Romans 13:1-13:7 - Subjection to Authority

Calvin (5/5/02)

13:1: Footnote: Soul is often set for man in both Greek and Hebrew writing. On other occasions man is represented by flesh. In this case, it is soul, perhaps to accentuate that obedience must be from the soul, sincere and genuine. Even the greatest in the church, even the apostles, were constrained to this genuine obedience. In every age there have been those in the Church who felt that the kingdom of God could not be fully free in the presence of earthly governments. In times when rulers are actively and violently opposed to true religion and piety, it is all the harder to remain convinced that our subjection to them is called for. Yet it is. It is because of just such an earthly government that Paul must be so careful and insistent in putting forth the need for submission to authority. Footnote: Some have attempted to restrict the passage as referring to supreme powers, or kings. However, any office which exercises the power to rule is included here. At every level, ruling authorities are in turn ruled by higher powers. There is no exception to the rule of submission, nor is there cause to pry into how such powers came to their office. The office exists, and the ruler fills the office by God's will. That suffices. Footnote: No boundary is explicitly placed on subjection in this verse, yet it is clear from the full counsel of Scripture, that our obedience to such earthly authorities extends only so far as such authorities remain within the will of God. "Power is from God, the abuse of power is from what is evil in men." Such scriptures as this present one look only at power properly wielded. God ordains the magistrate. Therefore, to resist authority is to resist God. He has chosen to give us governors for our good, unlike such pestilence and famine as He may use as a corrective for our sins. As instruments of God's providence, we ought cheerfully and willingly to respect the office, even when it is abused by evil men.
13:2: To resist God is to work to one's own ruin. To resist authority is to resist His providence, and must needs be punished. Such punishment will come not only from the earthly authority, but in God's own vengeance. They have contended with God, and they will pay the price.
13:3: If wickedness is not resisted, nor innocence protected, mankind must come to destruction. The earthly administration is the sole recourse for such resistance and protection. Thus, it behooves us to observe the laws they command, lest we become public enemies of humanity's cause. If we are doing good, we have no cause to dislike such authorities, and if we seek freedom from their rules, this speaks of our own evil intentions. Clearly, Paul views the authority who remains in God's will, but even where the authorities abuse their power, we must recognize the Lord's corrective punishment in choosing such an authority. As this is the case, we ought yet to honor the office, and to honor God's appointment to that office, recognizing that any evil in the case is our own. No tyranny is so extreme that the office loses every shred of justice. The worst tyrant yet serves to consolidate society. Even such governments as philosophers expound operate on these same principles: reward good and punish evil.
13:4: Here is the magistrate's job description. His power is not for his own use, but for the public good. He is accountable to God for the handling of his deputized powers. He is accountable to those he governs for using that power wisely. The ruled, at the same time, are reminded that it is God's goodness that provides them with this defense against the incursions of evil men. It is not a right, but a requirement upon the office of the magistrate that they enforce the rule of law upon those who will not accept its rule willingly. The punishment of evil is required on their part. He is God's appointed avenger in such cases. Footnote: (Ro 2:5 - Your stubbornness and lack of repentance is enlarging the wrath that will come to you in the day of God's righteous judgment. Ro 3:5 - If unrighteousness displays God's righteousness, are we to claim that He is unrighteous in inflicting the wrath of His judgment? Ro 4:15 - The law brings that wrathful judgment, but in the absence of such law, there can be no violation.) Wrath often stands for judgment. The magistrate is God's appointed executor. The sword is borne by him to be used by him in the service of justice. His use of the sword is in obedience to God. This stands as proof that there is a legitimate role for such lawful bloodshed even under Christian rule.
13:5: It is not sufficient for us to obey out of fear, or for lack of option. Our obedience is to be willing, knowing that in obeying, we obey God. It ought to be kept clearly in mind that civil authorities are the topic at hand in this passage. It cannot be used to enforce a dominion of conscience within the rule of the Church.
13:6: Footnote: The words used to describe the civil authorities here, and in verse 4, are the same terms used to describe the officers of the church. In both cases, the authorities are indeed ministries of God. Such taxes as we pay to the government are reasonable, as they provide the support needed for the government to enforce the rule of law. Whether the size of the tax is appropriate is not under discussion, nor is it our place as the governed to require an accounting from those who rule. At one and the same time, it well behooves the ruler to be ever mindful of the fact that such funds are public funds to be used in the public interest, and not for personal pleasures. The purposes for such taxes are specific, and the funds ought be used for no other purpose.
13:7: Honor, obedience, and such funds as are called for are our duty to authority. Footnote: The standard distinctions made between tax and custom is that tax is levied on property, and custom upon merchandise. In performing our proper duty towards authority we serve God, for He has called for us to respect them, not merely to obey for lack of options.

