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Deuteronomy 17:12
And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.

Ephesians 5:21
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Titus 3:1
Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

there.

1 Samuel 2:8
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust,and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to setthem among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earthare the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.

1 Chronicles 28:4,5
Howbeit the LORD God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judahto be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to makeme king over all Israel: …

Psalm 62:11
God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that powerbelongeth unto God.

ordained.

for there is no authority except that which is from God
This phrase underscores the sovereignty of God over all earthly powers. It reflects the biblical worldview that God is the ultimate source of all authority, as seen inDaniel 2:21, where God is described as the one who "changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others." This understanding provides comfort and assurance to believers, knowing that even imperfect human governments are under God's control. It also serves as a reminder of God's providence and the divine order established in creation.

The authorities that exist have been appointed by God
This statement reinforces the idea that all existing authorities are established by divine appointment. It echoes the Old Testament teaching found inProverbs 8:15-16, where wisdom personified declares, "By me kings reign and rulers issue decrees that are just; by me princes govern, and nobles—all who rule on earth." This perspective encourages believers to view political and social structures as part of God's plan, even when they do not align with personal or cultural preferences. It also calls for a recognition of God's ultimate purpose and plan, which can work through any government, as seen in the lives of biblical figures like Joseph and Daniel, who served under foreign rulers yet remained faithful to God.

Paul begins with an all-inclusive command: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1).

• “Everyone” leaves no believer outside its scope (compare1 Peter 2:13 – 17,Titus 3:1).

• “Submit” pictures a voluntary placing of oneself under legitimate order.

• God uses civil structures to restrain chaos and protect life; cooperating with that design honors Him.

• Submission is not blind obedience; when earthly rulers command disobedience to God, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Even then, the believer maintains respect and accepts consequences, as the apostles did (Acts 4:19-21).

• Living under lawful authority—paying taxes, following just laws, showing civic respect—becomes a public testimony (Matthew 22:21).

Paul grounds the call to submit in God’s sovereignty: “there is no authority except that which is from God.”

• All authority—kings, presidents, local officials—derives its right to rule from the Creator (Proverbs 8:15-16).

• God alone “removes kings and establishes them” (Daniel 2:21). Even Pilate heard Jesus say, “You would have no power over Me if it were not given you from above” (John 19:11).

• Because authority flows from God, resisting it without biblical cause means resisting God’s order.

• This truth stabilizes the heart when governments are flawed. He used Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, and Cyrus to fulfill His purposes (Exodus 9:16;Jeremiah 27:5-6;Isaiah 44:28).

• Knowing God stands behind the concept of government curbs despair, panic, or rage when politics disappoint.

Paul presses farther: existing rulers “have been appointed by God.”

• Not merely the concept of government but specific leaders sit in office by divine appointment (Psalm 75:6-7).

• Their appointment does not guarantee righteousness; it guarantees accountability (Psalm 2).

• Believers respond by:

– Praying “for kings and all in authority” so “we may live peaceful and quiet lives” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

– Honoring and paying what is due—taxes, revenue, respect—(Romans 13:7).

– Working for the good of the land (Jeremiah 29:7) while keeping ultimate hope fixed on Christ’s coming kingdom.

• When earthly authority shakes, we remember an unshakable throne governs every throne (Revelation 19:16).

Romans 13:1 answers the believer’s relationship to civil power: submission is the default posture because government exists by God’s design, operates under His permission, and is populated by leaders He appoints. Cooperation with rightful authority honors God, steadies society, and bears witness to the gospel. Resistance is reserved only for commands that contradict God’s higher law, and even then is carried out with respect and trust in His sovereign rule.

(1-7)Subject unto the higher powers.--Looking impartially at the passage which follows, it would seem at first sight--and perhaps not only at first sight--that the Apostle distinctly preaches two doctrines, both of which are now discredited, the doctrines of divine right and of passive obedience. The duty of obedience is grounded upon the fact that the power wielded by the magistrate is derived from God, and that duty itself is stated without qualification.

What are we to understand by this? Are we to say, for instance, that Hampden was wrong in refusing the payment of ship-money? Or if he was not wrong--and the verdict of mankind has generally justified his act--what are we to think of the language that is here used by St. Paul?

1. In the first place it should be noticed that though the duty of obedience is here stated without qualification, still the existence of qualifications to it is not therefore denied or excluded. Tribute is to be paid to whom tribute is due. But this still leaves the question open, whether in any particular case tribute is rightfully due or not. There may possibly be a conflict of rights and duties, and the lower may have to yield to the higher. All that is alleged is that,prima facie, the magistrate can claim the obedience of the subject. But supposing the magistrate calls upon the subject to do that which some other authority co-ordinate with that of the magistrate forbids--supposing, for instance, as in the case of Hampden, under a constitutional monarchy, the king commands one thing, and the Parliament another--there is clearly a conflict of obligations, and the decision which accepts the one obligation is not necessarily wrong because it ignores the other. There will always be a certain debatable ground within which opposite duties will seem to clash, and where general principles are no longer of any avail. Here the individual conscience must assume the responsibility of deciding which to obey.

