Romans 13:1–7 says the following:
“[1] 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. [2] Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. [3] 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, [4] 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. [5] Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. [6] For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. [7] 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.”
Does the Passage above describe all governing authorities? More to the point, how do we know when a governing authority is the one described above? In this context, a government that doesn’t preside with God in mind is not a governing authority; it is simply a government.
How can we determine the difference? The Bible, which is the Word of God, gives us the liberty of discerning who is a governing authority and who is merely a government that has no interest in acting as a government according to what God loves, wants and would find as being good. The Bible gives us the liberty to:
-“watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught,” as stated within Romans 16:17-18. These people may linger within governments whom those of us who strive for righteousness would not consider to be governing authorities.
- “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,” as stated in 1 John 4:1. Such spirits, along with those who cause divisions, also linger among those who serve in a government enough to render it lacking the stature of a governing authority.
-Have nothing to do with a person who “stirs up division,” “knowing that such a person is warped and sinful” and “is self-condemned,” as stated within Titus 3:10–11.
The Bible does not prevent us from personally judging a person in terms of whether they truly support a governing authority or they merely support a government that has avoided God. Jesus provides an example when, in John 19:10–11, Pontius Pilate says to Jesus “Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus responds, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” Jesus laid it out…Pilate may represent a government, but he doesn’t represent a governing authority under God. The Bible does not prevent everyday people from making a similar judgement on those who are in the government but who lack the love of God and the love for all who love God as God wants.
Just as Jesus rejected Pilate’s authority, the Bible does not prevent us from rejecting the authority of a government we have determined has not been given the authority of God to preside over us.
“[1] 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. [2] Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. [3] 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, [4] 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. [5] Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. [6] For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. [7] 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.”
Does the Passage above describe all governing authorities? More to the point, how do we know when a governing authority is the one described above? In this context, a government that doesn’t preside with God in mind is not a governing authority; it is simply a government.
How can we determine the difference? The Bible, which is the Word of God, gives us the liberty of discerning who is a governing authority and who is merely a government that has no interest in acting as a government according to what God loves, wants and would find as being good. The Bible gives us the liberty to:
-“watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught,” as stated within Romans 16:17-18. These people may linger within governments whom those of us who strive for righteousness would not consider to be governing authorities.
- “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,” as stated in 1 John 4:1. Such spirits, along with those who cause divisions, also linger among those who serve in a government enough to render it lacking the stature of a governing authority.
-Have nothing to do with a person who “stirs up division,” “knowing that such a person is warped and sinful” and “is self-condemned,” as stated within Titus 3:10–11.
The Bible does not prevent us from personally judging a person in terms of whether they truly support a governing authority or they merely support a government that has avoided God. Jesus provides an example when, in John 19:10–11, Pontius Pilate says to Jesus “Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus responds, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” Jesus laid it out…Pilate may represent a government, but he doesn’t represent a governing authority under God. The Bible does not prevent everyday people from making a similar judgement on those who are in the government but who lack the love of God and the love for all who love God as God wants.
Just as Jesus rejected Pilate’s authority, the Bible does not prevent us from rejecting the authority of a government we have determined has not been given the authority of God to preside over us.
