And do this, understanding the occasion.This phrase emphasizes the importance of recognizing the urgency and significance of the present time. In the context of Paul's letter to the Romans, he is urging believers to live righteously and be aware of the spiritual and moral implications of their actions. The "occasion" refers to the eschatological expectation of Christ's return, a common theme in early Christian teachings. Understanding the times involves discerning the moral and spiritual climate and responding appropriately, as seen in
1 Chronicles 12:32, where the men of Issachar are praised for their understanding of the times.
The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber,
Paul uses the metaphor of waking from sleep to illustrate the need for spiritual vigilance and readiness. This imagery is consistent with other New Testament passages, such asEphesians 5:14, which calls believers to rise from the dead and let Christ shine on them. The urgency of the message reflects the early Christian belief in the imminent return of Christ, encouraging believers to live in a state of preparedness and moral alertness. The call to wake up also suggests a transition from spiritual lethargy to active engagement in faith.
for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
This phrase highlights the progressive nature of salvation in Christian theology. While believers are justified at the moment of faith, the full realization of salvation, including glorification, is yet to come. The nearness of salvation refers to the anticipated return of Christ and the consummation of God's kingdom. This eschatological hope is a recurring theme in the New Testament, as seen in passages likeHebrews 10:25, which encourages believers to gather together as they see the Day approaching. The phrase serves as a reminder of the temporal nature of earthly life and the eternal perspective that should guide Christian conduct.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Paul the ApostleThe author of the Book of Romans, Paul is writing to the Christian believers in Rome, urging them to live in a manner that reflects their faith and the imminent return of Christ.
2.
Roman ChristiansThe recipients of the letter, they were a diverse group of Jewish and Gentile believers living in the capital of the Roman Empire, facing various challenges in practicing their faith.
3.
The Return of ChristAn anticipated future event in Christian eschatology, where Jesus Christ will return to judge the living and the dead, bringing final salvation to believers.
Teaching Points
Awareness of the TimesChristians are called to be aware of the spiritual significance of the times they live in, recognizing the urgency of living out their faith.
Spiritual WakefulnessBelievers must "wake up" from spiritual complacency, actively engaging in their faith and relationship with God.
Imminence of SalvationThe nearness of salvation should motivate Christians to live holy and righteous lives, as the fulfillment of God's promises is closer than ever.
Active FaithFaith is not passive; it requires action and commitment, reflecting the transformative power of the Gospel in daily life.
Hope in Christ's ReturnThe anticipation of Christ's return provides hope and encouragement, urging believers to persevere in their faith.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Romans 13:11?
2.How does Romans 13:11 encourage urgency in our spiritual growth and actions?
3.What does "our salvation is nearer now" mean for daily Christian living?
4.How can we "wake up from our slumber" in our faith journey?
5.How does Romans 13:11 connect with Jesus' teachings on vigilance and readiness?
6.In what ways can we apply the call to awaken in Romans 13:11?
7.What does Romans 13:11 mean by "the hour has come for you to wake up"?
8.How does Romans 13:11 relate to the concept of salvation in Christianity?
9.Why is the urgency in Romans 13:11 significant for believers today?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Romans 13?
11.What does "high time to awake out of sleep" mean?
12.What does 'high time to awake out of sleep' mean?
13.What does the Bible say about spiritual sleep?
14.Is the day approaching as the night ends?What Does Romans 13:11 Mean
And do this“And do this” links back to Paul’s call inRomans 12–13 to present our bodies as living sacrifices, submit to governing authorities, and “owe no one anything, except to love one another” (Romans 13:8).
• The command is not optional; it is the natural outflow of a life transformed by the gospel (cf.James 1:22).
• Obedience proves authentic faith and love, echoing Jesus’ words, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
understanding the occasionPaul urges believers to act “understanding the occasion”—to discern the decisive moment in God’s redemptive calendar.
• Like the men of Issachar “who understood the times” (1 Chronicles 12:32), Christians are to read current events through a biblical lens.
• “Making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16) underscores that opportunities to honor Christ are limited and precious.
The hour has come“The hour has come” signals urgency.
• Jesus often spoke of a specific “hour” tied to God’s plan (John 5:25,John 12:23).
• Believers live in the final phase of history, the period between Christ’s ascension and His imminent return (Hebrews 1:2).
• Therefore, procrastination is spiritually dangerous (Mark 13:33).
for you to wake up from your slumber“Wake up from your slumber” pictures Christians roused from spiritual sleep.
• Spiritual drowsiness shows up as compromised holiness, cooled love, or mission drift (Revelation 3:1–3).
