Romans 13:5-7

 

 

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Romans 13:5 Therefore it is necessary to (continually) be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. (NASB: Lockman)
Greek: dio anagke hupotassesthai, (PPN) ou monon dia ten orgen alla kai dia ten suneidesin.
Amplified: Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God’s wrath and escape punishment, but also as a matter of principle and for the sake of conscience.  (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Barclay: So, then, it is necessary for you to submit yourself, not because of the wrath, but for the sake of your own conscience. (
Westminster Press)
NLT: So you must obey the government for two reasons: to keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience. (
NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: You should, therefore, obey the authorities, not simply because it is the safest, but because it is the right thing to do. (
Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: On which account there is a necessity for putting one’s self in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also because of conscience,  (
Erdmans
Young's Literal: Wherefore it is necessary to be subject, not only because of the wrath, but also because of the conscience

REFERENCES

Albert Barnes
Wayne Barber
Wayne Barber
John Calvin
Adam Clarke
Tom Constable
Bob Deffinbaugh
Bob Deffinbaugh
Dave Guzik
Matthew Henry
Greg Herrick
Jameison, F, & B
John MacArthur
John MacArthur
John MacArthur
Middletown
William Newell
John Piper
John Piper
John Piper
John Piper
John Piper
John Piper
John Piper
John Piper
Ray Pritchard
A T Robertson
Ray Stedman
Ray Stedman
Marvin Vincent
Precept Ministries
Illustrations

Romans 13
Romans 13:1-5 Responsibilities Under Grace 9

Romans 13:6-7 Responsibilities Under Grace 10
Romans 13
Romans 13
Romans notes
Romans 13

Romans 13:1-7
Romans 13
Romans 13
Romans 13:1-7: Paul and Civil Obedience
Romans 13
Romans 13:3-5 Christian's Responsibility to Government

Romans 13:6 Paying Your Taxes--Pt 1

Romans 13:6-7 Paying Your Taxes--Pt 2
Romans 13
Romans 13
Romans 13:1-7 The Limits of Submission to Man
Romans 13:1-7 Subjection to God...& the State,1
Romans 13:1-7 Subjection to God...& the State, 2
Romans 13:1-7 Subjection to God...& the State, 3
Romans 13:1-7 Subjection to God...& the State, 4
Romans 13:7-14 Love Is a Fulfilling of the Law

Romans 13:7-14 love is a Fulfilling of the Law, 2
Romans 13:7-14 love is a Fulfilling of the Law, 3
Romans 13:1-7: How to be a Godly Rebel
Romans 13
Romans 13:1-7: Citizen-Saints

Romans 13:1-7: God's Strange Servants

Romans 13
Romans 12-16: Inductive Bible Studies
Romans 13:1ff Ro13:1ff Ro13:1

ROMANS ROAD
to RIGHTEOUSNESS
Romans
1
:18-3:20
Romans
3:21-5:21
Romans
6:1-8:39
Romans
9:1-11:36
Romans
12:1-16:27
SIN SALVATION SANCTIFICATION SOVEREIGNTY SERVICE
NEED
FOR
SALVATION
WAY
OF
SALVATION
LIFE
OF
SALVATION
SCOPE
OF
SALVATION
SERVICE
OF
SALVATION
God's Holiness
In
Condemning
Sin
God's Grace
In
Justifying
Sinners
God's Power
In
Sanctifying
Believers
God's Sovereignty
In
Saving
Jew and Gentile
Gods Glory
The
Object of
Service
Deadliness
of Sin
Design
of Grace
Demonstration of Salvation
Power Given Promises Fulfilled Paths Pursued
Righteousness
Needed
Righteousness
Credited
Righteousness
Demonstrated
Righteousness
Restored to Israel
Righteousness
Applied
God's Righteousness
IN LAW
God's Righteousness
IMPUTED
God's Righteousness
OBEYED
God's Righteousness
IN ELECTION
God's Righteousness
DISPLAYED
Slaves to Sin Slaves to God Slaves Serving God
Doctrine Duty
Life by Faith Service by Faith

Modified from Irving L. Jensen's excellent work "Jensen's Survey of the NT"

 

THEREFORE (for this cause) IT IS NECESSARY TO BE IN SUBJECTION: dio anagke hupotassesthai (PPN): (1 Samuel 24:5,6; Ecclesiastes 8:2; Titus 3:1,2; 1 Peter 2:13-15)

 

Necessary (318) (anagke) means constraint or the state of being checked, restricted, or compelled either because of circumstances or by law of duty to avoid or perform some action. The

 

Examine the following uses in context to help understand anagke (Mt 18:17, 1 Cor 7:37,  2 Cor 9:7,  Phile 1:14, Heb 7:12,27, 9:16, ,23, Jude 3).