Matthew Henry (5/6/02-5/8/02)

13:1: It is the office, not the officer, that we are told to honor. However wicked the officer may be, the office remains honorable. Their wickedness does not excuse us from submission. (Ps 15:4 - They despise the reprobate, and honor those who fear the LORD. Such a god-fearer will swear even to his own hurt, and will not turn from his sworn course.) This section follows closely after the admonition to refrain from returning evil for evil so as to make clear that the punishment of such evil is right and proper. This does not require that our conscience be subject to such earthly authorities, yet our obedience is to be freely and sincerely given. (Ecc 10:20 - Even in your most private moments, curse neither king nor rich man, for the birds will carry that sound, and make your comments known. 1Pe 2:17 - Honor all men. Love the Church, fear God, and honor the king.) Such obedience and subjection is especially critical in times and places wherein the Church is seen as an enemy of the state. (Ezra 4:15-16 - Search the records, and you will see that this is a rebellious city which damages both kings and provinces. In the past, the city was laid waste because of the revolts it incited. We warn the king that if he allows the rebuilding of that city to be completed, he will lose his possession in that province.) It was imperative for the Roman church at that time to live so as to disprove all such charges of sedition. Such seditious attitudes were a particular danger amongst the Jewish converts, for they had long been taught not to submit to any leader not of their own nation. This, combined with the teaching that they were no longer under the law, made for great risk of poor behavior on their part. (Dt 17:15 - The king you have will be by God's choice, from among your countrymen. You are not to put a foreigner over yourself, but only a fellow countryman.) In a time when the sword of the magistrate was rather despised in Christian circles, and martyrdom fairly sought out, the adding of seditious actions to the mix would be too much for the Church to bear. Conscience requires that we obey, knowing that any authority that is, exists by God's decree. (Pr 8:15 - By Me kings reign, and rulers decree justice.) Abuse of that power is not of God, but the power is. (Jn 19:11 - You would have no authority over Me, if it had not been given to you from above. Because of this, the guilt is greater for those who delivered Me to you.) That we are governed at all is by God's design, for He sees that it is to our good that we are not left without such restraints. (1Pe 2:13-14 - Submit for the Lord's sake to every institution, whether to the king as highest authority, or to such governors as he sends to punish evil and praise right actions.)
13:2-13:3: Any resistance we offer to authority reflects poorly upon God, who institutes that authority. It will not go unpunished. God sets the magistrates for our blessing. (Ps 82:6 - I said, "You are gods, and you are all sons of God Most High.") This, because the magistrate bears the image of God's authority. There is no particular guidance here as to how the relationship of ruler and ruled is to be established. The only guidance given regards how we are to comport ourselves under such rule as we find ourselves placed. (1Ti 2:1-2 - I urge that prayers and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men, for kings and authorities, so that we can lead tranquil lives in godliness and dignity.) Such authorities carry the sword both for war and for justice. (Jdg 18:7 - Laish had no ruler, and no dealings with their neighbors.) Many will be restrained by the threat of such earthly retribution who will give no thought to the eternal retribution to come. (1Ti 1:9 - The law is made not for the righteous, but for the lawless rebel and the ungodly sinner, such as will kill their own parents.) Even Christian nations will have need of such laws, which must accord with the Gospel. Civil authorities will commend those who obey. Their power may be great, but it is aimed at those whose sin has made them obnoxious to all. Since it is the place of the magistrate to punish the sinful, we must subject ourselves.
