Romans 13:1-2, Abide By the Law

Romans 13:1-2 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

It is the duty of believers to submit to the authority of human government. The Apostle Paul explains that it is God who sovereignly appoints human government. As such, when the believer resists civil authority, he is resisting the order that God has set to maintain law and order in society. He pronounces God’s displeasure and judgment upon believers who rebel against civil authorities. In any civil society, the law and the enforcement of it bring peace and order.

God’s word says in “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed” (Gen. 9:6). One of the key function of law enforcement in any society is to bring to task law-breakers. And murder according to God’s law is punishable by the death penalty. As we survey the history of civil government, there is law and order in society when the death penalty is enforced. Believers are to abide by the laws created by civil government as unto God.

Jesus Himself, though the highest authority in the universe, sets the example to pay the temple tax in Matthew 17:22-27 from the gold coin taken from the mouth of the fish that Peter caught. The Jewish religious authorities exacted their own taxes for the temple expenses so the people came under a heavy yoke. It was estimated that the Jewish family paid approximately 49% of its annual income to these various taxes: 32% to Romans (19% on crops, 13%on sales, income and other taxes), 12% to Jewish taxes (8%on crops and 4%on temple and sacrifice taxes) and 5% on forced extractions from corrupt officials. The ruler over Judea and Samaria collected the land and poll taxes directly for Rome.

The Roman government in Jesus’ time were the power ordained of God providing one world language, Greek, throughout their empire and allow citizens to move freely from one country to another, they built roads to facilitate travel – that was what allowed later for the gospel to spread so freely and widely! And laws put in place to protect their citizens. Recall later even the Apostle Paul appealed to Caesar when he was unjustly arrested by the Jewish authorities and was vindicated.

Jesus says in “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”  May the Lord help His people to abide by the law as they live to be His witnesses in society to the honour and glory of God. Amen.