• Paul echoesIsaiah 60:1’s call to rise and shine and elaborates, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:14).
• Practical steps:
– Regular, unhurried time in Scripture and prayer
– Active fellowship and accountability (Hebrews 10:24–25)
– Readiness to share the gospel (1 Peter 3:15)
for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed“Salvation” here refers to its future consummation—the full deliverance and glorification believers will experience at Christ’s return.
• Conversion brought justification; the coming day brings complete redemption of body and creation (Romans 8:23).
• “He will appear a second time…to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him” (Hebrews 9:28).
• Each passing moment shortens the wait. This certainty fuels perseverance and holiness (1 John 3:2–3).
summaryRomans 13:11 presses believers to act on the love and obedience taught in the previous verses because time is short. Recognizing the prophetic moment, we must shake off spiritual lethargy and live alert, knowing the Lord’s return—and with it the completion of our salvation—is nearer with every heartbeat.
(11-14) The Apostle now gives a reason for enforcing this and other duties upon his readers. The end of the world itself is near.
St. Paul, like the other Apostles (comp.1Peter 4:7;Revelation 22:20,et al.), certainly believed that theParusia, or Second Coming of Christ, was near at hand. This was in strict accordance withMark 13:32, and resulted naturally from the peculiar form of the Jewish Messianic expectation. A great shock had been given to the disciples by the crucifixion of Him whom they thought to be the Messiah, and though they began to recover from this as soon as they were convinced of His resurrection, they yet could not reconcile themselves to it entirely. The humiliation of the cross was still a stumbling-block to themtaken alone, but falling back upon another portion of their beliefs, they looked to see it supplemented, and its shameful side cancelled, by a second coming "in power and great glory." Their previous expectations, vague as they were, led them to regard this as part of the one manifestation of the Messiah, and they did not expect to see a long interval of time interposed.
(11)And that, knowing the time.--And that there is all the more urgent motive for you to do--this law of love it is the more incumbent on you to practise--because you know what a critical moment it is in which you are living. The word for "time" is different from that used in the next clause, and means a definite and critical season.
Awake out of sleep.--A striking metaphor. The true, the genuine Christian life is like the state of a man whose eyes are open and whose faculties are all alert and vigorous. All besides, whatever it be, the state of heathenism or of imperfect and lukewarm Christianity, is like the torpor of sleep.
Our salvation.--That blissful participation in His kingdom which the Messiah at His Second Coming should inaugurate for His people. (Comp.Romans 8:19;Romans 8:23, "the manifestation of the sons of God," "the redemption of the body;"Luke 21:28, "your redemption draweth nigh.") . . .
Verses 11-14. - There is now interposed among the particular admonitions a call to watchfulness, with a view to holiness in all relations of life, on the ground that
the day is at hand. There can be little, if any, doubt that the apostle had in view the second coming of Christ, which he with others supposed might be close at hand, Our Lord had said that of that day none knew but the Father (
Matthew 24:36;
Mark 13:32; cf.
Acts 1:7), and that it would come unexpectedly (
Matthew 24:27, 37-44;
Mark 13:36). Further, in the same addresses to the disciples before his death in which these things were said, he seems to have disclosed a vista of the future, after the manner of the ancient prophets, in which more immediate and more distant fulfilments of the prophetic vision were not clearly distinguished; so that words which we now perceive to have pointed to the destruction of Jerusalem, which was typical of the final judgments, might easily have been understood as referring to the latter. Such are, "This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled" (
Matthew 24:34;
Mark 13:30; cf. also
John 21:22, 23). Hence it was natural that the apostolic Church should regard the second advent as probably imminent. We find in the apostolic Epistles several intimations of this expectation (cf.
1 Thessalonians 4:13,
seq.;
2 Corinthians 5:2-5;
Philippians 4:5;
Hebrews 10:25;
1 Peter 4:7;
1 John 2:18, 28;
Revelation 22:20); and though it was not realized in the event, the authority of the apostles as inspired teachers is not thus disparaged, this being the very thing which Christ had said must remain unknown to all. Nor does their teaching, enforced by this expectation, lose its force to us; for, though "the Lord delayeth his coming," and may still delay it, yet to each of us at least this present world is fast passing away, and the Lord may be close at hand to call us out of it. The duty of watchfulness and preparedness remains unchanged. The
Parousia or, as it is called in the pastoral Epistles, the
Epiphany (in
2 Thessalonians 2:8,
ἐπιφανεία τῆς παρουσίας) of Christ is here, as elsewhere, presented under the figure of the day appearing (cf.
