Note before reading. There is a great deal of talk and misspeak about this parrticular scripture and its implications. In no way do I consider this the definitive analysis and application. How we receive and respond to this word is up to the individual, but I am simply throwing these thoughts into the ongoing dialog.

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.

Perhaps no Scripture in our day provokes such a violent reaction as Romans 13:1. We live in a society that’s poised to be offended by the very thought of “being subject to the higher authorities.” Our county has always had an uneasy connection with authority, but the 1960’s  gave rise to a new kind of rebellion, one that worked to dismiss the very idea of authority. This moment hasn’t passed. Rejection of authority is baked into the culture at this point, and has settled into our understanding of law, citizenship, and even Christian thought and behavior.

Two points to make here about Romans 13:1 (out of the hundreds of possibilities): First, remember the apostle Paul was writing at the height of the Roman Empire, one of the most brutal regimes in history. He knew that this unjust government had already killed his Savior, he was painfully aware of how dangerous it was to be a Christian, and he ultimately ended up in their hands. He didn’t have the same democratic opportunity to change laws that we enjoy, and he had no hopes that a government could be just—or even be made more just.

Secondly, Paul is here addressing not our behaviors, but the position of our hearts before Almighty God, from whom all authority flows. He reminds us that no matter how much a person or government distorts and misuses it, authority itself can come from no other place than our Father. Paul puts a pin in it there, and it’s worth it to let that thought sink in for a while. To be “subject to the higher authorities” is a heart issue, not a call to action, inaction or submission. To paraphrase the great Matthew Henry, only God has the right to make laws that bind our consciences. No human law can do that. But at the same time, Henry reminds us that “our subjection [to men’s laws] must be free and voluntary, sincere and hearty.”

How do we unpack that? He’s saying that the authority to bind a person’s conscience is God’s alone, never belonging to the state or ungodly religious leaders. What Henry is also saying is that in Christ, we are never actually bound by men’s laws and we are free to submit to authority. Then he gets into the very heart of the matter (pun intended): “The subjection of the soul here required includes inward honour and outward reverence and respect, both in speaking to them and in speaking of them—obedience to their commands in things lawful and honest, and in other things a patient subjection to the penalty without resistance.”

This raises all the “but what about…? Issues. What about all the abuses of power that we see in history and in our own times. As most of us live in a democratic society, we can change the laws we find unfair, yet we are to subject ourselves (that is, our hearts, thoughts, and inner attitude) to the laws as unto the Lord. If laws are not just unfair in our eyes but are genuinely immoral, then resistance to those laws is legitimate. But if any resultant consequences should arise, we still need to show “a patient subjection to the penalty without resistance.”

A recent sermon I heard focused on the freedom we have in Christ— to first subject ourselves to laws, and then to take advantage of the opportunity that obedience affords to demonstrate our freedom in the Lord. The preacher’s best example was Matthew 5:41: “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” The first mile was something a Roman soldier could force someone to do—that’s subjugation; the second mile was an optional demonstration of the freedom we have in Christ to bless the one who has subjugated us.

The biggest “what if…?” issues historically include discussions of Hitler, Stalin, race-based slavery, religious persecution from all sides, etc. All those are gross misuses of God’s authority, but note that the genuine Christian martyrs (and even political ones) submitted to the consequences of their actions. They were, and we are, always free in Christ, which includes the freedom to oppose the unjust laws and even disobey when the laws were immoral, but also includes the duty to deal righteously with any subsequent consequences.

Paul calls us to a heart attitude that sees God as the one from whom all authority emanates and seeks to honor Him in the recognition of that authority in those carrying it (no matter how righteously or unrighteously they may carry it.) The key is in the first word of 13:1—LET. There is a position of godly submission that the Lord has for us. If we “LET” in the understanding of authority that He is presenting to us and allow that understanding to go deep into our hearts, we will obtain wisdom when faced with unrighteous authorities. We’ll also be able to receive a grace to submit that demonstrates not their power over us, but OUR freedom to respond rightly and graciously accept the consequences. It’s not a place of grinding teeth or suppressed emotion. It’s a place of the deepest peace.