Romans 13:1-7 Instructions for Christians Concerning Government

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” Rom 13:1

Imagine that you were in a country where the government made it mandatory to worship the leaders of that country. Not to worship the leader was considered a punishable crime. That was the setting in which Paul wrote Romans 13 in which he instructs believers to submit to governing authorities.

How does Romans 13 flow from Romans 12? Romans 12 is full of short, to the point instructions for Christian behavior. Paul; however, elaborates on loving your enemies. That’s a difficult and unnatural instruction which is worth expounding on. (12:17-21) To suggest that a Christian should submit to pagan governing authorities was another instruction requiring obvious elaboration. Thus, the explanation and instructions in 13:1-7 are given.

First of all believers are instructed to submit to governing authorities. The reason for submitting to government authorities is that God has established the authorities. The irony of this instruction is that Paul wrote this with Nero as the emperor. Under his reign Paul was beheaded and Peter crucified upside down. He is the one who burned Christians in his garden like torches in the night.

Second, authorities are instituted by God to ensure that people did not live in fear of their government when doing right and to ensure that if you did wrong you lived in fear of the punishment the government would wield in dealing with your wrong.

Third, we must submit to governing authorities for conscience sake since they are established by God. We do not want to find ourselves living contrary to authority God has placed over us.

Fourth, Paul instructs Christians to give everyone what you owe them. “If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”

What do we do when government asks us to do something contrary to our faith? Using the words of Peter and the apostles as they stood before religious authorities of their day "We must obey God rather than men!”