 

NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF WRATH BUT ALSO FOR CONSCIENCE' SAKE : ou monon dia ten orgen alla kai dia ten suneidesin: (Hebrews 13:18; 1 Peter 2:19; 3:16)

 

Ultimately believers subject themselves selves because of our reverence for God’s authority. There is a two reasons submission is a necessity—an external one, in the wrath which comes upon those who resist authority & an internal one the conscience. Even apart from the consequences of disobedience, conscience recognizes the divine right and function of authority. Believers are citizens of heaven, but we must not minimize our responsibilities on earth. We must be exemplary citizens so that the Lord will be glorified (1Pe 2:11-17).

 

Conscience' (4893) (suneidesis from sun = with +  oida  = know) (Click  in depth study of suneidesis) literally means "a knowing with" or a co-knowledge (with oneself) which is the witness borne to one's conduct by their conscience.  Conscience is the "soul as distinguishing between what is morally good and bad, prompting to do the former and shun the latter". Conscience is that faculty by which we apprehend the will of God, as that which is designed to govern our lives. 

 

Paul explains his motivation for keeping a clear conscience writing...

 

that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always (always exercise and discipline myself [mortifying my body, deadening my carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires, endeavoring in all respects] Amplified) a blameless (clear, unshaken) conscience (void of offense) both before God and before men. (Acts 24:16)

 

Peter exhorts believers to...

 

 [And see to it that] your conscience is entirely clear (unimpaired), so that, when you are falsely accused as evildoers, those who threaten you abusively and revile your right behavior in Christ may come to be ashamed [of slandering your good lives].  (Amplified, see notes 1 Peter 3:16)

 

A. W. Tozer defined "conscience" as that entity which...

 

"singles you out as though nobody else existed. God has given us a faithful witness inside of our own being. . . . It is able to single a man out and reveal his loneliness, the loneliness of a single soul in the universe going on to meet an angry God. That’s the terror of the conscience. Conscience never deals with theories. Conscience always deals with right and wrong and the relation of the individual to that which is right or wrong. Remember the conscience is always on God’s side! It judges conduct in the light of the moral law, and as the Scripture says, excuses or accuses."

 

Conscience is that inner judge that accuse & condemns us when we have done wrong and approves and commends us when we have done right (see notes on Romans 2:14-15).

 

R Kent Hughes explains that...

 

We are to be in subjection not just because we are afraid of being punished, but because, unlike the world, we understand that the state is divinely instituted and that rulers are wittingly or unwittingly God’s ministers. Christians are able to see the big picture, and thus through their informed consciences they are able to live in profound subjection.  (Hughes, R. K. Romans: Righteousness from heaven. Preaching the Word. Crossway Books or Logos)

 

t is possible to sin against the conscience so that it becomes “defiled” (see notes on Titus 1:5).

 

Repeated sinning hardens the conscience so that it becomes “seared” like scar tissue (1 Tim. 4:2).

 

To continually reject God’s truth causes the conscience to become progressively less sensitive to sin, as if covered with layers of "unspiritual scar tissue".

 

Ray Pritchard sums up this verse noting that...

 

We support human government first because “of wrath”--meaning we fear punishment if we don’t. That is why you slow down when you suddenly see a police car parked by the side of the road. Lawbreakers will be brought to justice. Second, we support government “because of conscience”--that is, because we know that God stands behind every human government working out his will for the human race.

That means that anarchy is never an option for the Christian. We may disagree, we may vote against, we may picket or write letters. But we must never join the ranks of the anarchists who say, “Down with all government.” Such a view is thoroughly pagan. Even bad government is better than no government at all.

To be more specific, Christians ought to be known as law-abiding citizens. In our day, some people have taken to shooting abortionists in a futile attempt to save the unborn. When will we learn that insurrection, lawlessness, and murder do not advance the cause of Christ?...If we believe what Paul said, it will make us better Christians and ultimately better citizens. We may disagree--even violently--but we won’t resort to violence. (Romans 13:1-7: How to be a Godly Rebel)

 

Daniel Webster said:

 

"Whatever makes men good Christians makes them good citizens."

