December 1, 2008
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Romans 13
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.
Comments (38)
Nice reminder. :-j
I think revenue is the hardest one to give…..
Crowder… a propoent of Justice and the Biblical way… nice
True that.
Welcome back to Xanga, by the way…
tough.
Oh my goodness, thank you, finally.
How I wish people had lived this the past 8 years rather than treat W with such hatred and spite.
you should give some commentary on this…
I love this passage. Even more than obedience to our rulers is the reminder to pray for them. If people spent more time in prayer for our leaders instead of bashing them whenever given the chance, imagine what our world could be… 2 things, OK 3: thank you for your blog. I thought I was going to shrivel up and blow away! And I got the most awesome jogging pants. Baylor green and gold! They rock, my friend! PS- Please, please, please, please, please play “Revolutionary Love” at HotHearts Texarkana in February! I saw you last time you were there and it was the only thing missing! Thank you-
thanks dave. this was encouraging.
you’re back! yay!
you should get on youversion.com and write your own commentary on this.
American culture treasures its freedom of speech. One of the ways we celebrate that freedom of speech, and simultaneously feel superior to others, is by complaining about our government. It gets to be disrespectful, hurtful, and, as Romans 13 reminds us, unbiblical at times, but that’s how we roll here in the US.
Now here I am, adding to the noise by complaining about complainers and feeling superior to them.
And what of unjust governments?
Civil disobedience? The Civil Rights movement?
How do these fit into this passage?
(I have an idea… I’m just curious to your response.)
indeed
Good stuff!
What are those people, who are under the control of anti-Christian governments(such as China), to do? Are they to not worship because their government tells them not to?
This is one of the best blog entries ever written! ;}
preach it brother!!! preach the Word! we must never forget this. we must also never forget that God is more powerful than any government, king or president. the book of daniel is a great reminder of that truth.
@aciesD - read about the early church. God still comes before government. Nero killed Chirstians by the hundreds, but they still worshipped.
I love Romans.
if we are to submit to all forms of government then why do we go to war? if you study the word submission here is falls short of obedience and it more like cooperation. perhaps we should submit, but when we see a problem go about standing up to it in a way that submits? in china that gets you a hole in the head, but yes, the Roman govt. Paul speaks of was persecuting Christians, eh? hebrew midwives didn’t submit to pharoah and kill babies, were they sinning? then there is acts 5:29 we must obey God rather than men. but really, these are all just questions, i don’t know that i have the answers. all i can do is pray. peace…
I’m pretty sure taxes, revenue, respect and honor can be given despite disagreements with government and without disobeying God. Yay obedience!
it’s a good reminder that even respecting politics is biblical
even when we don’t necessarily agree.
Regardless, our God is great. and one day we get to look forward to His kingdom! <3
about the book you are currently reading, excellent. I am Protestant, yet can still appreciate all that Aquinas did for the Christian catholic church. If you get bogged down, there is the Summa of the Summa – for a bit lighter reading. Also, have you read Christianity for Modern Pagans?
i’ll amen that! however, why did you post it? are people you know pretty down about the current president…or the one recently elected?
i appreciate the reminder!
Shimmer,
Thomas was a Catholic, capital “C”. In fact, in the Catholic Faith he is a Saint and Doctor of the Church. He is one of the most brilliant minds that has ever lived and has had influence on Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox and Non-Christian alike.
I am very glad you appreciate his work. We have something in common.
I’m not even entirely sure of my ability to properly pronounce the book you are “currently reading.” And, though I fear even in the asking, how many volumes are to this?
David Crowder: Author, musician, Christian, Role model, and a studier of the law…
Oh, and a hair stylist, right? How much would you charge to come get my hair looking like yours? ‘Course I don’t have facial hair yet, but otherwise you’d have to teach me how to get the crowder gotee too…
It is interesting how the person who wrote about submitting to the government (Paul) was also notorious for subverting the Roman government. That fact alone should help us try to understand what Paul was actually saying here to the church in Rome. My take on it is this: obviously what we are to take from this passage is that government (if it is following God’s will) has the authority to carry out justice until the time God carries out the ultimate justice; just as the church has the authority to advance and prepare the way of the Kingdom of God until the time Jesus returns to fully establish His Kingdom on earth. However, if government is acting unjustly then our definition of obedience may change. No longer are we to mindlessly follow whatever the government tells us, but we are to stand up against in obedience to God. Obedience to God comes first, if the government is acting in a way contrary to God’s will then it no longer has the authority to carry out justice because it’s ability to know what justice even is has been tainted.
But what Paul is essentially giving us here is a rule of thumb approach to government. This is a good principle to live by, but sure there can be exceptions. I think this could also be an attempt from Paul to disarm any attempt to overthrow or riot violently against the government, which is something Paul, in all is subverting, never did. This is an attempt to call the Romans to live peacefully.
OT, but…
i love your music! hope you guys can come to the philippines someday =)
In light of the Anti-Christian governments that exist, verse 3 seems most difficult to me:
“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…”
What I’m thinking so far:
Who does right, or can do right? Answer: No one, unless by the sovereign grace of God.
And when that happens God will sovereignly make the governing authorities commend these right-doers.
Romans 13:8
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another…
@aciesD - We must always obey GOD before people, government, or anything else. See Peter’s remarks in Acts 4. But, Paul reminds us, also in Romans: as much as it is up to us, we are to live in peace and harmony. That does not mean we are to conform to anything that government puts over us. Read again the part about your conscience. My conscience may weigh heavy if I defy GOD, but upholding GOD in deference to government will not have the same mental state. I think this speaks to the order GOD has written on our hearts and minds.
Many Christians are being taught the lie of the devil that if a government and its officials are ungodly a Christian doesn’t have to submit to that. But if you carefully read Romans 13 there is no command to disobey government which was given by God. The only time that a believer can scriptually disobey government is when that government orders a believer to disobey God and the Bible, period. We are to pray for disobedient government but not rail against it or disobey government unless a believer is told to disobey God and the Bible.
nice
ah. just finished Luther’s Freedom of a Christian, and wrote a paper on how he and Aquinas don’t really disagree. more people need to read this.
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