13:4: Magistrates are repeatedly identified as God's ministers, His servants, and the dignity of such an office requires from them a proper fulfillment of their duties. To Him they will render an account. To resist such a minister in the performing of his duties is to resist God's own ordinance. As the magistrate is God's minister, he must be careful not to insert his own judgments into his work. Vengeance remains God's. The officer's judgment can address only the act, but God's judgment will address the thought that preceded the act. As a holy God, God cannot but hate sin, and testify against it at its every appearance. As a peaceful King, He will preserve order. As a good Protector, He will be a hedge around the good. As a merciful Master, He knows that by punishing a few, many will be prevented from their wickedness. Even such as are punished are punished as a kindness, that they might be saved in the final judgment by their punishment here and now.
13:5: Conscience requires that we subject ourselves to an office that has been designed for our good. Their power is reserved for the one made obnoxious by his own sin. What cause, then, for the good man to fear, and refuse their obedience? (Ps 12:1 - Help, oh God, for there remains no godly man, no faithful man, among all the sons of men. Ps 12:8 - I am surrounded by wicked men, who exalt the wickedness being done by their fellows.) However perverse the officer may be, yet the office remains a blessing, providing protection and order. We should rather submit patiently to unjust persecution at its hands than to seek our redress in rebellion to it. If Paul could submit his case to Nero, shall we not submit to our authorities, however they may be? If the government is our protection, it is our duty to do what we can to preserve it. To preserve the government is but to protect ourselves, in this case.
13:6: The officer filling that role has a taxing job, that will require of him all of his time and thought. It is a wearying job, and we who benefit from his labors ought to willingly consent to pay his upkeep. We cannot claim submission on the one hand and refuse support on the other.
13:7: Justice requires that we give to each his due, whether it be fiduciary or otherwise. We are but stewards of all we have, and we must be as just as our Lord in such dealings. Our duty is to God first, but hardly to God alone. We are duty bound to family both immediate and removed, to church and to nation, to those in need. Each of these, we owe their due, and we are to be ready and cheerful in the giving of it, needing no coercion of law. Tax and custom might be differentiated as the former referring to permanent taxes, and the latter to occasional taxes. Both are to be paid as they become due. Respect must also be maintained where it is due [not where it is earned, where it is due.] This is the due of every superior, parent, or master, as well as the Lord. This it the 5th commandment in action. (Lev 19:3 - Reverence your parents and keep My Sabbaths. I am God.) This is not a fearful respect, but a loving reverence shown in obedience. If this is not our heart attitude, no amount of duty or outward obedience will count as having given them their due.

