Romans 13:11 Meaning and Explanation
“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Aware of the urgency of the hour, believers are summoned to wake from spiritual slumber, for their final salvation draws ever nearer.
What Does Romans 13:11 Mean?
Paul shifts from the ethics of love to the urgency of the moment. He speaks of 'knowing the time,' discerning the significance of the present hour. Like a sleeper who must rouse himself at dawn, the believer is called to shake off spiritual drowsiness, for the day of completed salvation approaches.
To say salvation is 'nearer than when we believed' is to set life under the light of hope. Each day brings the fullness of redemption closer. This awareness is not anxious but bracing; it lends weight and wakefulness to ordinary living. The believer does not drift through the world half-asleep but lives alert, expectant, ready, knowing that the One in whom he trusted is bringing all things to their appointed end. Time itself becomes a summons to readiness.
Romans 13:11 in the Original Language
kairos (καιρός), 'time' -- a decisive, appointed moment, not mere passing minutes but a season charged with meaning.
Frequently Asked Questions About Romans 13:11
What does Romans 13:11 mean?
Aware of the urgency of the hour, believers are summoned to wake from spiritual slumber, for their final salvation draws ever nearer.