Submission to Authorities
Paul begins with the origin of authority itself: civil rule is not self-generated, so resisting rightful authority becomes resistance to an order God has allowed.
E1veryone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. 2Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
Rulers are presented in their ordinary task of rewarding good and restraining evil, and Christian submission is pressed beyond fear into conscience before God.
3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval. 4For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer. 5Therefore it is necessary to submit to authority, not only to avoid punishment, but also as a matter of conscience.
Taxes, revenue, respect, and honor are treated as concrete expressions of ordered obedience rather than grudging concessions.
6This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work. 7Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.