We are not called upon to enter into the casuistry of the subject. It may only be well to add one caution. Any such seemingly direct collision of duties must be at the very lightest a most serious and difficult matter; and though the burden of deciding falls ultimately on the individual, still he must be careful to remember that his particular judgment is subject to that fallibility to which, all individual judgments are liable. Where the precept is appealed to, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's," one man will say that the particular point in question comes under the first head, another that it comes under the second. In either case a great responsibility is assumed, and it is especially desirable that the judgment of the individual should be fortified by the consent of others, if possible by the suffrages of the majority of those who are in a position to judge. It is one thing to say that a conflict of duties may arise, and that the higher is to be obeyed. It is another thing to say that in a certain given case such conflict has arisen, and that the duty which commends itself to the individual is the higher of the two. Whatever the decision arrived at, it ought not to be made in a spirit of levity, nor ought it to be supposed that the dictum of the single conscience bears anything like the same validity as the universal principles of morals. And there will be the further drawback, that in such cases the individual usually acts as judge in his own cause, where his conscience is pretty sure to be biased. There is therefore a very strongonus probandi thrown upon the person who takes upon himself to overrule what is in itself a clear obligation.

2. But the question of political obedience cannot be rightly considered without taking into account the relation of Christianity to political life generally, neither can this isolated passage in an Epistle of St. Paul's be considered apart from other teaching upon the same subjects in the rest of the New Testament. Very similar language, it will be remembered, is found in1Peter 2:13-17. And going back to the fountain-head of Christian doctrine, we find, indeed, no express statements, but several significant facts and some important intimations. When He was arrested by the civil power, and unjustly tried and condemned, our Lord made no resistance. Not only so, but when resistance was made on His behalf, He rebuked the disciple who had drawn the sword for Him. When the didrachma was demanded of Him, which it was customary for the Jew to pay towards the repair and maintenance of the Temple, He, though as Lord of the Temple He claimed exemption, nevertheless, for fear of putting a stumbling-block in the way of others, supplied the sum required by a miracle. On another occasion, when a question was asked as to the legitimacy of the Roman tribute, He replied in words already quoted, "Render to Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and to God the things which are God's." And, lastly, when appeal was made to Him to settle a disputed inheritance, He refused, saying to His petitioner, "Man, who made Me a judge or a divider over you?" Here we have really the key to the whole question. So far as His practice was concerned, our Lord pursued a course of simple obedience; into the theory of political or civil obligation He absolutely refused to enter. The answer, "Render to Caesar," &c., left matters precisely as they stood, for the real question was, "What was Caesar's, and what was not?" The ambiguity of the reply was intended. It was practically a refusal to reply at all.

The significance of this comes out very strikingly when it is contrasted with the state of feeling and opinion current among the Jews at the same time. With them politics and religion were intimately blended. They carried into the former sphere the fanaticism natural to the latter. Their religious hopes took a political form. The dominion of the Messiah was to be not a spiritual, but a literal dominion, in which they, as a people, were to share.

Clearly, the relations which our Lord assumed towards politics had especial reference to this attitude of the Jews. He wished to disabuse His disciples once and for all of this fatal confusion of two spheres in themselves so distinct. He wished to purify and to spiritualise their conception of the "Kingdom of Heaven," which He came to found. And, lastly, He finally submitted to the civil power, as the instrument divinely employed to inflict upon Him those sufferings which were to be the cause of our redemption.Vicit patiendo.

It would seem as if by some intuitive perception the disciples entered into the intention of their Master. Towards the civil power they maintained an attitude of absolute submission. They refused to avail themselves of the elements of fanaticism which existed wherever there were Jews, and at the head of which they might easily have placed themselves. Instead of this, they chose to suffer and die, and their sufferings did what force could never have done--they leavened and Christianised the world.

3. It is an expression of this deliberate policy (if by that name it may be called) which we find in these first seven verses of Romans 13. At the same time, the Apostle may very well have had a special as well as a general object. The Church at Rome was largely composed of Jews, and these would naturally be imbued with the fanatical spirit of their countrymen. The very mention of the Messiah would tend to fan their smouldering passions into flame. The Apostle would be aware of this. His informants at Rome may have told him of excitement prevailing among the Jewish portion of the community. His experience in Palestine would tell him to what unscrupulous acts of violence this might lead. And he forestalls the danger by an authoritative and reasoned description of the attitude which the Christian ought to assume. . . .