Adam Clarke (5/9/02)

13:1: A bit of history… This letter was likely written a few years after Claudius had expelled the Jews, and in that time Christians were often thought to be much the same as Jews, and so came under the edict. (Ac 18:2 - Aquila and Priscilla had recently come from Rome due to Claudius' edict.) With their views regarding Gentiles and their own place in the order of the world, it would not be surprising to learn that the Jews were indeed often in revolt in Rome, as elsewhere. It is also not unthinkable that some Christians might be equally infected with this attitude, being the chosen people of God. Paul, by his careful writing is able at one and the same time to remind the Christian of his duty to authority, and to remind any authority into whose hands the letter might fall of his duty to the people. In his handling of this, Paul displays neither abjection nor flattery nor offensiveness. Even as he teaches our duty to obey, he clearly displays both the foundations and the boundaries of that authority we are to obey. Note that this rule of subjection is not applied solely to the Christian community, but to every man in every time and place. It is God's providence that has provided the governance we are under. We must accept and obey. As God is the supreme ruler of the universe, any authority that is, must come as delegated by Him. Society requires governance to continue, and God has seen to that throughout the ages. Most nations have a constitution, or like document, which acts as a contract between the governor and the governed. It is thus agreed and arranged that he shall be the source of law and order, and in properly fulfilling the duties of his office, he acts as God's minister. The most evil of rulers, should he rule in accord with the constitution, removes all grounds for just rebellion by his people. To rebel in this case would be sinful. Only where his rule is contrary to the agreed constitution can the governor be opposed. In that case, he has breached the contract, and it is no longer binding on the ruled. In matters of moral conduct, the governor is accountable to God. Only in matters of political conduct is he accountable to the people. Moral and political conduct may be of completely opposite nature in the man. King Saul was a moral man, yet in breaching the constituted law of Israel, he showed himself a bad ruler. (Ac 13:22 - God removed him, and raised up David to be king, finding in David a man who would do all His will.) So it was, also, with King James II and the birth of America. He was morally decent, but sought to so alter the British constitution as to break it. This is not to discount the adverse impact of an immoral ruler on the morality of the ruled. His example will soon prove contagious. After the same fashion, the ruler who is both morally and politically upright is a double blessing to the nation he rules, for his example will also prove contagious. A recent example of such a blessed ruler would be King George III of England. That there is no ulterior motive behind this choice, and the praise given him, can be seen by the fact that he is long since past the point where such comments could influence him.
13:2: Where one sets himself against the ruler with no proper reason, he is himself guilty of breaking the covenant of the constitution, as well as of opposing God himself. Such change as these seek is an illegal change, for which effort the spirit and the letter of the constitution condemn them as subversives.
13:3: Here, the ruler is shown his rules. The power he is given must be used to serve the community he rules, not self interest. If he should misuse this power, he is not only morally bad, he is also politically bad. If he would abuse the religious for their religion, he shows himself a plague upon his nation. Yet even this, if it be done within the bounds of that nation's constitution, does not give cause to rebel. The Christian, in that case, is called to suffer patiently, and trust in God to be just. Rare indeed are the circumstances under which rebellion may be justified. If authority scares you, learn to live within the law. This will leave you with nothing to expect from them but praise. This, of course, presumes that the authority is at least politically proper in his official duties.
13:4: Whether it seem so or not, the man in office is there by divine appointment. If he is worthy of that appointment, he will conform to God's will. He has been given power to be a defense to the good and to punish the wicked, even to the pursuit of capital punishment, if such is what the law demands. It is his duty to punish as the wrath of God demands, in accord with the laws under which he governs. Theirs is not to judge according to their own thoughts and feelings, but according to the declared laws of the land.
13:5: Fear of punishment is not, for us, a sufficient motivation for obedience. Our desire for a clear conscience and a clean heart should lead us to obey, since authority is by God's ordering, and is for our good. To break the law of the land would expose one not only to the temporal penalties of the civil authority, but also to the punishment of God against whom such a one sins. Both punishment and conscience serve to keep the God fearing man from such actions.
13:6: As ministers of God, these men are certainly worthy of their wage, and such wage comes from the taxes placed upon the people. Where such taxes are impartial and reasonable, they are certainly right, and ought to be paid. This does not justify such excessive taxes as may be raised to support an unprincipled war, or to pay off corrupt officials. Taxes are for the support of necessary authorities and officers.
13:7: Be just in your treatment of all men. From the highest ruler to the lowest of men, we are to give to each all that he is due. If taxes and duties are called for, they are to be paid. Period. All who are in office are to be given the respect due that office. Superiors are to be obeyed. Be rude to no man.

Barnes' Notes (5/10/02)

