Rom 13:1-7 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Rom 13:1-2: 13:1-2 The basic command of 13:1-7 is to submit to governing authorities . In God’s ordering of the world, we answer to those in positions of authority . Our submission to them will usually take the form of obedience. However, because God stands over all governments, our submission to governing authorities must always be in terms of our ultimate submission to God (see Acts 4:19-20 ). The Roman Christians might have been resisting government (see study note on Rom 13:6) based on a false understanding of the Good News, as if no longer copying “the behavior and customs of this world” (12:2 ) meant that they could ignore earthly institutions. • placed there by God: Scripture consistently teaches that God is actively involved in raising up and casting down human governments and leaders (1 Sam 2:6-10 ; 12:8 ; Prov 8:15-16 ; Isa 41:2-4 ; 45:1-7 ; Jer 21:7 , 10 ; 27:5-6 ; Dan 2:21 , 37-38 ; 4:17 ). God instituted governing authorities, so rebelling against them is rebelling against God, who will respond with judgment (Rom 13:2 ).

Summary for Rom 13:1-2: 13:1-2 ^a The basic command of 13:1-7 ^b is to submit to governing authorities. In God’s ordering of the world, we answer to those in positions of authority. Our submission to them will usually take the form of obedience. However, because God stands over all governments, our submission to governing authorities must always be in terms of our ultimate submission to God (see Acts 4:19-20 ^c). The Roman Christians might have been resisting government (see study note on Rom 13:6) based on a false understanding of the Good News, as if no longer copying “the behavior and customs of this world” (12:2 ^d) meant that they could ignore earthly institutions.

• placed there by God: Scripture consistently teaches that God is actively involved in raising up and casting down human governments and leaders (1 Sam 2:6-10 ^e; 12:8 ^f; Prov 8:15-16 ^g; Isa 41:2-4 ^h; 45:1-7 ⁱ; Jer 21:7 ^j, 10 ^k; 27:5-6 ^l; Dan 2:21 ^m, 37-38 ⁿ; 4:17 ^o). God instituted governing authorities, so rebelling against them is rebelling against God, who will respond with judgment (Rom 13:2 ^p).
13:3 ^q the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right: Paul presents a positive picture of the governing authorities, describing them in terms of what God has appointed them to do. He does not touch on situations where leaders punish those who do good and reward those who do evil, although he was certainly aware of such situations from Old Testament and Jewish history, from the experience of Jesus and the other apostles, and from Greco-Roman affairs. Here, Paul confines himself to discussing the appropriate response to governing authorities who live according to their calling.
13:4 ^r servants (Greek diakonos): The New Testament usually reserves this word to describe Christians who serve God in various capacities. However, it was also used in secular Greek to refer to a civic official. Whether they know it or not, governing authorities are serving God when they administer justice.

• they have the power to punish you (literally they do not bear the sword in vain): The sword might simply be a metaphor for punishment of any kind, but some interpreters believe it suggests that human governments, under God’s authority, have the right to carry out capital punishment.
13:5 ^s The two reasons for submission sum up the argument of 13:1-4 ^t in reverse order: to avoid punishment relates to 13:3-4 ^u, while to keep a clear conscience refers to 13:1-2 ^v.

• The word conscience (Greek suneidēsis) refers to the painful knowledge of wrongdoing. Christians know about their duty to submit to governing authorities, and their failure to do so would bring the pain of a guilty conscience.
13:6 ^w Pay your taxes: Jesus referred to paying taxes in his famous pronouncement about the disciples’ relationship to government (Matt 22:21 ^x). A tax revolt occurred in Rome at about the time that Paul was writing, so Paul’s whole discussion of the Christian’s responsibility to government might have been sparked by his knowledge that Roman Christians were participating in this tax revolt (see Tacitus, Annals 13).