You're Not the Boss of Me

Humanity has had a problem with the idea of submitting to authority since the beginning of time. The first man, Adam, was given dominion over all of God’s creation including the fruit from every tree in the garden of Eden except for one. Sure enough, he and his wife decided to do things their own way instead of submitting to the authority of God, introducing sin into God’s perfect creation. We can relate to this struggle, can’t we? Whether it be parents, teachers, bosses, or, as we will discuss here, government officials, we all find it difficult to submit to the people and institutions that have authority over us.

In Romans 13:1-7, Paul is going to focus on how Christians should relate to the governing authorities whose jurisdictions they are living under. The Roman government would have been a particularly controversial authority figure for Christians living in Rome. In Acts 18:2, we see that the Roman Emperor Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. This would have included Jewish Christians and, according to F.F. Bruce in his commentary on the book of Acts, this expulsion likely occurred around five years prior to Paul’s letter to the Romans. This is just one example of the type of persecution Christians in Rome were facing from their own government. Remember, in Romans 8:35, Paul lists the sword as one of the potential (unsuccessful) threats to separate Christians from the love of God. This is the same sword we see in Romans 13 that the government wields to punish those who do not abide by the law and challenge the government authority.  It’s easy to see why Roman Christians could have a difficult time respecting and submitting to the Roman government.

Paul begins by establishing the truth that all authority, not just that of the government, comes from and is appointed by God (v.1). Jesus supports this truth when he encounters the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Pilate was the man responsible for delivering Jesus over to be crucified and questioned if Jesus understood his authority. Jesus responded to him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11a). Most of us tend to give honor and respect to the authority figures we identify as worthy of our allegiance; however, Jesus is clear that ultimate authority lies with God and any authority held by the government was given to them by God. Therefore, Paul can declare that, “…whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed…” (v.2). It is not simply a “freedom-restricting” law or crooked politician that we are resisting but the appointed will of God.

It’s worth noting that the Bible is full of examples where God instructs us to submit to human authority. Ephesians chapters 5 and 6 explain how we are to submit to the authority in our households (children to parents, and wives to husbands) and in 1 Peter 2 and Hebrews 13 we see instructions for how we should submit to other forms of authority in our vocation and in the church. Romans 13 isn’t the only place we see instructions to submit to governing authorities. Titus 3 and 1 Peter 2 also instruct us to be submissive to the governing authorities we live under. Therefore, our attitude and posture towards the government and its officials should be a posture of submission and of honor and respect (v.7). This means that we should respond in obedience to the laws of our government unless that obedience dictates behavior that is contrary to God’s moral law and would cause Christians to sin if they were to obey.

In response to these instructions, there are at least two scenarios that could cause us to question Paul’s teaching:

1. The first question that comes to mind is, “But what if the person or government in authority over me is unjust or treats me poorly?” As we’ve already determined, authorities like the one described in the question are appointed to their position by a loving and sovereign God, so how are we to respond to them? 1 Peter 2 gives us some insight on how to answer this question. In verse 18, Peter notes that we are to submit to “not only the good and gentle but also to the unjust.” He goes on to give a reason for this type of response in verse 19, “For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.” He also reminds us that we have been called to this type of suffering as imitators of Christ, “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). So when we suffer unjust treatment from government officials and submit to it willingly, we are following the example of Christ and recognizing that it is not the treatment of our government that gives us hope, but faith in the work of Jesus alone that we place our hope in. John Piper summed up our response to mistreatment from the government like this, “The main issue is not being treated justly in this world by civil authorities. The main issue is trusting Christ, being humble and denying ourselves for the glory of Christ and the good of others.”

2. The other question we must ask was alluded to previously, “What if the government requires me to follow laws that necessitate disobedience to God’s commands or sinful behavior?” There are certainly times and situations where it is impossible to both honor God and submit to the human authority in our lives and in those cases we should always place the highest priority on honoring God instead of man. However, in those situations where civil disobedience is necessary we should always do so respectfully and with humility accepting the consequences of our actions. Esther gives us an example of this when she approached the king without his invitation, which was against the law at that time. In Esther 4:16, she acknowledges the disobedient behavior and accepts the potential consequences of her actions, “…I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” Remember, also, that both Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego accepted the brutal consequences of their civil disobedience to the rulers of their time (ref. Daniel 3; 6).

When we understand that the authority given to governing officials is an extension of the authority of our Heavenly Father, we recognize the importance of submitting, in obedience, to them. We see that God has given us governments and rulers for our good, even when they do not act in accordance with his intention for them, and we understand that our submission to authority is a reflection of Christ’s submission to the authority of the Father and brings glory to his name even, and especially, when we experience suffering because of it. Let’s ask that God would help us glorify him through our submission to the government officials in our lives and earnestly pray that they would use their God-given authority to bring about the flourishing of all people and protect those who need justice.