1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.(NIV)
Main points
1. Christians show their submission to God by submitting to all governments in their land (v.1a).
- "every authority" is included in the realm of government (1 Pet 2:13-14)
- submission - a disposition to place oneself under the leadership of another; does not connote inferiority or less worth, when applied to other humans.
- in Paul's time, certain forces at work may have encouraged Roman Christians to oppose the government; hence the need for this instruction.
- also, the radical call given by Paul to think and live against the grain of the world (Rom 12:1-2) may have prompted some to go too far and oppose governments altogether.
- a particularly hard instruction for those like us who live in an anti-authoritarian culture.
2. Christians must submit to governments because God has appointed them (vv. 1b, 2).
- to rebel against the government is to rebel against the God who put it there.
- they are God's servants to do us good even though not one of them may acknowledge God. God is sovereign over all earthly powers (Ps 103:19; Dan 2:20-21).
3. Generally speaking, the failure to abide by laws created by the government will result in punishment by the government - with God's approval (vv. 3-4).
4. It is not just the fear of punishment that should prompt Christians to submit to the government, but a conscience informed by God's commands (v.5).
- the word translated "conscience" here has a broader meaning than the typical meaning - it refers to "consciousness of God and His will for us" (Moo, NIV Application Commentary: Romans, 2000).
5. Submission to governmental authorities involves giving them what is due them (v.6).
-Taxes (so there is no place for any tax evasion)
-Respect (so there is no place for slander of any kind)
-Honor (not just with our lips but with our prayers - 1 Ti 2:1-4)
But Are There Not Exceptions to the Church's Submission to Governments?
Yes, there are. Christians cannot obey the government in specific instances where:
1) they are ordered to do what God forbids, or warned not to do what God has commanded - Acts 4:18-20; Acts 5:27-32 ("we must obey God rather than men!")
2) they are ordered to go against their conscience, even in matters where there is no solid Christian consensus - Rom 14:22-23
Other Qualifications
a) Just because we are to submit to government doesn't mean that we should be oblivious to government corruption, nor does it mean that we can't seek to do what we can as citizens to bring about change. For those of us in the Western world, this is our privilege as citizens of democratic societies. (However, let us be thankful, because most people in history have not had this privilege - including those in Paul's time.)
b) Regarding the matter of "bearing the sword" - many theologians have stated that this gives governments the right to put criminals to death. While it endorses criminal punishment, it's uncertain whether or not this includes death. (On the other hand, some would argue for the death penalty solely on the basis of Gen 9:5-6.)
c) While living with government evils, Christians must take heart that no government lasts forever. God will bring down every government at His appointed time (Dan 2:20-21). They can also be assured that the new heavens and earth will be governed perfectly by a Perfect King (2 Pe 3:10-13; Rev 21:1-8).
Questions to ask Ourselves
1. Do we pray for our governments?
2. Do we speak well of our governments wherever possible?
3. When governments fall into corruption, are we contemptuously proud or are we saddened?
