Thomas Aquinas Commentary Romans 13:8-10

"Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love therefore is the fulfilment of the law." — Romans 13:8-10 (ASV)

1. Having shown how believers should observe justice toward their superiors, the Apostle now shows how they should behave toward everyone in general.

   Regarding this, he does two things:

   1. First, he states his intention.

   2. Second, he gives a reason, at for he that loves.

2. First, therefore, he says that it has been stated that you must pay your debts to everyone, not in part but entirely. This is what he means by owe no one anything. It is as if to say: you should pay all you owe to everyone so completely that nothing remains to be paid.

   This is for two reasons:

   1. First, because sin is committed by delaying payment, as long as a person unjustly holds back what belongs to another. Hence it says in Leviticus, the wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning (Leviticus 19:13). The same is true of other debts.

   2. Second, because as long as a person owes, he is in a certain sense a slave and is obligated to the one to whom he owes: the borrower is the slave of the lender (Proverbs 22:7).

3. But there are some debts from which a person can never be freed. This happens in two ways: first, because of the excellence of the benefit, for which an equal payment cannot be made—as the Philosopher says regarding the honor owed to God or parents, as it says in a psalm: what shall I render to the Lord for all his bounty to me? (Psalms 116:12). Second, because the cause of the debt always remains, or even because what is paid is never exhausted but always increases as one pays.

4. For these reasons, the debt of brotherly love is paid in such a way that it is always owed.

   1. First, because we owe love to our neighbor on account of God, whom we can never sufficiently repay. For it is said: this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also (1 John 4:21).

   2. Second, because the cause of love always remains, namely, having a similar nature and sharing in grace: every animal loves its like, and every person his neighbor .

   3. Third, because love does not diminish but grows by loving: it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more (Philippians 1:9).

   Therefore, he says, except to love one another, because the debt of love is paid in such a way that one always remains under the obligation of a commandment: this is my commandment, that you love one another (John 15:12).

5. Then, when he says, he who loves his neighbor, he gives the reason for the statement that we are never released from the debt of love: namely, that the entire fulfillment of the law consists in love.

   Hence, regarding this, he does three things:

   1. First, he states his proposition.

   2. Second, he clarifies it, at for you shall not commit adultery.

   3. Third, he draws the intended conclusion, at love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.

6. First, therefore, he says the reason we cannot expect to free ourselves from the debt of love, as we do from other debts, is that he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law; that is, the entire fulfillment of the law depends on love of neighbor.

   But this does not seem to be true. For it says in 1 Timothy, the aim of the commandment is love (1 Timothy 1:5). Since a thing is perfected when it reaches its goal, the whole perfection of the law consists in love. But love has two acts: the love of God and the love of neighbor. Hence, the Lord says in Matthew that the whole Law and the Prophets depend on the two commandments of love, one concerning the love of God and the other the love of neighbor (Matthew 22:40). Therefore, it does not seem that one who loves his neighbor fulfills the whole law.

   The answer is that love of neighbor is true love and fulfills the law when it is a love by which the neighbor is loved for God’s sake. In this way, the love of God is included in the love of neighbor, just as a cause is included in its effect. For it says in 1 John, this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also (1 John 4:21). Conversely, love of neighbor is included in the love of God, as an effect is in its cause. Hence, it says in the same place, if anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar.

   That is why in Sacred Scripture, mention is sometimes made only of the love of God as if it is enough for salvation, as in Deuteronomy: and now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him (Deuteronomy 10:12). At other times, mention is made only of the love of neighbor: this is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12).

7. Then, when he says for you shall not commit adultery, he proves his proposition:

   1. First, by induction.

   2. Second, with a syllogism, at the love of our neighbor.

8. Regarding the first point, he proceeds by induction, listing certain commandments that are fulfilled by love of neighbor. Because the three commandments of the first tablet are more directly ordered toward the love of God, he does not mention them, although they too are fulfilled in the love of neighbor, since the love of God is included in it. Instead, he lists the commandments of the second tablet, omitting only the affirmative commandment about honoring parents. This implies that we should pay to everyone whatever we owe.

9. He lists the negative commandments, which forbid a person from doing evil to his neighbor, for two reasons.

   1. First, because the negative commandments are more universal regarding both time and people. Regarding time, because the negative commandments are binding always and at every moment. For there is no time when one may steal or commit adultery. Affirmative commandments, on the other hand, are always binding, but not for every moment; they apply at certain times and places. For a person is not obligated to honor his parents every minute of the day, but at certain times and places. Negative commandments are also more universal regarding people, because no one may be harmed, whereas we are not capable of serving every other person individually.

