Romans 13: Christians, the government, and the law of love. In chapter 13, Paul continues his discourse on the Christian life, once again drawing heavily from the teachings of Jesus. As in chapter 12, Paul is not giving these directives as suggestions but as commandments. Once we have been saved, walking closely with Christ and producing godly fruit is not optional. So Paul is continuing to develop his sixth key point.
Point six: Whether we are Jews or Gentiles, after our initial salvation by grace through faith, God requires us to walk faithfully with Christ, producing godly fruit for the remainder of our lives. However, we do not do this solely on our own strength, for we have the power of the Holy Spirit. In chapter 13, Paul is helping us understand what it means to walk faithfully with Christ. He begins by addressing the Christians' relationship to earthly governments.
He then moves to the most important Christian attribute of all: love. Christians do not need the Mosaic law anymore, for love fulfills the law. Finally, Paul exhorts his readers to awake from spiritual lethargy and put on the armor of light. Romans chapter 13, verses 1 through 7: Submit to the governing authorities. Verses 1 and 2: Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except by God. The existing authorities are ordained by God.
Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God. And those who resist will receive condemnation to themselves. Jesus had explained to Pilate, "You would have no power at all against me unless it were given to you from above." He thereby taught that all governmental authority ultimately comes from God. Paul reinforces Jesus' teaching by telling Christians they must obey earthly rulers, for there is no authority except by God.
So Christians who resist the government will receive condemnation from both the earthly authorities and from God. As the quotations below demonstrate, the early Christians took very seriously Paul's command to obey earthly rulers. Martyrdom of Polycarp: We are taught to give all due honor to the powers and authorities that are ordained by God. Justin Martyr, writing to the Roman rulers, "To God alone we render worship.
However, in other things we gladly serve you, acknowledging you as kings and rulers of men, and praying that with your kingly power you will be found also to possess sound judgment." Theophilus: The king's government is committed to him by God. Accordingly, honor the king, be subject to him, and pray for him with a loyal mind. If you do this, you will do the will of God. Tertullian: We respect in the emperors the ordinance of God, for God has set them over the nations.
We know that in the rulers there is that arrangement which God has willed. Tertullian, addressing pagans: Why dwell any longer on the reverence and sacred respect of Christians to the emperor? We cannot help but look upon him as someone called by our Lord to his office. Therefore, on valid grounds, I can say that Caesar is more ours than yours, for our God has appointed him.
Theonas of Alexandria: Consider every command of the emperor that does not offend God as though it has proceeded from God himself, and obey it in love as well as in fear, with all cheerfulness. Why God instituted governments? God wisely established human governments for man's own good. In the years before the flood, the entire earth was overrun with lawlessness. So after the flood, God instituted human governments.
Irenaeus explains, "God imposed upon mankind the fear of man because mankind did not acknowledge the fear of God. God did this in order that mankind might obtain some degree of justice." This was brought about by being subjected to the authority of men and being kept under restraint by man's law. Through fear of the sword, mankind exercised mutual restraint. Even harsh totalitarian governments are almost always a better alternative than anarchy.
Chrysostom writes, "When there is no hierarchy of order, it usually leads to strife." For that reason, God has instituted many governments and forms of subjection. For instance, there is that of man and wife, that of father and son, that of old man and young, that of master and servant, that of teacher and disciple, and that of ruler and ruled. That is because anarchy is evil. It is a cause of turmoil no matter where it is. What if the ruler is evil?
By delivering this commandment at the period in history in which he gave it, God forever answered the question of whether this commandment is binding on Christians when they have an evil ruler. When Paul wrote this letter, the emperor on the throne was almost certainly Nero, the very embodiment of evil. The ancient Roman historian Suetonius describes how Nero murdered his mother, two of his wives, and numerous relatives.
He goes on to say, "Nor did Nero proceed with less cruelty against those who were not of his family." From this period on, he butchered without distinction or mercy everyone whom his cruelty fancied and upon the most frivolous pretenses. Suetonius relates that Nero executed a nobleman simply because Nero thought he looked too melancholy.
He continues, "Being elated with his success in perpetrating such monstrous crimes, Nero strongly hinted that he would not even spare the senators, but he would execute them all." In short, Nero was an inhuman monster. Nero was also the first emperor to persecute Christians, killing them in the most horrible ways his sick mind could dream up.
The Roman historian Tacitus writes, "Dressed in wild animal skins, they were torn to pieces by dogs, or crucified, or made into torches to be ignited after dark." At this time, Nero also executed both Peter and Paul. If the first Christians were to honor and obey a ruler like Nero, then obviously we are to obey all rulers today, except when they order us to violate Christ's specific commands. Verses 3 through 4: "For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you wish to be unafraid of the authority?
Do that which is good, and you will have praise from him, for he is the minister of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, because he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is the minister of God, an avenger to execute wrath on the one who does evil." God expects rulers to punish evil, not to punish good. Yet rulers have frequently not followed their mandate from God. However, the scriptures do not authorize Christians to overthrow such rulers. Instead, such rulers will answer to God.
Tertullian writes, "Hippias, a pagan, was put to death for laying plots against the state. No Christian ever attempted such a thing on behalf of his brethren, even when persecution was scattering them abroad with every atrocity." He further writes, "No conspiracy has ever broken out from our body. No Caesar's blood has ever fixed a stain upon us in the Senate or even in the palace.
No assumption of the purple, i.e., public office, has ever in any of the provinces been effected by us." Again, Paul wrote his directives on government when Nero was in office. Yet Christians did not try to assassinate Nero or stir up a rebellion against him. Even a ruler like Nero is better than anarchy. Furthermore, even corrupt governments punish evil deeds like murder, robbery, rape, assault, arson, fraud, and other crimes.
God has entrusted rulers with the sword to enforce such laws and to execute wrath on evildoers.