 

R Kent Hughes records the illustration of a believer who obeyed his conscience...

 

When it became clear that the Nazis were pursuing their terrible racist policies, Pastor Martin Niemoller continued to preach the truth and as a result was thrown into prison. The prison chaplain upon visiting Niemoller asked somewhat foolishly, “What brings you here? Why are you in prison?” To which Niemoller replied angrily, “And, brother, why are you not in prison?” “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21). This is a divine calling. (Hughes, R. K. Romans : Righteousness from heaven. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books) (Bolding added)

 

Romans 13:6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.   (NASB: Lockman)

Greek: dia touto gar kai phorous teleite, (2PPAI) leitourgoi gar theou eisin (3PPAI) eis auto touto proskarterountes. (PAPMPN)
Amplified: For this same reason you pay taxes, for [the civil authorities] are official servants under God, devoting themselves to attending to this very service. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Barclay: For this same reason you must pay your taxes too; for those set in authority are the servants of God, and continue to work for that very end.  (
Westminster Press)
NLT: Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid so they can keep on doing the work God intended them to do.  (
NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: It is right, too, for you to pay taxes for the civil authorities are appointed by God for the good purposes of public order and well-being.  (
Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: for because of this you pay taxes; for God’s public servants they are, continually giving their attention to this very thing. (
Erdmans
Young's Literal:  for because of this also pay ye tribute; for servants of God they are, on this very thing attending continually.

FOR BECAUSE OF THIS YOU ALSO PAY TAXES: dia touto gar kai phorous teleite (2PPAI): (Ezra 4:13,20; 6:8; Nehemiah 5:4; Matthew 17:24-27; 22:17-21; Mark 12:14-17; Luke 20:21-26; 23:2)

 

Pay (5055) (teleo from télos = end, goal) means to make an end or to accomplish, complete something and by implication as used in the present context means to pay off in full things such as taxes.

 

Taxes (5411) (phoros from phéro = to bring) describes particularly what is brought and here describes taxes or tributes imposed upon persons and property. Phoros is distinct from toll (telos) which was a fee usually levied on merchandise and travelers.

 

Vincent says teleo (5055) (cf uses in Mt 17:24, Jn 19:28,19:30 ["paid in full"], Jas 2:8),  carries "the sense of the fulfillment of an obligation.” 

So part of what is means to "subject" one's self to governing authorities is to pay taxes. The Roman historian Tacitus noted that in the A.D. 58 there were persistent complaints against taxes and the "acquisitiveness" of tax collectors.

Matthew records the following event when the Pharisees were testing Jesus trying to trap Him with His own words...

(A disciple of the Pharisees and some Herodians went to Jesus saying) "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any.  17(Here is the "test") "Tell us therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?"
18 But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, "Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites (one who pretends to be other than he really is - see study of Greek word "
without hypocrisy")?
19 "Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax." And they brought Him a denarius.
20 And He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?"
21 They said to Him, "Caesar's." Then He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's." (
Matthew 22:16-21)

R Kent Hughes makes the following comment on Jesus' "test"...

The question was devilishly clever. If Jesus answered no he would be branded a traitor to Caesar. If he said yes he would be called anti-patriotic, and his ministry would be discredited. His enemies were sure they had him. But instead Jesus had them when he answered,

“You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax” (Matthew 22:18). A hush came over the crowd as Jesus held the coin for all to see.

Then he asked them,

“‘Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription? ’‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. Then he said to them, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s’” (Matthew 22:20, 21).

It was a brilliant answer, and all his critics could do was walk away shaking their heads in wonder. With this single sentence our Lord established the validity of human government, while at the same time setting its limits. Caesar had his image on certain things, and they rightly belonged to him. There is a proper domain and function for human government. However, God has stamped His Own image on man (the intellect, the will, and the soul bear the divine stamp). Thus, man may give outward things to Caesar, but the inner man belongs to God. Jesus was saying,

“The coin is from the mint of the Roman Empire, but you are from God’s mint. The coin’s use is determined by its likeness, and your use is determined by the likeness you bear.”

Jesus’ single sentence is certainly the most important political statement ever made! (Hughes, R. K. Romans: Righteousness from heaven. Preaching the Word. Crossway Books or Logos)

Ray Pritchard comments that...

human rulers (are) “God’s servants.” As such, they deserve four things from us: Taxes, revenue, respect, and honor. We may think we are heavily taxed (and we are), but hardly more so than in the first century. Rome had an income tax, a head tax, a poll tax, a road tax, a wagon tax, a crop tax, an import tax, an export tax, a harbor tax, and a bridge tax--to name only a few. The Caesars like to live in style and it cost a lot of money to maintain that huge empire, so they taxed their people heavily in order to pay for everything.

