| |
13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
(ESV)
In Chapter 13, Paul’s focus is the authority of the government, and how the Christian should respond to such authority. In Paul’s time, there were overzealous Jews who claimed that they would honor no authority other than God, and therefore, pay no taxes to any authority other than God. Sounds kind of convenient doesn’t it? It reminds me of the passage in Matthew 22 where the Pharisees along with the Romans try and catch Jesus off-guard by asking him about politics. Jesus very plainly says, “give to Caesar what is his, and give to God what is his.”
Paul’s writings affirm the same position. There is no authority on this planet that hasn’t been allowed by God himself. Therefore, when we don’t submit to authority, we question the sovereignty of God. In fact, Paul makes it clear that the person who rebels against the governing authorities rebels against God.
It sounds to me like Paul is arguing that Christians should set the standard for what is considered a “good citizen.” We see a tremendous example of this in Scripture with Daniel, who earns respect from the foreign leaders around him, yet knows exactly when to draw the line when his faith is challenged.
We can’t assume that following and respecting authority means we have to compromise on our faith. But sadly, many Christians these days are quick to use their “rights” to veto any obligation to authority. To those observing who do not believe, this kind of attitude sends a message loud and clear that Christians are no different than any other type of person in the world.
Paul says it best when he writes, “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.”