Commentary - Romans 13:1-7

Bird's-eye view

In this foundational passage on church and state, the Apostle Paul lays out the theological basis for all civil government. Coming right on the heels of his exhortation for Christians not to take personal vengeance but to leave wrath to God, he now explains one of the primary means by which God executes that temporal wrath: the civil magistrate. The central argument is that all authority, including that of the pagan Roman emperor, is delegated authority, derived from God Himself. Therefore, to resist the lawful authority of the state is to resist God's own ordinance. Paul describes the ideal function of government: to be a terror to evil conduct and a source of praise for good conduct. The magistrate is twice called God's "minister" or "deacon," a servant tasked with a specific job description, which includes bearing the sword to punish wrongdoers. Consequently, the Christian's submission is not merely a pragmatic calculation to avoid punishment but a matter of conscience before God. This duty extends to the practical matter of paying taxes, which funds these "servants of God" in their assigned task. The passage concludes with a general principle of rendering to all their due, be it taxes, respect, or honor, setting the stage for the ultimate debt, which is to love one another.

It is crucial to understand that this passage does not teach an absolute, unqualified submission to any and every government decree. The authority described here is a limited authority with a divine commission. The magistrate is God's servant, which means he is under God's authority and accountable to God's law. When the state commands what God forbids or forbids what God commands, the Christian's duty is to obey God rather than men. However, Romans 13 establishes the default position: government is a good gift from God, designed for order and justice, and Christians ought to be the most conscientious and law-abiding of citizens.

Outline

Context In Romans

Romans 13:1-7 is not an isolated ethical teaching dropped into the letter out of nowhere. It flows directly from the practical exhortations that begin in chapter 12. Having laid a massive theological foundation of God's righteousness and our justification by faith, Paul turns to how this gospel transforms our lives. In Romans 12:1-2, he calls us to be living sacrifices, with renewed minds, not conformed to the world. A significant part of this non-conformity is how we relate to others. He speaks of humility within the church, love for one another, and then, crucially, love for our enemies (Rom 12:14-21). The final verse of chapter 12 forbids personal vengeance, commanding believers to "leave it to the wrath of God." Romans 13:1-7 immediately follows, explaining one of the primary instruments of that wrath in this age: the civil magistrate. So, the Christian is to overcome evil with good on a personal level, while recognizing that God has appointed the state to restrain and punish evil on a corporate, civil level. This section on government is thus embedded within a larger discussion of what gospel-transformed love looks like in all of life's relationships.

Key Issues

God's Deacons in Armor

One of the most startling things Paul says here is that the civil ruler, who at that time was the pagan emperor Nero, is a minister of God. The word he uses is diakonos, from which we get our word "deacon." He uses it twice in verse 4. In verse 6, he calls them leitourgos, another word for a public servant, often used for priestly ministers. This is revolutionary. Paul is telling the Christians in Rome that the centurion on the street corner and the tax collector at his booth are, in their official capacity, God's deacons. They are servants with a job description given to them by God.

This means, first, that their authority is not their own. It is derived, delegated, and limited. A servant is, by definition, under authority. They are not the supreme authority; God is. Second, it means their job has a moral shape. They are not appointed to do whatever they please; they are appointed to do good, to punish evil, and to praise the righteous. When a magistrate does this, he is doing God's work, whether he knows it or not. When he does the opposite, punishing the good and rewarding the evil, he is a rebellious servant, and he is violating the terms of his commission. He is disobeying Romans 13. Understanding the magistrate as a deacon is the key to avoiding both anarchism on the one hand and statist idolatry on the other.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist have been appointed by God.

Paul begins with a universal command: Every person. No one is exempt. The term for subjection, hupotasso, is a military term meaning to arrange oneself under a commander. It's about recognizing a legitimate hierarchy. This is not a command for blind, absolute obedience to every specific law, but rather a command to recognize and honor the God-ordained structure of civil authority. The reason given is profound and absolute: all authority flows from God. There is no rogue molecule of authority anywhere in the universe. Whether it's a king, a president, or a local councilman, their authority is not self-generated. It is a stewardship, a trust, granted by the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. The powers that existed when Paul wrote, namely the Roman Empire, were not an accident of history but were "appointed by God." This is a radical statement. It de-idolizes the state, knocking it off its pedestal of ultimate authority, while at the same time legitimizing its proper role as an institution established by God Himself.

