Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. Rom 13:1 NKJV
Was Dietrich Bonhoffer in sin when he led the German resistance to Hitler and the Nazis? Were the American colonies in rebellion against God as well as the English Crown? Depending on how you read Romans 13, you may conclude that they were in rebellion. Which leads to other questions like, ‘What constitutes legitimate authority?’ And, ‘Who has that authority?’ Does someone else have the authority to run my life, run my finances, demand things of me? Depending upon how you read Romans 13, you may come to that conclusion. I’ve run into believers who were told by their religious leadership that they were not allowed to quit their jobs with the church. Imagine that! Who gave that one the right to say that? Was it legitimate? Is there legitimate disobedience? These are real questions because this subject is not as clear cut as you might like it to be.
Let’s read the whole section, then we will dive into it.
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Rom 13:1-7 NKJV
Let’s break this down…
Let every soul be subject (Grk. HUPOTASSO: be in obedience) to the governing (Grk. HUPERECHO: higher) authorities (Grk. EXOUSIA: power or authority). For there is no authority (Grk. EXOUSIA) except from God, and the authorities (Grk.EXOUSIA) that exist are appointed (Grk. TASSO: arranged, assigned, ordained) by God.
It’s interesting that the word ‘soul’ is used because that is exactly the part of man that needs to come into alignment with the will of God. Every soul is to obey the legitimate higher powers, and we must discover who those people are. For instance, I was the legitimate higher power to my three little rug rats – the government wasn’t – but I wasn’t the legitimate higher power to your three, or however many you had. Do you see?
Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme (HUPERECHO); 1 Peter 2:13-14 NKJV
The question of does Romans 13 refer to civil or religious authority is further complicated by the word HUPERECHO, which the only time it clearly refers to a person is when it refers to a king. One point for the ‘civil authority’ interpretation, which I’m told was espoused by Derek Prince and no less than Billy Graham!
When you look at the usages of the Greek word EXOUSIA the first usage clearly refers to spiritual authority while the second refers to civil authority, so it can get interesting about how you interpret Romans 13.
…for He taught them as one having authority (EXOUSIA – first usage), and not as the scribes. Matt 7:29 NKJV
…For I also am a man under authority (EXOUSIA – 2nd), having soldiers under me. Matt 8:9 NKJV
They are so closely aligned which made me think that maybe Romans 13 refers to BOTH, which I later rejected, and I’ll show you why.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.
If this is talking about spiritual or religious authorities, then there must be ruling ministries. If there are ruling ministries, Peter had one. Peter inspired fear. I question whether there is legitimate spiritual authority if they don’t inspire fear in evil ones, and to a degree everyone else. Peter did not wield the sword of the Spirit in vain. When Moses walked through town, everyone got out of his way!
On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life. Josh 4:14 NKJV
Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. Acts 5:9-11 NKJV
We need boldness and humility. Boldness without humility is arrogance. Humility without boldness is weakness. The righteous are bold as a lion!
5 Therefore you must be subject (Grk. HUPOTASSO), not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes (Grk. PHOROS, a tribute, to share the load or burden), for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes (PHOROS) to whom taxes (PHOROS) are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
The reason I reject Romans 13 as referring to civil authorities is because in the context of Romans 12:3 – 13:10 there is nothing to indicate this refers to anything other than the Church. The phrases ‘pay taxes’ and ‘governing authorities’ throw us off the scent, but otherwise this is in the Church. 1 Peter 2:11-17 deals with civil authorities. 1 Peter does not say these authorities were assigned by God, as Romans 13 does. If every civil leader was appointed by God then you have the Lord being responsible for the wickedness of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Biden.
