Commentary on Romans 13:1-7

Text in red are my additions.

OBEDIENCE DUE TO CIVIL AUTHORITY
 A Summary of Romans 13:1-7

We find here no special introduction to the subject which the Apostle begins to discuss. The connection, however, with what precedes is this, that after having given certain counsels regarding the private life of Christians, he now turns to consider their duties to the civil authority. Aside from a desire for completeness in indicating the duties of Christians, there seems to have been no special reason why St. Paul took up this question of civil obedience. The treatment is general, and does not appear to have been occasioned by any pressing need in Rome. Of course in those early days the Christians were generally regarded as a Jewish sect, or at least as having sprung from the Jews, and there was perhaps reason to fear lest, for some causes, the punishments which were frequently inflicted by the Roman authority on the latter might at times be visited on the former. At any rate, the Christian communities throughout the Empire were becoming more and more numerous, and there was an ever-increasing need, for the sake of private duty as well as public peace and safety, of clear and explicit views regarding the Christian’s attitude and obligations toward lawful civil authority. Therefore, the Apostle enjoins that the faithful be obedient to their civil rulers; for to resist their lawful superiors is to resist God, from whom all authority is derived. Civil superiors are divinely empowered for the promotion of good and the repression of evil. Hence it is needful to be obedient for the sake of one’s conscience. The Apostle confirms his doctrine by the fact that the faithful pay their taxes to civil magistrates as if to the ministers of God. Let each one, therefore, render to all men their dues.

 

Rom 13:1. Let every soul be subject to higher powers: for there is no power but from God: and those that are, are ordained of God.

 

Every soul, i.e., every human being. There is no question here of animals or things inanimate.

 

Be subject, i.e., be respectful and obedient, saving, of course, the rights of God and of conscience. St. Paul is supposing the authority to be just and lawful, and to be rightly exercised.

 

To higher powers, i.e., to the State, to those that have lawful authority in any degree. Those who have authority are said to be higher powers (υπερεχουσαις = hyperechousais) , or to possess higher powers by reason of the superiority which is theirs with respect to those under them. Hence the meaning is that all lawful superiors are to be obeyed, whether those superiors are personally good or bad, or are in places of higher or lower dignity. And the reason for this is that all power is from God. God is the Creator and supreme Regulator of all things, and consequently all power to administer affairs, or to rule under God, comes radically from Him alone.

 

Those that are, i.e., the superiors that now possess authority are ordained, i.e., have been constituted by God, and should therefore be obeyed in all things that come within the limits of their authority.

 

Rom 13:2. Therefore he that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist, purchase to themselves damnation.

 

Since all authority is from God, it follows that he who resisteth power or authority, i.e., he who will not be subject to authority, opposes the divine ordinance which God has established. To rebel, therefore, against authority is to sin against God and against man; and they who act thus purchase, better, “shall purchase,” to themselves damnation, i.e., they shall become liable to temporal punishment here and to eternal punishment hereafter. As said before, St. Paul is supposing the civil power to be exercised within its proper limits, and consequently not to encroach upon the rights of God. Habet autem hoc divina ordinatio, ut potestati inferiori non obediatur contra superiorem = “But the divine order requires that a lower power not be obeyed in opposition to a higher one” (St. Thomas).  The quote is taken from Aquinas’ Lectures on Romans 13, #1028: “But contrary to this is the fact that the Apostles and Martyrs appear to have resisted potentates and authorities and did no receive damnation from God as a result, but rather, a reward. The response is that the Apostle is now speaking of one who resists a lower power as established by God. But the divine order requires that a lower power not be obeyed in oppostion to a higher one, as a duke is not obeyed against God, as in Acts 5:29: ‘We must obey God rather than men.'”

 

In the Vulgate acquirunt should be future, to agree with the Greek. As indicated above, purchase should read in the future tense, shall purchase.

 

Rom 13:3. For princes are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good: and thou shalt have praise from the same.

 

The civil authority has been ordained by God and holds its power from God, in order to promote good and to curb evil.

 

Princes, i.e., rulers (αρχοντες = archontes) are not objects of fear to those who do good, but to those who do evil. Those who do good, far from fearing, have a right to expect praise from those in authority. Cf. 1 Pet. 2:13-14.

 

The boni operis, sed mali of the Vulgate should be bono operi, sed malo, according to many MSS.

 

Rom 13:4. For he is God’s minister to thee, for good. But if thou do that which is evil, fear: for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is God’s minister: an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil.

 

He, i.e., civil authority, or the one possessing it, has been constituted by God and ordained for good, i.e., for the benefit of all the members of society. The first object of authority, then, is to promote the welfare of its subjects; the second is to repress and punish evil as a menace to the good to which the members of society are entitled. The sword is the symbol or emblem of the right to inflict capital punishment for crimes committed against the social and civil power.

 

Rom 13:5. Wherefore be subject of necessity, not only for wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.

 

As a result of the fact that authority is from God, and the possessor of authority is God’s minister, it follows that we should be subject to our lawful superiors by the very nature of the case. Not that our liberty is taken away, but only that there is need to be subject (αναγκη υποτασσεσθαι = ananke hypotassesthai) , and this for two reasons: for wrath, i.e., out of fear of the punishment which disobedience merits, and for conscience’ sake, i.e., for the peace of our conscience, which dictates submission to those who represent God. From this it is clear that legitimate human law and authority oblige in conscience, so that those who transgress them are liable to temporal punishment and are guilty of sin and deserve punishment from God.

 

Rom 13:6. For therefore also you pay tribute. For they are the ministers of God, serving unto this purpose.

 

For therefore (δια τουτο γαρ = dia touto gar) . St. Paul appeals to the ordinary practice of the Christians to prove their duty of obedience to the civil authority. They pay tribute, because they recognize that they are held in conscience to obey the law, and further because they look upon the revenue officers as ministers of God (λειτουργοι θεου = leitourgoi theou), i.e., as taking care of the public interest and providing for the public welfare—functions committed to them by God. Civil rulers who fulfil their charge faithfully are truly ministering to God, they are “God’s ministers” in temporal and profane affairs; as, in a higher and more sacred sense, they who serve God in spiritual and eternal matters are His ministers.

 

The servientes of the Vulgate should be assidue incumbentes (Cornely), or perseverantes (St. Aug.).

 

Rom 13:7. Render therefore to all men their dues. Tribute, to whom tribute is due: custom, to whom custom : fear, to whom fear: honour, to whom honour.

 

Making some practical applications of his doctrine the Apostle, in conformity with the teaching of our Lord (Matt. 22:21), says to render to every superior, high or low, the obedience which is due him according to his office. Tribute is tax on land or on persons, land-tax or poll-tax. Custom is tax on exports and imports. Fear means the respect and reverence that are due to lawful superiors.

 

The ergo of the Vulgate is not represented in the Greek; hence therefore should be omitted.