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. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
It is easy to suggest to yourself that our leaders in the government, whether local, state, or federal, are unjust people, therefore we don’t have to follow their rules. “Oh, taxes are unjust, so I’ll ‘fudge’ a little.” “Oh, it’s stilly that they make us…” We get caught in the trap of weighing the “greater good” of things… no, for the Christian it’s as simple as this, if there’s a law, we obey. As long as the government isn’t asking you to do something contrary to God’s divine commands, which are recorded in the Bible, then we subject ourselves to the governing authorities. Do we speed? Do we park in no parking zones? Do we declare all our income on our tax returns? Do we get all the proper permits and approvals before we remodel? “Who am I hurting if I don’t?” Were we utilitarian in our view of justice, that would be a valid argument, but we are not, we believe in retributive justice. Right is right, wrong is wrong. If this idea gets you down, begin to look into the kind of government Nero was the leader of when Paul wrote this chapter.
