Romans 13:1-7
When Faith Meets Authority
A Bible Study from Pittwater Uniting Church
Introduction
Let me ask you this — have you ever had a moment where you thought, "I'm not sure I agree with this rule, but I'm supposed to follow it"?
Maybe it was at work. Maybe it was a law that felt unfair. Maybe it was something in the news that made you think, "How can this be right?"
If we're honest, most of us have a complicated relationship with authority. We want order — we don't want chaos — but we also want to know that the people in charge are using their power well.
That's exactly the tension Paul addresses in Romans 13. And today, we're going to sit with this passage together, read it carefully, and ask ourselves what it means for us — not just in the big, dramatic moments, but in the everyday stuff of life.
Let's just pray.
Lord God, we give you thanks for your Word. We give you thanks that your Word speaks to us. Lord, today we just ask that your Holy Spirit come upon us so that we may hear your Word fresh and new in our lives. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
The Passage
Let's read Romans 13:1-7 together.
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God's servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They areThe request was rejected because it was considered high riskGod's servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.
Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.
Background
Before we dig in, let me give you a little context.
Paul is writing to the church in Rome — a church living in the capital of the most powerful empire the world had ever seen. Rome was full of different beliefs, different idols, different ways of living that often pulled people away from God. The emperor at the time was likely Nero — not exactly known for his kindness to Christians.
So when Paul says "submit to governing authorities," he's not writing from a comfortable armchair in a peaceful democracy. He's writing into a context where the authorities were often hostile to the faith. That makes these words hit differently, doesn't it?
Paul isn't naive. He knowsThe request was rejected because it was considered high riskthe world he lives in. He's been beaten, imprisoned, and run out of towns by the very authorities he's telling the church to respect. So this isn't theory for Paul — it's lived experience.
Observation — What Does the Text Say?
Let's slow down and notice what Paul actually says here. Sometimes we skim familiar passages and miss the details.
Discussion Questions:
Read through the passage again. What are the specific commands Paul gives? Make a list — what does he tell the Roman Christians to do?
What reasons does Paul give for submitting to authority? Look at each verse — what's his argument?
Notice how Paul describes the role of governing authorities. What words or phrases does he use? What picture is he painting?
In verse 1, Paul says "all authority comes from God." What does that mean? And what does it not mean?
Interpretation — What Does It Mean?
Here's the thing — Romans 13 is one of those passages that sounds straightforward until you actually start thinking about it.
On the surface, Paul's instruction is clear: submit to governing authorities. Respect the structures of government. Pay your taxes. Be a good citizen. Simple enough, right?
But then you start thinking about particular places, particular times, particular people in power — and suddenly it gets complicated. What about corrupt rulers? What about governments that oppress the vulnerable? Did God really put those leaders in place?
I love Paul. He doesn't mince his words — he just comes straight to the point. But we need to read him carefully.
Paul isn't talking so much about individual leaders as he is about the institution of authority itself. God has designed a world where order matters. Without it, we spiral into chaos. The book of Judges gives us a vivid picture of what that looks like — a repeated refrain that echoes through its pages: "There was no king in those days, and everyone did as they saw fit." And every time that line appears, something terrible has just happened.
God's intention for authority is that it serves the people — protecting, bringing order, creating space for communities to flourish. And our part of the deal is to participate in that order. We pray for our leaders. We obey the law. We pay our taxes. We contribute to the common good.
Discussion Questions:
Why do you think Paul starts his argument with God as the source of all authority, rather than just saying "obey the government"?
Paul calls the authorities "God's servants" twice in this passage. What does that mean for how we view government — even when we disagree with it?
Let's be real with ourselves — how do you typically respond when you encounter a law or rule you think is unfair? What does this passage challenge in you?
The Tension — What About When Authority Goes Wrong?
Now, here's where it gets honest.
Paul doesn't tell us what to do when the government departs from the role God ordained for it. And that's where discernment comes in.
Scripture gives us examples of faithful people who reached a point where obedience to God required them to resist earthly authority:
- Daniel prayed to God openly, even when the law said he couldn't — and it meant the lion's den.
- Moses defied Pharaoh at God's command — the most powerful ruler in the ancient world.
- Peter and the apostles stood before the Sanhedrin and said, "We must obey God rather than human beings" — and then went straight back to preaching the gospel in the town square.
Imagine for a minute with me — you're Peter, standing in front of the same people who had Jesus crucified, and they're telling you to stop talking about Him. And Peter says, "No." That takes courage. That takes conviction. And that takes a clear sense of where his ultimate allegiance lay.
A helpful rule of thumb: we should submit to authority until it forbids what the Lord commands, or commands what the Lord forbids.
Most of the time, obedience to God and obedience to the state walk hand in hand. But there are moments — and history is full of them — when those two allegiances collide. In those moments, we don't have easy answers. What we have is prayer, the Word, and the call to discern carefully what faithfulness looks like.
Discussion Questions:
Can you think of a modern example — in Australia or around the world — where Christians have faced a tension between obeying government and obeying God? How did they handle it?
How do we know when we've reached that point — when resistance becomes the faithful response? What safeguards would you put around that decision?
Is there a danger in using "obey God, not man" too quickly or too casually? How do we keep that from becoming an excuse for simply not wanting to comply?
Application — What Do We Do With This?
Let me ask you this — think about your own life for a minute. Where do you see authority working well — government, workplace, community structures — bringing order and good? Where do you feel the tension between what is asked of you and what you believe God is calling you toward?
You may never face a lion's den or a Hacksaw Ridge. But every day, in small ways, we navigate the balance between respecting the structures around us and keeping our ultimate allegiance to God.
This week, here's what I'd invite you to do:
Pray for your leaders. Not just the ones you agree with — all of them. Pray that they would govern with justice and wisdom. Pray that they would fulfil the role God has given authority to play: serving the people and protecting the vulnerable.
Be a model citizen. Pay what you owe. Respect those in authority. Contribute to the common good. Let your citizenship reflect your faith.
Hold your allegiance to God above all else. If the day comes — in a big way or a small way — when you're asked to choose between what the world demands and what God commands, choose God. And trust Him with the consequences.
Discussion Questions:
Of these three practices, which one feels most challenging for you right now? Why?
Is there someone in authority over you — at work, in government, in your community — that you find difficult to respect? What would it look like to pray for them genuinely this week?
How can this group support and hold each other accountable in living out these three practices?
Closing
God has not called us to blind obedience. He's called us to thoughtful, prayerful, faithful living — people who participate in bringing order to the world, who respect the structures around them, but who ultimately belong to Him.
Let's be people who pray, who serve, who discern — and who keep our eyes fixed on the One whose authority stands above every other.
Closing Prayer
Lord, give us wisdom. Help us to be people who honour you in every sphere of our lives — in how we respond to authority, in how we serve our communities, and in how we hold fast to you when the path is unclear. Strengthen us to be model citizens whose lives point to your kingdom. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
From the "Romans Explained" series at Pittwater Uniting Church