Ok, so these are ruling ministries in the Church. So, what constitutes legitimate religious or spiritual authority? Does owning a building and having guests over to visit give one the right to lay claim to peoples financial support, and in some cases even control their jobs and their marriages? When I visit a church, I always consult with the owners thereof before I minister, just as I would if you invited me into your house. That’s just courtesy! Even in the church I attend I’m very careful about taking liberties, even though I’m respected and given a lot of leeway…
Considering spiritual or religious authority, let’s first consider the concept of seasons, periods of time. For Israel in the wilderness, seasons were marked by the moving of the cloud. However long the cloud stayed in one place, whether days, weeks or a year, Israel stayed. When the cloud moved, Israel moved. It’s the same truth in seasons under spiritual authority. The season can last for a week or a lifetime. In being under the spiritual authority of Dr. Jack Tuls, we constantly discussed how to make the schools the best possible spiritual training grounds. We travelled and ministered and decided. But when it came to final decisions, it was ‘thus saith Jack,’ and that was that. That lasted for over twenty years until his death, and even now his decisions form the basis of how we move forward. That season, in one sense, still continues…
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and remained with him fifteen days. Gal 1:18-19 NKJV
I believe every new believer should have a father or mentor. I believe even Paul had a mentor in Peter, who taught him about walking with Jesus. Yes, Paul the persecutor had a perfect mentor in Peter the denier. The polished aristocratic theologian was trained by the rough, tough fisherman. ‘PERFECT’ as the kids would say! Perhaps Paul needed an impartation of the spiritual backbone of the one who walked on water. The mentor/father/discipler relationship is the beginning of legitimate governing authority.
Test all things; hold fast what is good. 1 Thess 5:21 NKJV
As the cloud moves in our lives, He brings us under different fathers and mothers for a season who can then speak into our hearts. This has little to do with age, but everything to do with spiritual authority. They should be heeded, but not mindlessly, because we are told to test all things and holdfast that which is good. I believe a clear indicator that a spiritual walk has atrophied is when they are no longer under a mentor or father. Those lives, those ministries then become like salt that has lost its savor. Do you see it?
Render therefore to all their due: taxes (PHOROS) to whom taxes (PHOROS) are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
What about the business of ‘paying taxes’? God has always had men and women who served Him exclusively. Israel was called to be a kingdom of priests, but there was one tribe in their midst who was called to this office full time. The Levites were one of the twelve tribes of Israel, but they received no inheritance in the Land because the Lord was their inheritance. They were in ‘full time ministry’ and as such they were supported by the tithes of the other eleven tribes. When you consider that they tithed of what they received (Num 18:25,26), then their income was roughly the same as all the others. The word for taxes – PHOROS – literally means to share the burden, in this case the burden of paying the bills for the ‘Levite.’ Today the men and women truly called and appointed by the Lord to full time ministry – God’s modern Levites – should be supported by the tithes of those to whom they minister. That’s what it says!
“Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting. Num 18:21 NKJV
When we were called to fulltime ministry, we literally left everything. Our home where we had never missed a payment and were in great financial standing we gave up, and our business with which we made really good money we gave away. We trusted the Lord that those we ministered to would sow back into us, and they did generously. Being free to work 60-70 hour weeks with other anointed saints that the Lord brought along side us we have been able to bless folks around the world. Now we could do that, or I could wash windows, and none of those saints could be blessed by what we had to give. I can honestly say people are alive today who wouldn’t be if we had not been supported by tithes. And yes, the Lord has blessed us by returning to us many times over what we gave up for Him. Do you see it?
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. Mal 3:10 NKJV
The fact that many times peoples tithing has been wasted in dubious pursuits does not invalidate the tithe. We have always tithed, and whether our tithes were used rightly or wrongly, the Lord has always blessed us. What about helping other people? That goes into the category of offerings that are above the tithe. We always give offerings. But tithes and offerings are two separate realities.
Thank God we are not enslaved to wicked politicians or at least you cannot use Romans 13 to justify that enslavement. Other scriptures like 1 Peter try to teach us how to get along with wicked Gentile political systems so we keep ‘the main thing’ – our walks with God as His ambassadors in this world – the main thing. Sometimes when you have the Nazis or a tyrannical English Crown in charge you have to do some radical things which the Lord anoints, but that’s not in general how we live. When we faithfully carry out Romans 13 in love, everyone gets blessed and the Lord is glorified. Amen? Love you!
Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business…