13:1: We are addressing the duty of Christians to government, which was of particular import for the early Roman church. As Christianity is a kingdom developing within many kingdoms, with the Lord God as sovereign ruler, it is needful to explain what our role is with regard to civil authority. At the time of this letter, many rulers were immoral in private conduct and oppressive in public matters, and this would soon reach deadly proportions for the Christian community. The question of what allegiance was owed to such leadership could not but be asked. Jewish Christians, in particular, would have brought their ingrained disdain for pagan rule along with them. Were they to allow their disdain to boil up in rebellion, it would reflect upon all of Christianity. The Gentiles also brought baggage with them. Having so recently rejected the idolatry which surrounded these governments, their reaction could as easily lead to rebellion against the government. Clearly, there were and are conditions which require the Christian to stand against the law of the land, idol worship being high on the list. But where to draw the line? This chapter lays out the principles that will help us to draw the line accurately. Submit as a soldier does to an officer. Be willing to occupy your proper place. The authority of government, to which we are to subject ourselves, is that which is established within the country's constitution. (Mt 10:1 - Christ gave His disciples authority over unclean spirits, that they might cast them out, and heal diseases. Mt 28:18 - All authority is given Me in heaven and on earth.) If we consider ourselves subject to God, we must also be subject to His appointees. How the man has achieved office is not the issue. That God has appointed the office, and the man to fill it is. It is a matter of His providence. (Ps 75:7 - God is Judge. He humiliates one and exalts another. Da 2:21 - He alone changes times and eras, removing and installing kings. He alone makes wise men wise, and learned men knowledgeable. Da 4:17 - This is the decision of the Most High God, that men might understand that He rules, and He gives the right to rule His kingdom to whom He wishes, however lowly the man might be. Da 4:25 - You will be driven from mankind to dwell with the beasts. You will eat as the cattle eat for seven seasons, until you understand that the Most High rules over mankind, and determines who will govern for Him. Da 4:34-35 - In the end, I lifted my eyes to heaven and reason returned. I blessed the Most High, praising and honoring the eternal One. His rule is everlasting and His kingdom endures. In His thoughts, men count for nothing. He does what He will in heaven and on earth, and none can stop Him, nor can they question His actions.) However a ruler may have come to power, He has done so by God's permission and providence. He sets them in order, and changes His orders as He will. This does not mean that He approves of their misconduct, nor that their actions will always be right. It also does not mean that our subjection is absolute. Where their laws oppose God's, God's must win. (Ac 4:19 - You tell us. Will God be more pleased by our obedience to Him or to you? Ac 5:29 - We must obey God rather than men.) The question being addressed here is not subjection to abusive powers, but whether any subjection at all can be required, to which Paul answers yes. There is also, in this, a prohibition upon involvement in political power struggles.
13:2: To oppose the government is to seek anarchy, and it is also to oppose God Himself, unless that government is itself opposing God. If the government is established, it is established by God. "If the government is established, and if its decisions are not a manifest violation of the laws of God, we are to submit to them." To oppose, then, is a crime, and will be punished. (Ro 3:8 - Those who take the power of redemption as permission to sin the more are justly condemned. 1Co 11:29 - If you do not judge rightly in your choice of food and drink, your eating and drinking will bring judgment on yourself. Gal 5:10 - I am confident that you will choose no other viewpoint. The one who has disturbed you with this opposing view will bear his judgment.) The judgment for opposition may well come from the government, but whether it does or not, it is clear that God will also be displeased, and will also punish.
13:3: In general, the virtuous need fear nothing from their rulers. The office is designed to punish evil and protect good. (1Ti 1:9 - Understand that the law is not made for the righteous, but for the lawless rebel, the ungodly sinner, for those who would kill their own parents.) Here we have a reason to submit. It is useful to us. As it is a protection to us, we ought to support it. If it should become a harbor for evil, though, our obligation is done away with. Fear is a restraint upon crime, often the most powerful. If you would avoid fear, behave in accord with all just laws. (1Pe 2:14-15 - Submit to governors, for they are sent by God to punish evil and praise good. This is God's will: that by doing right you might silence foolish charges made against us.) Protection and reputation are both reasonable motives for our obedience. We ought all to desire to be known for seeking the welfare of our country in justice.
