Authority is for our Good
Authority is for our Good
Romans 13:1-7
How do you view authority? Do you naturally trust those in authority over you, or are you suspicious of your leaders? Authority is one of God’s most important gifts to the world, and it is also one of its most distorted. Good authority leads people to flourish while bad authority leads people to whither.
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice,
but when the wicked (beareth) rule, the people mourn.
Proverbs 29:2 (KJV)
Good authority protects the weak, strengthens society, and promotes human flourishing. Bad authority attacks the weak, weakens society. and stifles human flourishing. A good leader is joy; a bad leader is a terror. Our natural bent toward authority has been shaped by our experience. If you were raised by godly parents who wielded their authority well, you may be very trusting of those in authority over you. If you were raised by those who abused their authority, you may naturally distrust those in authority over you. All of us have conscious and unconscious thoughts and reactions toward authority.
Children, when your parents ask you to go clean your room, do you do it immediately with a joyful heart? Parents, when your boss asks you to turn in paperwork, do you do it immediately with a joyful heart? Drivers, when the government establishes a speed limit, do you trust its wisdom? Students, when your teachers ask you to be quiet, do you joyfully follow their instruction? When your pastors call a gathering of the church on a Sunday evening, do you joyfully attend? Your response to parents, teachers, pastors, city council, congress, employers, reveals what you think about authority and, ultimately, what you think about God.
Ask yourself, “What do I think about authority?” Don’t ask “What should I think about authority?”; ask “What do I actually think about authority?” We can know what we actually think by looking at how we actually live. We may say we follow authority, but do we really? When we are under authority, we must submit because submission is for our good.
Submission for our Good (v.1a)
Our text in Romans is the “Therefore” section of the letter. The Apostle Paul has laid out the glories of salvation in chapters 1-11 and begins Romans 12 by saying,
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2
Paul goes on to talk about the church in verses 3-8 and, then, in verses 9-12, he discusses the marks of the Christian life. Some scholars believe that Romans 13:1-7 was a later addition not written by the Apostle because Romans 12:9-21 and Romans 13:8-14 seem to naturally go together. Although some may think that, I believe that Romans 13:1-7 fits perfectly in Paul’s flow of thought as he continues to teach Christians how to live in this world when they are mistreated by others. What should Christians do when they are hurt and mistreated by their enemies?
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:19–21
Christians do not avenge themselves but leave that to the wrath of God. God’s wrath may come at the final judgment when God will fully and finally execute perfect justice on all sin. Or, as Romans 13:1-7 explains, God’s wrath may come in this life through God’s servants who bear the sword on those who commit injustice. The calling of the Christian is not to be overcome by evil but to overcome evil with good. The latter part of verse 4 says, “For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” Romans 13:1-7 fits perfectly in Paul’s train of thought as he instructs Christians about how to offer their bodies as living sacrifices to God.
With that mini-runway, let us come to our text with humble spirits, ready to receive help from the Lord on how to discern what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. Romans 13:1
The text is straightforward and easy to understand. Paul leaves no room for caveats. Let every person–Christian or non-Christian, rich or poor, slave or free, young or old–be subject to the governing authorities. Also notice that Paul does not qualify the ‘governing authorities” with any adjective. He doesn’t say, “Let every person be subject to the good governing authorities,” or the “righteous governing authorities”, or the “wise governing authorities.” He simply writes, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.” Remember, Paul lived under Nero. He was no Mr. Rogers.
So are you already thinking in your head, “But there is a time when we shouldn’t submit!” Are you already waiting for the caveat? “But pastor, ‘What about when the government does….’” If you are already thinking ahead to the caveat, you may have an issue with authority. But before we get to the potential caveats, settle in your hearts that this sentence is good. “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.” Do you believe this is God’s Word? Do you believe God’s Word is good? If yes, then you should believe it is good and beneficial to society when people submit to the governing authorities, and you should joyfully submit to the governing authorities as well. You should obey speed limits and building codes; you should pay taxes and follow city ordinances.
This is not a hard command to understand, but it is a hard one to follow. Or, rather, it is a hard command to want to follow. Drop the caveats and willingly submit because every person is subject to the governing authorities.
Submission for our God (v.1b-2)
As is typical for Paul, he makes a statement and then provides the reason for the statement in the next sentence. Notice he begins the second half of verse one with the word “For”. This is a purpose or explanation word, clarifying why we are to obey the previous command. So, let every person be subject to the governing authorities, FOR, or because, or on the basis of, Romans 13:1b, Do you believe this is God’s Word? For there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. All authority is given by God. We submit to governing authorities because God has placed them there, and I would add, for our good and the good of society. The ultimate goal of everything God does is for His own glory and for our good.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Yet we know that sometimes God institutes rulers as a blessing to the nation and other times, He raises up rulers as a judgment against a nation.