Paying taxes is a Christian duty. Tax evasion is not only a crime; it’s also a sin. Ray Stedman tells how in his early years he found himself frustrated because he paid so much in taxes to a government that in his opinion wasted most of the money. So one year he wrote a check to the “Infernal Revenue Service.” It made him feel better, until they cashed the check. Then he changed it to the “Eternal Revenue Service” but they still took his money. Finally, he said “I repented of all my sins and now hope to pay my taxes cheerfully.” Well, most of us may never get that far. It’s hard to be cheerful about sending that much money to Springfield and to Washington. But at least we can have the satisfaction of knowing that when we pay our taxes, we’re doing exactly what Jesus and Paul told us to do.  (Romans 13:1-7: How to be a Godly Rebel)

Taxes are the means of carrying on responsible government--the state could not exist without them. Notice that this matter of paying taxes, among other things, is put under the matter of the realm of conscience. ("for because of this" referring to what he had just stated in [v5]). That is, Christians (for this whole passage concerns the attitude of Christians to government) are under a higher law than the world in regard to the demands of government. The worldling pays his taxes and obeys the laws largely because he fears the penalty, or he realizes that this is the only way that law and order can be maintained. But the Christian is put under a far higher responsibility; he is told to pay these things for the sake of conscience. That is, he knows that to fail to do this will affect his own relationship with God.

If he cheats on his income tax, he has grieved the Holy Spirit (
Eph 4:30) and can no longer manifest the indwelling life of Jesus Christ in that ministry of power and conviction that glorifies God and makes the invisible God visible to man. If he is unjust in his treatment of government authorities, rude or crude in his dealings with them, or disrespectful (not giving "respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due" even through he doesn't like the man or his motives or methods) he is affecting his conscience and is under the disapproval of the grieved Holy Spirit within. Christians then in one sense pay taxes not to the government but to God. The way you treat government officials is a testimony of whether you are a Christian or not. The way you pay your taxes, if you pay them, and the way that you pay other revenues, custom duties, and fees of various sorts, is a testimony -- one way or another -- of your Christian life.

FOR RULERS ARE SERVANTS OF GOD: leitourgoi gar theou eisin (3PPAI):

Rulers - Not in the original Greek but in keeping with the context it is added by the NAS and by several other translations. Note that in the NAS you can discern "added words" (almost always to make the text flow more smoothly) because they are in italics, a feature not present in most other modern translations, including the otherwise excellent ESV.

Servants (3011) (leitourgos from léïtos = of the people [NIDNTT says it from "laos" = people] + érgon = work) is literally a worker of the people. In classical Greek leitourgos referred especially to persons performing public duties, or works of public use.

Leitourgos is used 5 times in the NT: Romans 2x; Philippians; Hebrews 2x. There are 14 uses in the Septuagint: 2 Sam. 13:18, 1 Ki. 10:5, 2 Ki. 4:43, 2 Ki. 6:15, 2 Chr. 9:4, Ezra 7:24, Neh. 10:39, Ps. 103:21, Ps. 104:4, Isa. 61:6.

In the NT leitourgos is used by Paul to describe himself (see note on Ro 15:16) as well as his "brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier", Epaphroditus (see note on Philippians 2:25).  In Hebrews leitourgos is used of angels as God's ministers (see note on Hebrews 1:7) and of the priests as His ministers in the sanctuary in the Jerusalem Temple (Heb  8:2). Furthermore, leitourgos is the word primarily used by to the Greek Septuagint translation to describe the Old Testament priestly service to God and of service to man. In this present verse Paul uses this word with rich religious legacy to refer to public ministers or "public servants", describing those who  render special service. Earlier Paul had called government rulers God's deacons and here they are His ministers!

Cranfield comments that this phrase "rulers are servants of God" emphasizes even stronger the servant aspect of the governments

because the Greek wording has in view serving in a religious capacity, with an emphasis on solemnity and dignity. (Cranfield, C E B: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, Vol 2, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark Limited, 1970)

Vincent agrees adding that leitourgos...

brings out more fully the fact that the ruler, like the priests, discharges a divinely ordained service.

