Creator, Father, King #273

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.

IN AD 54, a seventeen-year-old youth named Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus assumed the imperial throne of the Roman Empire. The young man then took his more infamous throne name: Nero.

Before long, Nero let power utterly corrupt him. He ordered the assassination of his own mother, and he might have also plotted his stepbrother’s mysterious death. Nero committed adultery with a friend’s wife and then killed her with a swift kick to the stomach several years after marrying her.

Some historians accuse Nero of starting a massive nine-day fire in AD 64 that destroyed three Roman districts simply so he could expand his palatial complex. Afterward, he blamed Christians and sanctioned horrific persecutions against them. In AD 68, after years of mounting civil unrest, Nero committed suicide.

Early on in Nero’s terrible reign (c. AD 57), the apostle Paul wrote the words of today’s verse—to Christians living in Rome, no less! Was Paul crazy? Was he oblivious to current events? Was he trying to be ironic or telling a joke in poor taste?

No.

Paul was writing scriptural truth for first-century Christians—and us—under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

What’s It Mean?

We all know it’s important to obey our parents (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1-3; Colossians 3:20). But Paul expands this principle to all governing authority in our lives, saying “all authority comes from God” (emphasis added). This includes church leaders, teachers, employers, police officers, and government officials, among others.

God doesn’t approve of people who abuse power like Nero. But he has wisely and lovingly instituted authority to govern life on earth. Otherwise, humanity would devolve into chaos because of sin.

God set up human authority—even if it’s not always perfect (and it certainly isn’t!)—as a blessing to us to teach us to ultimately obey his authority, and to restrain sin (Romans 13:3). For that, we can praise him.

To honor human authority is to honor the Lord!

Now What?

Read Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-17. Also, pray for your local and national political leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Did You Know?

Jesus taught this principle, too. In Matthew 22:21, he instructed the people, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” In other words, earthly rulers deserve positional respect, taxes, and obedience within proper parameters of justice and morality. However, God deserves our chief allegiance. If forced to choose between obeying God or man, we must always obey God (Acts 4:19; 5:29).