Paul’s thinking is not isolated to Romans but is a common theme throughout Scripture. In Daniel 2, Daniel explains King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and then says,
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding; Daniel 2:20–21
God sets up and removes kings. Two chapters later, when Nebuchadnezzar believes he is king by his own authority, God humbles him by removing him from the throne,
Till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will… Daniel 4:25b
The Lord Jesus says something similar to Pilate during his trial. In John 19, Pilate says to Jesus,
Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?”
Jesus answered him, You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. John 19:10
Authority is given by God, and since authority is given by God, we should subject ourselves to the governing authorities. Paul is very explicit about this in Romans 13:2,
Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. Romans 13:2
God has established authority in your life and to go against it will bring judgment upon you. How do you view authority? Do you view authority as ordained by God? Do you see the city council and the president and our senators and representatives as those instituted by God? Do you see principals and managers and parents and pastors as authorities appointed by God? Do you view authority as a good thing with no caveats (yet)?
Submission for our Protection (v. 3-5)
We submit to the governing authorities for our good and for God’s glory. For whether we eat or drink or submit to the governing authorities, or whatever we do, we do it all to the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31). Paul outlines some practical benefits that come from subjecting ourselves to the governing authorities.
For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. Romans 13:3–5
Submission to authority instituted by God provides three protections.
Protection from Conduct - The law restrains evil. We know that if we break the law we will face consequences. Government is established to provide justice for wrong conduct. Peter puts it this way,
Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 1 Peter 2:13–14
One of the purposes of government is to punish evil and celebrate good. This protects us from ourselves. We know we will face consequences if we break the law; therefore, we are encouraged to keep the law. This is Paul’s point, “if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.” The sword is meant to put fear in us so that we will do what is right.
Paul uses the sword imagery as both a symbol of justice and a literal sword, which brings death. These verses give freedom to the state to execute justice, and at times, the most extreme form of justice, the death penalty. Capital punishment is one of the tools the State can use to punish those who do evil and protect those who do good. We can debate the wisdom of capital punishment in our day, but we cannot deny that God has given governing authorities the right to bear the sword of judgment against evil.
The government helps restrain the evil in our own hearts and also protects us from the bad conduct of others. The government punishes those who do evil, and this is a good thing. When someone steals from you, they should face consequences for their actions. When someone physically assaults another person, they should be held accountable. We do not avenge ourselves, but we leave vengeance to God and the system that He has established. Because we do not live in a perfect society, we will not experience perfect justice, but the government’s responsibility is to punish evil and unrighteousness and encourage moral and upright behavior.
Protection from Chaos - God is a God of order. He is not a God of chaos, and the world He has created should be one of order and not chaos. When laws are followed and those who break the law are held accountable, we are protected from chaos. During the period of the judges when life was terrible for the nation of Israel, this line was repeated over and over,
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25
It was a time of chaos. Without law and order, a society will devolve into chaos. Without a government, people live in chaos. Without a government to uphold law and order and punish evil and praise good, chaos will reign. We have seen this in our own country in recent years.
Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. Ecclesiastes 8:11
When people get away with evil, they will continue to do evil. We see that in our own lives, and we see it in society. God established government for our good to restrain evil and promote righteousness.
Protection from Conscience - Paul's final reason as to why we should obey the government is for the sake of our conscience. When we do right, we do not have a conflicted conscience. If we lie, we should be burdened by our dishonesty. If we cheat on our taxes, we should be unsettled in our spirit. We should obey the law for the sake of our conscience.
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Psalm 32:3–5
Beloved, when you sin, you should feel the weight of a troubled conscience, the heavy hand of the Lord upon you, stealing your joy. Conversely, those who confess their sins to God should feel free and light as a feather. For the sake of your conscience, do not disobey the governing authorities. Acknowledge your sin and experience forgiveness from God.
Submission for our Proclamation (v. 6-7)
Paul concludes his teaching on subjection to governing authorities with an explanation as to why we should pay taxes.
For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Romans 13:6–7
It may be that the saints in the Roman church were struggling to pay their taxes to Caesar or, perhaps, this is a general admonishment to all Christians. The Pharisees knew the Jews struggled to pay taxes, so they tried to trap Jesus. They wanted Jesus to either get in trouble with the Romans by going against their laws or to upset the Jews by showing allegiance to Rome.
And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him. Mark 12:13–17
Pay to all what is owed to them. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s. I love Jesus’ question, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” I can hear Paul asking us the same question, “Whose likeness and inscription is on you?” You were made in the image of God. Because you have the likeness of God and your bodies belong to Him, you should present them as a living sacrifice to Him.
Paul highlights this teaching to the Roman church for a specific reason. I am sure he expected Caesar would hear about and read this letter. He wanted Caesar to know that Christians were not a threat to the Roman empire. They were called to be good citizens who obeyed the law and paid their taxes. They weren’t a threat to Caesar because they lived to proclaim that Jesus is Lord. I also assume that Paul wanted Caesar to know that he was in a position of authority because God had put him there. Caesar was not above God, but he was a servant of God. God sets up and removes kings.
I believe one reason that God wants Christians to submit to government authority is because He wants us to be able to freely share the Gospel of Christ so people can hear and believe in Christ and be saved.