Is is worth noting that this verse represents the third time (Ro 13:1,4) Paul has stressed that the authority of civil authorities comes from God.

Kistemaker comments...

Is not the implication this, that, in the final analysis, the governing authorities owe their authority not to people but to God to whom they are responsible for all their actions; and that the citizens should so regard them; and, when these officials faithfully carry out their duty, even that of collecting taxes, should so honor them?Of course, this very principle has implications also for the officials, as Calvin correctly observes when he states, “It behooves them to remember that whatever they receive from the people is, as it were, public property, and not to be spent in gratification of private indulgence.” (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. NT Commentary Set. Baker Book or Logos)

One is reminded of Cyrus, the Persian emperor, anointed by God to be His servant to carry out His will, God declaring...

"It is I who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.' And he declares of Jerusalem, 'She will be built,' And of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.'...Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, whom I have taken by the right hand, to subdue nations before him, and to loose the loins of kings; to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: (Isa 44:28, 45:1)

In the OT, one of the duties of the priests was to receive tithes and offerings and sacrifices from the people. They were acting as God's agents in receiving these tithes and offerings and sacrifices. Paul simply transfers that ministry and that work to the government, and says that governments have this right given to them by God to collect taxes, and that, in paying your taxes, you are paying properly authorized revenue to God -- for these are his agents in carrying out this ministry. In other words, the power to tax is a God-given power.

John MacArthur comments that leitourgos 

is one of several Greek words sometimes translated minister in the New Testament. Again, it is the term from which liturgy is derived; but it has a broad range of meanings and applications. It was used by ancient Greeks of a public official who was so passionately dedicated to his duties that he discharged them at his own expense. The word often described doing a service that had an aura of special importance, and a leitourgos was therefore highly respected and honored by his fellow citizens. Paul refers to human rulers in general as “servants [leitourgoi] of God” (Rom. 13:6), who are to be respected and obeyed (vv. 1–5, 7). In the New Testament, leitourgos was most commonly used of service to the Lord. Paul spoke of himself as “a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God” (Rom 15:16). The writer of Hebrews calls God’s holy angels “His ministers” (Heb. 1:7) and even refers to Jesus Christ as “a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle” (8:2). For Paul to call Epaphroditus a minister was high praise indeed. Epaphroditus was himself the most valuable gift that came to Paul from Philippi—a self-giving, tireless, sacrificial, and humble servant of the highest caliber. (MacArthur, J. Philippians. Chicago: Moody Press or Logos)

NIDNTT has the following note on this word group...

Leitourgeo (verb form) means do public work at one’s own expense. It is a political, almost legal, concept. The noun (leitourgos) similarly means service for the people. In the later classical period it was as common a term as “taxes” today (O. Cassel, Oriens Christianus 3, 7, 1932, 289). We seldom find leitourgos in secular Gk.; where it is found it is rarely used in a religious sense, but normally means an artisan. leitourgikos is found only a few times in the papyri. In Hellenistic Gk. leitourgeo covers all kinds of service to the community (H. Strathmann, TDNT IV 217) which a person was under obligation to do because of the size of his income, but which could also be carried out voluntarily. The concept gradually expanded, especially in Egypt, to cover every conceivable compulsory service for the state, with regulations laid down for every detail. Then it became widened to cover any sort of service. Beside this legal meaning in public life, there developed an entirely new, religious and cultic use of the words. The only connexion seems to be that the cultus had a public importance for the community. There are, however, no important deductions to be drawn from this. In the Septuagint leitourgeo (about 100 times) and leitourgia (about 40 times) acquired a clearly defined meaning. They are used almost exclusively for the service of priests and Levites in the temple. (Brown, Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan

Barclay has the following excellent summary of this word group...

Leitourgia, from which comes our English word 'liturgy', and its kindred words form a group of words of unsurpassed interest. In classical and Hellenistic Greek these words go through four stages of meaning.

(i) In the very early days leitourgein, the verb, meant to undertake some service of the state voluntarily and of one's own free will, voluntarily to shoulder some public task in order patriotic-ally to serve the state.

(ii) Later leitourgein came to mean to perform the services which the State laid upon citizens specially qualified to perform them. (Ed note: "In ancient Greece there were certain state duties called liturgies (leitourgiai) which were sometimes laid upon and sometimes voluntarily shouldered by men who loved their country" from Barclay's The letter to the Romans. The Daily study Bible series, Rev. ed. Philadelphia: