Who Is Above Me, and Who Is in My Care (Romans 13:1-7)
Today’s Word
[Submission to Governing Authorities] (NIV)
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
3 For 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 you will be commended.
4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.
7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Background
This is one of the most frequently misused passages in Scripture, so two things need to be held in mind while reading it.
First, who received the letter. Christians living in Rome — a community whose Jewish members had recently been expelled from the city by imperial decree and had only just been allowed back. The state had never been fair to them. Within a decade of Paul writing these words, organized persecution of Christians began in that same city. Paul was not describing a good government.
Second, what came immediately before. In 12:19 Paul wrote, “Do not take revenge, but leave room for God’s wrath.” In 13:4 he calls the ruler an “agent of wrath.” The two verses stand next to each other for a reason. Having told believers not to avenge themselves, he says there is a public office charged with that work. This passage is not a hymn to power; it is a text that takes vengeance out of private hands.
That is why Paul calls the ruler “God’s servant” three times. This is not a license issued to those in power. It is a job description. Authority is not absolute in itself; it is delegated, and one day it must give an account to the One who delegated it.
Key Terms Made Simple
- Be subject (*hypotassō*): A military term meaning to take your assigned place within an order. Not blind obedience, but positioning.
- Authority: Refers to the office, not the individual. The nuance is obedience to a function rather than to a person.
- God’s servant (*diakonos*): One who serves — the same family of word used for believers in chapter 12. Even a ruler occupies a position of errand-running.
- The sword: The symbol of judicial power. Not violence as such, but public enforcement.
- As a matter of conscience: Not out of fear of punishment, but because of a judgment made before God. This is where the motive for obedience shifts from fear to freedom.
Key Expressions to Notice
- “There is no authority except that which God has established.” (v. 1)
- This does not mean every person in power is right. It means every power has a higher power above it.
- The sentence applies to rulers too. They are also under someone.
- “Rulers do not bear the sword for no reason.” (v. 4)
- Authority always drags responsibility behind it. The one who carries the sword will have to explain the sword.
- “Give to everyone what you owe them.” (v. 7)
- The conclusion is not taxes; it is obligation. Taxes are just the example.
- Fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due. Every relationship carries a debt proper to it.
Main Points of the Text
- All order is delegated (vv. 1-2) — No power in this world generated itself. Recognizing the chain of delegation is a form of humility.
- Authority is an office for the common good (vv. 3-5) — Rulers exist to commend good and restrain evil. And a believer’s motive for obedience is conscience, not punishment.
- Pay each one what is due (vv. 6-7) — Taxes, revenue, fear, honor. Every relationship has its own proper repayment. Meeting an obligation is the first form love takes.
Applying to My Life
- Write down today who is above you and who is in your care — There is nothing abstract about applying this passage. Write out where you owe submission and who you are responsible for, and you have drawn a map of your life. Usually the upper half fills in quickly and the lower half does not. And the lower half is usually what God asks about.
- When the structure of authority changes, find your new seat — There come seasons when the authority above you disappears: you leave a place you were part of for years, a mentoring relationship ends, you begin again somewhere new. It is easy to feel, “Now I am free.” But in the light of this passage, authority has not vanished; it is being rearranged. If you do not work out who your authority is in the new place and who you owe honor to, freedom quickly turns into drift.
- Pay the debts closest to home first — “Everyone” in verse 7 starts with your own household. Obligations outside the home are visible, so we pay them; obligations inside are easy to postpone. Today, pay one close debt you have been putting off — making breakfast, a conversation you have been avoiding, an hour you promised.
Think About It
- Who is the authority above you right now, and how do you treat that position?
- Can you name everyone you are responsible for?
- Is your obedience motivated by fear or by conscience? How does that difference show in your manner?
Tags: #Romans #Romans13 #Authority #Submission #Order #GodsServant #Conscience #Obligation #Taxes #Responsibility #Leadership #Family #Devotional #DailyDevotional #BibleStudy #QuietTime #DevotionalGuide #Scripture #RomansDevotional #Faith #Paul
