darkness, since the darkness itself has been dispelled, and let us attend to the works of light, and walk as is fitting for those who are in the daylight.” The intervening words should be read as if in parentheses.

However, since the words are metaphorical, it may be helpful to consider their meaning. Ignorance of God is what he calls night; for all who are ignorant in this way go astray and sleep as people do during the night. The unbelieving indeed suffer from these two evils: they are blind and they are unfeeling. But he shortly after referred to this unfeelingness as sleep, which is, as someone says, an image of death. By light he means the revelation of divine truth, by which Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, rises upon us. He mentions awake, by which he suggests that we are to be equipped and prepared to undertake the services the Lord requires from us. The works of darkness are shameful and wicked works, for night, as someone says, is shameless. The armor of light represents good, temperate, and holy actions, such as are appropriate for the day; and armor is mentioned rather than works because we are to carry on a warfare for the Lord.

But the particles at the beginning, And this, should be read by themselves, for they are connected with what has gone before, just as we say in Latin Adhoec — besides, or proeterea — moreover. The time, he says, was known to the faithful, for the calling of God and the day of visitation required a new life and new morals; and he immediately adds an explanation, saying that it was the hour to awaken. For it is not χρόνος but καιρὸς which means a fitting occasion or an opportune time.

For nearer is now our salvation, etc. Interpreters distort this passage in various ways. Many refer the word believed to the time of the Law, as if Paul had said that the Jews believed before Christ came—a view I reject as unnatural and forced. Surely, to limit a general truth to a small part of the Church would have been entirely inconsistent. Of that whole assembly to which he wrote, how few were Jews? Therefore, this declaration could not have been suitable for the Romans. Besides, in my judgment, the comparison between the night and the day dispels every doubt on this point. The declaration then seems to me to be of the most simple kind — Nearer is salvation now to us than at that time when we began to believe. This means that a reference is made to the time that preceded their faith. For since the adverb used here is indefinite in its meaning, this interpretation is by far the most suitable, as is evident from what follows.