13:4: He is appointed by God to minister for your benefit. It is his job to protect your rights and liberty. He is not a reward to you, but you will certainly have reward from his proper execution of his office, in knowing yourself defended and secure. The lawbreaker should indeed fear the vengeance of the law, for God does not leave His leaders powerless. The sword is a symbol of authority, but it is far more than just a symbol. It is the power to enforce authority. (Ro 12:19b - Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.) It is His, but He often executes His vengeance through His subordinates. Whether He avenges directly, or through such authorities as He has established, it remains His act. The taking of life is not a right of any man or any society. It is God's right, and those whose office it is to judge must judge by His thoughts, and not by their own opinions. If His subordinates will not give justice, He will often take the matter up Himself, punishing via plague or other means. (Ro 1:18 - The wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness, against all who suppress truth in unrighteousness.) This verse is a strong defense of the rightfulness of capital punishment. Society has gone soft on justice, allowing the murderer to live in the name of humanity. Yet, is it humane to allow the murderer to continue his craft, and take more innocent lives? God says no. (Ge 9:5-6 - By whatever may take the life of a man, I will require that man's blood, be it man or beast. Whoever sheds man's blood shall shed his own blood at the hands of man, for God made man in His own image.)
13:5: We have already been told to obey because God appointed the ruler, and because disobedience would expose us to punishment. To this, Paul now adds the issue of propriety. It is fit that we would submit. It is a high obligation for us to do so, not out of fear alone, but because it is our duty to God. (Mt 22:21 - Give Caesar what is due him, and give God what is due Him. Ecc 8:2 - Keep the king's command because of the oath of God.)
13:6: Conscience requires that we will support these appointees of God, as we would any other minister. Tribute was the payment for national defense, an annual levy. To support them is to honor God's arrangement. Their situation as God-appointed rulers should give them a holy awe for the duty entrusted to them. Their devotion to their duty deserves our support. Abusive taxes must be tolerated, as with any other official abuse, until a proper way of remedy can be found.
13:7: (Mt 22:21 - Give Caesar his things, and God God's. Mt 17:25-27 - Whom do kings take their tax money from, sons or strangers? From strangers. The sons are exempt. Therefore, give no offense, but take the money you will find when you go fishing, and give it in our name. 1Pe 2:13-17 - Submit to every institution, for the Lord's sake, whether it be to king or governor. The governor is there to punish evil and praise right. This is God's will, that you, by doing what is right, might silence foolish ignorance in those who accuse us. Act as free, but don't use your freedom as a cover for doing evil. Use your freedom as slaves of God. Honor all men. Love your brother, fear God, and honor the king. Pr 24:21 - Fear the LORD and the king. Don't associate with those who seek to change the order of things.) Ours is not to break up the proper order of society, but to establish it. Each is to be treated as he ought, given what is rightly his. Obedience is rightly given to the ruler. Taxes are no different than any other debt we might incur, and should be paid as cheerfully as any other bill. We ought to hold the officers of justice in proper awe and respect, doing nothing that would offend them. Whereas fear arises from contemplation of punishment, honor does not. Christ took up no fight against the honor due an official, nor should we. (Ac 24:3 - We acknowledge your good work in office, your excellency, Felix, with all thankfulness. Ac 26:25 - I am not insane, most excellent Festus, but speak words of most sober truth. Lk 1:3 - It seemed fitting to investigate these things thoroughly, and write my findings out for you, most excellent Theophilus, in proper order. 1Pe 2:17 - Honor all men. Love your brother, fear God, honor the king.) The duty we have towards our leaders is but duty owed to God, and should be considered no less. Government is essential, as God has recognized. He has arranged for it, and never supports anarchy and disorder. Civil authorities depend on God, who controls them utterly, and can dispose them as He desires. God's authority supercedes all civil rule. Civil rulers do not have the authority to regulate religion. Their only concern with religion is to protect it. Peoples' rights must be preserved, especially the right to worship according to the dictates of conscience, so long as their actions do not violate community peace. There is no civil right to persecute Christians, or to force their conformity. "Conscience cannot be compelled." The struggle between civil law and conscience has been long. Civil authority seems ever to seek the right to rule over religion, even in Christian lands. In this, the Christian is compelled to stand resistant. The right of conscience will prevail, though persecutions have and will come. In America, we have come to understand that the civil ruler is bound by his proper limits, and the Christian is bound to cheerful obedience to his laws. Thanks be to God that this is so.