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all we people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 1 Timothy 2:1–6
We pray for those in authority and desire to lead peaceful and quiet lives because God desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Paul wants us to live in submission to the government so that people would know there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all.
We should desire government approval so that we can continue to proclaim the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Romans 13:3a, “Then do what is good, and you will receive approval.” If we receive approval for how we live, we will be able to share Christ more freely with people in our city. John Piper notes that,
[Paul] is more concerned with our humility and self-denial and trust in Christ, than he is about our civil liberties. In other words, Paul risked being misunderstood on the side of submission because he saw pride as a greater danger to Christians than government injustice. I cannot imagine Paul writing this way if Paul thought that the ultimate thing was being treated fairly by the government. But I can imagine him writing this way if faith and humility and self-denial and readiness to suffer for Christ is the main thing…Being persecuted unjustly is not the reason anyone goes to hell. But being unbelieving and arrogant and self-indulgent is why most people go to hell. Jesus never promised his people a fair fight. He promised them the opposite: if they treated the master of the house like the devil, how much worse will they treat you. The main issue is not being treated justly in this world by civil authorities. The main issue is trusting Christ, being humble and denying ourselves for the glory of Christ and the good of others.
Beloved, are you more concerned with being treated fairly by the government or with trusting in Christ and proclaiming salvation in His name?
Now, we may have to disobey the government at times. Peter, like Paul, commanded the saints to be subject to the governing authorities, but in Acts 4, after being questioned for healing a lame man, Peter said to the governing authorities,
But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19–20
And again, after Peter was questioned for teaching about Christ, he responded,
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”Acts 5:29–32
The Egyptian midwives refused to listen to Pharoah. Daniel refused to submit to the ordinance not to pray. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down and worship before Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue. Esther disobeyed the king’s order not to come see him. Yet, in every one of those situations, the governing authorities were disobeyed in order to testify to God and obey His commands. We submit to God over man.
Many times, it will not be easy to submit to the government. For the early church fathers who lived under Roman persecution, the Christians living in Nazi Germany in the 1930s, and even devout believers who live and work alongside progressive Christians of our own day who advocate for abortion/LGBTQ policies that violate Scripture and common sense, it will be challenging for every person to be subject to the governing authorities. We may differ in our opinions about when it is appropriate and wise to resist the governing authorities, saying, “We must obey God not man,” but we always must remember our hope is not in this life. Our hope is not in being treated well by the City Council or Congress. Our living hope is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. We subject ourselves to God by submitting to the governing authorities He has instituted. We must speak when the Spirit compels us, and we must pray at all times that, whether resisting or submitting, our lives will reflect the glory of Jesus Christ.
What is your view of authority? The One who has received all authority has commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations, and I believe Paul is teaching us that, often, the best way to proclaim the Gospel is to submit to governing authorities. When we do so, we place our faith in God and show our allegiance to Him, and then we have an opportunity to proclaim the Gospel, even in the face of death, if necessary.
The One who had all authority, the Lord Jesus Christ, subjected Himself to the governing authorities even to death, so that people would have righteousness.
Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:18–24
Jesus subjected Himself to the governing authorities to save humanity. He took our sins in His body on a tree so that we would die to sin and live for righteousness. He died, in part, so we would submit ourselves to the governing authorities and be able to proclaim His name to those same authorities and to our neighbors.
The Roman centurion, who oversaw Christ’s execution, testified, “Surely this was the Son of God.” The Pharisee, who oversaw Stephen’s execution, testified, “Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” The Apostle Paul himself willingly gave his own life for the sake of the Gospel.
If you are a non-Christian, I would like to ask what you think of Jesus, who willingly submitted to unjust treatment so that you could be forgiven? He died for sinners who would repent and believe. If you repent of your sins and trust that Jesus died for your sins and was raised from the dead, you will be healed by His wounds. Consider His followers who willingly submitted themselves to death so that Christ would be proclaimed. Do not leave this place without seriously considering following Jesus as Lord.
Beloved, when you read the New Testament, you don’t read about the church trying to overthrow Rome or the church arguing in the public square for better treatment or fairer laws. Instead, you read about the church testifying to the Gospel. They wanted to live peaceful and quiet lives so that they could tell more and more people about Jesus Christ. Their aim was not to transform society but to transform hearts.
We should pray for better leaders. We should pray for more godly senators, city council members, and principals. We should vote for and advocate for godly laws and policies that coincide with our faith. We should be active in the political process. But our hope is not in politics. Our hope is not in an earthly president or a party who will make our lives better or easier. Our citizenship is in heaven. We are aliens and exiles here and, as exiles, we live in submission to the governing authorities so that they and our neighbors would know Christ and the Gospel.
What is your view of authority? The One who had all authority on heaven and earth chose to lay down His authority and submit to unjust authorities so others could be saved. If He chose to obey, and His obedience led to the righteousness of many, maybe just maybe, our submission will do something similar. Willful submission to governing authorities may open doors to share the Gospel in ways we never could have imagined. God instituted authority for our good. How we choose to live will reveal whether or not we believe that is true.