Romans 13:1-7 - Absolute or Limited Obedience to State?

It's a hotly debated topic - does Romans 13:1-7 give absolute or limited obedience to the authorities set over us? Covid 19 and its entourage of regulations and mandates (including those requiring churches to suspend gatherings and worship) has caused many Christians to re-examine afresh these passages of Paul's letter.  It's my strong assertion that every Christian needs to earnestly weigh these verses up, against the whole Counsel of God and also looking at our current situation. Romans 13 (verses 1-7) is about subjection by the Christian to authorities or ‘higher powers’, which can include Civil government – the ‘State’. Here’s the full text (KJV):

Here’s my paraphrase and emphases - Romans 13:1-7:

1. Every Christian’s default position should be to submit to the higher powers which are set in place over us by God.
2. To take a different position, to rebel against the authorities that the LORD has appointed, will be judged and not go well for us.
3. If we act righteously, we have nothing worry about – people placed in authority by God are there to aid us and for the good of everyone and we will be blessed by Him in doing good.
4. Rulers are there to uphold good works (as defined by God; His laws) and as such, are no problem to us or need not be feared when we too engage in good conduct. Further, the rulers will honour, praise, approve of and commend us when we engage in good conduct.
5. If we act in bad conduct however (again, defined by God; evil), we should fear the consequences. That is, if we want to be unafraid of the authorities, we must do the good that God defines.
6. A person in authority (now singular) is put in place by God to serve for good (to uphold His laws). But if we do evil, we should fear because that person, who is a servant of God for good, will administer God’s justice against the person who does evil.
7. With this in mind, we must submit under the authority of the person placed and serving for good, to both avoid God’s anger and to keep a clear conscience. (Our conscience should align with the ‘good works’ defined by God in His Word and therefore also be aligned with the good works that the rulers are to uphold. We submit on this basis.) 
8. In line with this, you also pay taxes, since the authorities are put in place to be ministers of God and are to be paid as such.
9. Give to everyone what you owe them: pay taxes to whom you owe them, revenue to whom you owe, respect to whom you owe, honour to whom you owe. (We give this to be repaid in all the blessings and advantages of good public government.)

There is a lot in here about doing good and doing wrong and a lot of presuppositions are made by Paul; namely, that authority figures are there to do GOOD, by upholding God’s laws. In line with that, we submit under them. Peter echoes this in his statements on submitting to authorities:

But what if our authorities and governments are not acting as ministers of God for our good, but are acting for evil instead? Are we always to obey them? It is interesting that Paul uses the Greek word ‘hypotassō’^[1], meaning ‘to subject’ or ‘be subject to’, in Romans 13:1. There’s another word, ‘hupakouo’^[2], which literally means ‘to obey a command’ or ‘to conform’. Peter and Paul could have used this stronger, more black-and-white word, ‘obey’, but they both chose not to. Hupokouo is used 21 times in the New Testament and always denotes a hierarchical context, as in the relationship between children or slaves and their parents or masters (Ephesians 6:1 and 6:5).

Other examples of hypotassō (limited subjection):

• “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” – Ephesians 5:21
• “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” – Colossians 3:18 (NKJV)
• “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” – 1 Peter 5:5 (NKJV)

Examples of hupakouo (unconditional obedience to a command):

• “And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” – Mark 4:41 (NKJV)
• “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:14 (NKJV)
• “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” – Hebrews 11:8 (NKJV)

We can see then, from the New Testament Greek, that to submit does not always mean to obey. They are two separate actions or postures. Thus, Romans 13 does not prescribe unlimited obedience to the authorities. In fact, it’s a great and clear statement on the limits set on civil government, which is not at liberty to make up its own power structures, void of God.

A common objection to this that is often heard is that Paul was speaking these verses about obedience at the time of the Emperor Nero, who was anything but a godly leader. Therefore, if submission applied then, it surely must for us! Incidentally though, Paul wrote Romans 13:1-7 in a time of peace under Nero, not tyranny. Samuel Rutherford corrects this kind of thinking in ‘Lex, Rex’^[3]: “If Paul had intended that they should have given obedience to Nero, as the only essential judge, he would have designed him by the noun in the singular number.” In other words, Rutherford is explaining that Paul is not writing about Nero any more than he is writing about any current president, prime minister or king. Rather, he is describing what ought to be in the designated offices of authority. These words are prescriptive rather than descriptive. Paul was simply admitting that there are some things that belong to Caesar and that we must render those things to him. He wasn’t for a moment suggesting that the king could demand along with taxes what belonged to God. Paul wrote at a time when ‘civil disobedience’ was an ordinary part of Christian life. In Acts, we read repeated instructions and warnings to the apostles and early believers plainly telling them what they must not do, irrespective of what the authorities may or may not think and prescribe. Let’s explore, then, the extent and limits of submission in the context of Romans 13:1-7 and its surrounding chapters. 

• “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” – Ephesians 5:21
• “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” – Colossians 3:18 (NKJV)
• “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” – 1 Peter 5:5 (NKJV)
• “And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” – Mark 4:41 (NKJV)
• “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:14 (NKJV)
• “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” – Hebrews 11:8 (NKJV)
  

[Note: This analysis of Romans 13:1-7 is taken from my acclaimed, best-selling book, 'Romans 13 and Covid 19', read by thousands of people worldwide and used as a resource for truth in these times. You can buy the book here. ]

Further, we must be careful to bring what Peter says in Acts 5:29 into our theological discussion, analysis and practical outworking of our remits and scope of subjection to the powers that be. His words to us back up the premise that Romans 13:1-7 offers limited, rather than absolute subjection to the civil authorities:

When the State commands something that God forbids, or forbids something that God commands (such as worship, gatherings or evangelism), we have a clear precedent on what to do...

Romans 13:1-7 Page References

[1] ‘G5293 - Hypotassō - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV)’. Blue Letter Bible, https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/gen/1/1/s_1001.

[2] ‘G5219 - Hypakouō - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV)’. Blue Letter Bible, https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/gen/1/1/s_1001.

[3] Rutherford, Samuel. Lex, Rex: The Law and the Prince. Sprinkle Publications, 1955. (Original work published 1644).

My acclaimed best-selling book, 'Romans 13 and Covid 19: Knowledge, Warnings and Encouragement for the Church and World' explores Romans 13:1-7 in depth. Do get yourself a copy for a truly thorough, well-researched and fact-checked appraisal of all things Covid and its wider context and a clear, Biblical roadmap for living faithfully and free in your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ at this time. 

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