Scripture Daily

Context No. 1030 of 4322 · Romans

Context · Reflection

Romans 13:1-7: in context

1Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. 2Therefore he who resists the authority withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment. 3For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the authority, 4for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil. 5Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. 6For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, continually doing this very thing. 7Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Paul turns to how Christians relate to governing authority. Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, he says, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Rulers are not a terror to good conduct but to bad; the one in authority is God's servant for your good, and does not bear the sword in vain, serving as an avenger of wrath on the wrongdoer. So be subject, not only to avoid punishment but for conscience' sake. Pay what you owe: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue, respect to whom respect, honor to whom honor.

Paul is writing under Rome, no ideal government, and he still teaches that human authority is not outside God's ordering; even flawed rulers serve a God-given function of restraining evil and upholding order, so that Christians are not to live as lawless rebels. This is not a blank endorsement of every ruler, and the same apostles refused to obey when commanded to stop preaching Christ, saying we must obey God rather than men. But the default posture Paul teaches is subjection and the honest paying of what is owed, taxes, revenue, respect, honor. Notice how ordinary and concrete it gets: pay your taxes. Christian discipleship is not too spiritual for the tax bill; rendering what you owe to the authorities is itself a matter of conscience before God. And the deepest word is the phrase repeated three times, God's servant. The ruler, even one who does not know it, is in God's hand and serving God's purposes of order. That both dignifies legitimate authority and quietly relativizes it: every earthly power is finally a servant, answerable to the God who instituted it.

Do I render what I actually owe to the authorities over me, honestly and for conscience' sake, while remembering they too are only servants under the God I ultimately obey?

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