   2. Second, because they are more obviously fulfilled through love of neighbor than are the affirmative ones. For a person who loves another is more concerned with refraining from harming him than with giving him benefits, which he is sometimes unable to give.

10. A person injures his neighbor in three ways: by action, by word, and by desire.

    He injures by action in three ways:

    1. First, against the neighbor's own person, and this is forbidden when he says, you shall not kill. This also forbids any injury against the neighbor’s person: no murderer has eternal life abiding in him (1 John 3:15).

    2. Second, against a person’s wife; and this is forbidden when he says, you shall not commit adultery. This also forbids fornication and any unlawful use of the genital organs: God will judge fornicators and adulterers (Hebrews 13:4).

    3. Third, against one’s external possessions, and this is forbidden when he says, you shall not steal. This also forbids any unjust taking of what belongs to another, either by force or by deceit: everyone who steals will be judged (Zechariah 5:3).

11. Injury by word against one's neighbor is forbidden when he says, you shall not bear false witness. This is forbidden not only in court but also outside of it, whether in the form of slander or insults: the false witness will not go unpunished, and one who speaks lies will not escape (Proverbs 19:5).

    Injury by desire alone against one's neighbor is forbidden when he says, you shall not covet your neighbor’s good. This also forbids coveting another’s wife: for I would not have known covetousness to be a sin, if the law had not said: you shall not covet (Romans 7:7).

12. These commandments are set forth in Exodus 20:17 and following. Having listed a number of commandments, he summarizes all others in one general command, saying, and if there be any other commandment, whether affirmative or negative, referring to God or to neighbor, it is comprised—that is, fulfilled—in this word: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. This is stated in Leviticus, where our text says, you shall love your friend as yourself (Leviticus 19:18).

13. When he says, your neighbor, this refers to all people and also to the good angels, as Augustine says. For a neighbor is anyone who shows mercy to another, as it says in Luke: which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among robbers? He said: the one who showed mercy to him (Luke 10:36). And because a neighbor is neighbor to another neighbor, it follows that a person who is shown mercy by another is also said to be his neighbor. The good angels show mercy to us, and we should show mercy to all people and receive it from them when necessary. Hence, it is clear that the good angels and all people are our neighbors, because they either already possess the happiness toward which we are striving, or they are striving toward it with us.

    For this reason, it is clear that devils are not our neighbors and that we are not commanded to love them, because they are entirely excluded from the love of God and are included not among neighbors but among enemies.

14. The phrase as yourself does not refer to an equality of love, as though a person were bound to love his neighbor as much as himself. This would be against the order of charity, by which a person is obligated to care more for his own salvation than for that of others: he put love in order in me (Song of Solomon 2:4). Instead, it refers to a similarity of love, meaning that we should love our neighbor in a way that is similar to how we love ourselves.

    This is true in three ways:

    1. First, regarding the goal of love, namely, that we love ourselves and our neighbor for the sake of God.

    2. Second, regarding the form of love, namely, just as a person loves himself as someone who wills good for himself, so he should love his neighbor by willing good things for him. But one who loves his neighbor in order to gain some benefit or affection from him does not will good for his neighbor but wants to obtain a good for himself from his neighbor. This is the way a person is said to love irrational creatures, such as wine or a horse, namely, to use them.

    3. Third, regarding the effect of love, namely, that he should relieve his neighbor's need just as he relieves his own, and that he should do nothing unlawful out of love for his neighbor, just as he would not do for himself.

15. Then, when he says, the love of our neighbor works no evil, he clarifies his point with the following syllogism: one who loves his neighbor does no evil to him. But the aim of every commandment of the law is to refrain from evil. Therefore, one who loves his neighbor fulfills the law. That love of neighbor does no evil is gathered from 1 Corinthians: love does not work injury (1 Corinthians 13:4).

    However evil is understood here—whether as evil acts or omissions—it could refer not only to negative commandments but also to affirmative ones. But since love of neighbor includes love of God, it is understood that love of neighbor excludes evil against both one’s neighbor and God. Thus, even the commandments of the first tablet are included.

16. Finally, he draws the main intended conclusion, saying, therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. This means the law is fulfilled and perfected by love: My abode is in the full assembly of the saints ; above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:14).