2 Therefore whoever resists that authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

The logic is inescapable. If authority is from God, then to resist that authority is to resist God. Paul is not talking about principled disobedience to an unjust law (as with the apostles in Acts 5:29), but rather a spirit of rebellion against the institution of civil government itself. The anarchist, the revolutionary who wants to tear down all structures, is not just fighting against men; he is picking a fight with God. The word for "opposed" is antitassomai, the opposite of the submission commanded in verse 1. It means to set oneself in battle array against. Those who do this will receive "condemnation" or "judgment." This judgment can come from the magistrate himself (the sword), but ultimately it comes from God, whose ordinance is being violated.

3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of that authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same;

Here Paul outlines the basic job description of a legitimate government. It is intended to be a terror to evil, not to good. In a well-ordered society, the law-abiding citizen has nothing to fear from the police. It is the thief, the murderer, the swindler who should be afraid. Paul then turns it into a practical piece of advice. Do you want to live a life free from fear of the magistrate? It's simple: be a good citizen. Do what is right. Not only will you avoid punishment, but you should receive "praise" from the authority. This can mean formal commendation, but more broadly it refers to the approval and protection that the state affords to those who contribute to public order and flourishing.

4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword in vain, for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.

This verse is the heart of the passage. The magistrate is a minister of God, a deacon, for your good. The entire purpose of government, from God's perspective, is to serve the populace by creating conditions of justice and order in which they can flourish. But there is a flip side. If you do evil, you have every reason to be afraid. Why? Because the magistrate "does not bear the sword in vain." The sword is a clear and universally understood symbol of lethal force, of capital punishment. Paul is affirming the state's God-given right to use coercive, and even deadly, force to punish high crimes. He is not a deacon with a felt banner; he is a deacon with a sword. He is an "avenger," an agent of God's temporal wrath against the evildoer. This directly connects back to Romans 12:19, where we were told to leave vengeance to God. The state is God's designated agent for that public vengeance.

5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of that wrath, but also because of conscience.

Paul provides two reasons for our submission. The first is pragmatic: to avoid "wrath," that is, the punishment of the sword. This is a good and sensible reason. Don't speed because you don't want a ticket. But the second reason is far deeper and is distinctively Christian: "because of conscience." We submit to the law not just because we might get caught, but because we know that God established the authority that made the law. Our obedience to the traffic laws is ultimately an act of obedience to Christ. We stop at the red light, even at 3 a.m. with no one around, because our conscience is bound by the Word of God to honor the structures He has put in place. This internal motivation is what makes for a truly good citizen.

6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.

The principle of submission now gets very practical. It extends to paying taxes. Why do we pay taxes? Because the rulers are "servants of God" (leitourgos), public ministers who are attending to the full-time job of governing. This is their vocation. Just as the temple priests were supported by tithes, these public servants are supported by taxes. They need resources to build roads, pay soldiers, and administer justice. For the Christian, paying taxes is not just a civic duty but a theological one. It is part of supporting the ministry God has given to the civil magistrate.

7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

Paul concludes with a broad, summary principle that echoes the words of Jesus to "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." We are to give everyone what we owe them. If taxes are owed, pay them. If customs or tolls are owed, pay them. But it's not just about money. We are also to give "fear" and "honor." "Fear" here does not mean a cowering terror, but rather a profound respect for the office and the authority it represents. We are to honor the position of the magistrate, even if we cannot honor the personal character of the man holding the office. This respect is due to the office because God established it. This principle of rendering all dues sets up Paul's next point perfectly: there is one debt we can never fully discharge, and that is the debt of love.

Application

Romans 13 is a deeply counter-cultural text in our cynical and anti-authority age. It calls us to a settled respect for the institution of government, seeing it not as a necessary evil, but as a positive good established by God for our benefit. This means Christians should be the best citizens. We should obey the laws, pay our taxes honestly, pray for our leaders, and show respect for their offices. We should not be grumblers, anarchists, or tax-evaders. Our default posture toward the government should be one of cheerful and conscientious submission.

At the same time, this passage is the very thing that prevents us from idolizing the state. The magistrate is a servant of God. He is a deacon under authority. This means his authority is limited by the one who gave it to him. He has a job description, which is to punish evil and praise good. When the state begins to call evil good and good evil, when it commands us to sin or forbids us from our duty to God (like preaching the gospel or assembling for worship), it is acting outside its jurisdiction. At that point, a Christian's duty is to obey the higher authority, God, rather than the rebellious lesser authority. But even when we must disobey a specific command, we do so while still respecting the office. Daniel prayed in defiance of the king's decree, but he respectfully submitted to the consequences. Principled, respectful civil disobedience is sometimes necessary, but a spirit of lawless, anarchic rebellion is never permissible for the believer. Our submission to government is for the Lord's sake, and it is the Lord who defines the nature and limits of that submission.