Wycliffe (5/11/02)

13:1-13:2: Paul now explores our responsibilities to government, to each other, and to ourselves. "Obedience to the state is an ordinance of God." Both the office and the one who holds it are to be held in respect.
13:3-13:4: The description Paul gives of the ruler shows that he is considering one who rules well. Even the force of law, its ability to impose itself, is God-ordained. Note well that the officer is a minister of God.
13:5-13:7: Both God's wrath against those who will not obey, and the Christian's own conscience require our obedience to governmental authorities in all regards. As believers, this is an obligation for us.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown (5/11/02)

13:1: Given the state of Rome at the time of this letter's writing, Christians there must have been deeply concerned with regard to their duties to such government as they were under. (Ac 18:2 - Aquila and Priscilla had come recently from Italy because Claudius had commanded that all Jews leave Rome.) These political concerns are as needful to address for Christians as are their societal concerns. We must submit, for whatever authorities are in place, they are in place by God's ordinance.
13:2: Those who would resist the authorities place themselves under God's own judgment of condemnation.
13:3: Insomuch as rulers rule well, they are no cause for fear in those who live well. Even such abuses as Nero took with his power do not abrogate the principles Paul is teaching here.
13:4: The sword is both symbol and tool of authority, well able to punish evil.
13:5: Fear of punishment is not our reason for obeying, although it is a strong incentive. Reverence for God's authority should be our true motivation in obeying. This is not to suggest that we have no recourse in improving our governments, but that until they are improved, our obedience is still required. Given the revolutionary flavor of the Christian message, it is all the more critical that we show ourselves loyal and submissive subjects of our country, that any seditions charged against us may be shown false.
13:6: What is shown of the government's nature is also the explanation for taxation, showing that institution to be equally valid.
13:7: The application moves from rulers, down through other such authorities as may be, to mankind in general. Each is to have such payment and honor as is due them, and the least of men still deserves to be honored.

New Thoughts (5/12/02-5/13/02)

Why should we obey? The most sound of reasons have been given us here, the highest of which is that our obedience is unto God. To obey His subordinates is to obey Him. As children of God, we should have a healthy, loving respect for His authority, knowing that He is a good ruler. If we say we have that respect for Him, yet refuse to accept those He sends to rule over us, what truth is there in our words? We serve God, who knows our hearts. Lip service will no more suffice here than it would in the temple. Obedience that comes from fear will not suffice. He doesn't ask for that for Himself. He would not seek it for His subordinates. He seeks those who will follow after Him with loving reverence. He seeks those who will show that love for Him in obeying Him. Obedience without that heartfelt love and reverence will never suffice. It is less than what is due.

God knows the heart and thoughts of man. This knowledge, His subordinates do not share. They can only judge the actions of mankind, they cannot assess the true thoughts that led to the act. This remains God's jurisdiction alone. That is why the motivation for our obedience is so critical. If the thoughts are not in obedience, then there is in reality no obedience at all. The willful child may do what he or she is told, if sufficient force is brought to bear, but the will remains unbent. God is looking for those who will bend their wills willingly to His will.

This is our duty to Him, to hear and obey. This is but a part of our duty, and our duty is to God only in part. His is the first and greatest object of our duty to obedience, but it is not to Him alone. As He has chosen to delegate His authority to others in our lives, He has also chosen to require that we give a share of our obedience to those authorities He has delegated. He remains first in all things. If there is a conflict between His rule and the rule of His delegates, His rule supercedes, and our duty to Him overrules all conflicting commands.

Yet, our duty does not stop with those civil authorities which are over us. In Christ, we were called to become the servants of all. If we are servants of all then all, in some degree or another are in authority over us. This is not a covenanted authority, not a matter of contractual obligation, it is a matter of our own choosing, because Christ has asked it of us. Even to the least of men, we owe honorable and respectful treatment. Even to the least of men, we have a duty to listen and love impartially. This is what God has called us to. This is His commandment for His children.

Returning to the matter of civil authority, the question seems to remain regarding where we can and must draw the line. When does it become proper to cease our obedience? Mr. Clarke finds an answer in the foundations laid when civil rulers are accepted. The constitution upon which the government stands is a covenanted relationship, a contract between the ruler and the ruled. In choosing to live under a particular rule, you have chosen to live under the rules that established it. In choosing to lead a people governed by such rules, you have sworn to act within the bounds of those rules, and to enforce those rules and no other.

From this stance, the constitution, that binding contract between ruler and ruled, is the line. If and only if the ruler crosses the lines established in that contract is there call to break from his rule. In that situation, the ruler has breached contract, and thus made its obligations null and void on both parties. An interesting variant of this applied rule is that where the ruler attempts to change the constitution (one assumes without the approval of the ruled), this is no different than breaking it.

The corollary to this is, of course, that if a people rebels against its government - however vile that government may be - that has adhered to its own constitution, then that people has become party to a contractual breach. They have broken oath, and no oath is sworn without God's witness - even if the parties involved do not call upon Him directly. The morals of the ruler, however bad they may be, do not constitute sufficient cause. For his morals, the ruler is accountable to God. Only in matters of political conduct, in the carrying out of his office, is he accountable to man.