1 Corinthians 3:13;
Ephesians 5:14; l Thessalonians 5:4;
Hebrews 10:25;
2 Peter 1:19), the previous ages of the world being regarded as the time of night. The figure is found in the prophets with reference to
that day - the coming
day of the Lord (cf.
e.g.Isaiah 9:2;
Isaiah 60:1-3;
Malachi 4:2), But though the
day has not yet come, Christians are viewed as already in the radiance of its dawn, in which they can walk as children of the day, and be on the watch, and not be surprised asleep, or doing the deeds of darkness, when the full daylight bursts upon them. For in the first advent of Christ the day dawned, though, to those who loved darkness rather than light, but as a light that shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not (
John 1:5, seq.; John 3:19,
seq.; cf.
2 Peter 1:19;
1 John 2:8; and also
Luke 1:78, seq.; Luke 2:32).
Verses 11, 12. -
And that (for a similar use of
καὶ τοῦτο, or
καὶ ταῦτα, cf.
1 Corinthians 6:8;
Ephesians 2:8;
Philippians 1:28;
Hebrews 10:25;
Hebrews 11:12), knowing that it is high time for you to awake out of sleep (more literally,
that it is the hour for you to be already roused out of sleep);
for now is our salvation nearer (or,
now is salvation nearer to us. The
salvation here meant is "the restitution of all things" (
Acts 3:21), the "manifestation of the sons of God" (
Romans 8:19), "the regeneration" (
Matthew 19:28), the "gathering together in one of all things in Christ," (
Ephesians 1:10), which is yet to come)
than when we believed (
i.e.than when we first became believers; cf.
Acts 19:2;
1 Corinthians 3:5;
1 Corinthians 15:2;
Galatians 2:16. Time has been gradually advancing since then, bringing the consummation we look for ever nearer).
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore put off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Former habits of life are here, as elsewhere, regarded as clothing once worn - a man's habitual investment, though not part of his real self - which is to be
put off (cf.
Ephesians 4:22;
Colossians 3:8, 9); instead whereof are to he
put on, as a new investment, the graces and virtues, supplied to us from the region of light, which constitute the Christian character (cf.
1 Thessalonians 5:8;
2 Corinthians 6:7;
Ephesians 6:11, seq.). In all these passages the new clothing to be put on is designated as armour, the idea being carried out in detail in
Ephesians 6:11, etc.; and thus the further conception is introduced of Christians being as soldiers on the watch during the watches of the night, awaiting daybreak, equipped with arms of heavenly proof, careful not to sleep on their post, or to allow themselves in revelry or any deeds of shame, such as are done in the night under the cover of darkness.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
And [do]Καὶ(Kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.this,τοῦτο(touto)Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3778:This; he, she, it.understandingεἰδότες(eidotes)Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1492:To know, remember, appreciate.theτὸν(ton)Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.occasion.καιρόν(kairon)Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2540:Fitting season, season, opportunity, occasion, time. Of uncertain affinity; an occasion, i.e. Set or proper time.[The] hourὥρα(hōra)Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5610:Apparently a primary word; an 'hour'.has comeἤδη(ēdē)Adverb
Strong's 2235:Already; now at length, now after all this waiting. Apparently from e and de; even now.for youὑμᾶς(hymas)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771:You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.to wake upἐγερθῆναι(egerthēnai)Verb - Aorist Infinitive Passive
Strong's 1453:(a) I wake, arouse, (b) I raise up. Probably akin to the base of agora; to waken, i.e. Rouse.fromἐξ(ex)Preposition
Strong's 1537:From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.[your] slumber,ὕπνου(hypnou)Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 5258:Sleep; fig: spiritual sleep. From an obsolete primary; sleep, i.e. spiritual torpor.forγὰρ(gar)Conjunction
Strong's 1063:For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.ourἡμῶν(hēmōn)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473:I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.salvationσωτηρία(sōtēria)Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4991:Feminine of a derivative of soter as noun; rescue or safety.[is] nearerἐγγύτερον(engyteron)Adverb
Strong's 1452:Nearer. Neuter of the comparative of eggus; nearer.nowνῦν(nyn)Adverb
Strong's 3568:A primary particle of present time; 'now'; also as noun or adjective present or immediate.thanἢ(ē)Conjunction
Strong's 2228:Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.whenὅτε(hote)Adverb
Strong's 3753:When, at which time. From hos and te; at which too, i.e. When.we {first} believed.ἐπιστεύσαμεν(episteusamen)Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 4100:From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.
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NT Letters: Romans 13:11 Do this knowing the time that it (Rom. Ro) 
