Why Honoring Governing Authorities Was Important to Paul

I recently wrapped up a class on reading Romans with eastern eyes. In the class, we learned about honor and shame and what they mean to eastern people. One of my final assignments was to write a short essay on how Paul’s comments in Romans 13 might affect the way we use honor and shame when engaging political or social issues today.

Too often, we approach Romans 13 as if it’s a stand-alone passage addressing a specific issue. In my experience, this chapter tends to be used as proof God has ordained the government. Because God has ordained the government, therefore, Christians should be involved in politics. And it’s okay for Christians to be involved in politics even though the government uses force because, after all, God ordained the government to “bear the sword” (13:4).

Taking a look at Paul’s comments surrounding Romans 13, however, might help us know how to better read Romans 13 itself.

In chapter 12, Paul lays the groundwork by appealing that we lay down our bodies as spiritual worship, refusing to be conformed to this world. Instead of taking on the way, belief system, and values of the empire, be transformed into the image of Christ (8:29) by renewing our minds. As we learn to think like Jesus, instead of the culture around us, we will be able to discern what the will of God is in the middle of the empire that we live in (12:2).[1]

Paul then goes into instructions about living in humility with each other, understanding our proper assignment in the Body of Christ. He exhorts us to let love be genuine and hold fast to what is good, fleeing what is evil (12:9). We are to “outdo one another in showing honor” (12:10), be patient in tribulation and constant in prayer (12:11). He even says to “bless those who persecute you; do not curse them” (12:14) and reminds us not to take vengeance but leave revenge to God (12:19).

Paul ends the chapter by alluding to the fact that we could be overcome by evil. Instead of being overcome by evil, he says, “ overcome evil with good” (12:21).

I’ve pulled out some key verses to help us see chapter twelve’s connection with the next. What Paul says in chapter 13 is not a one-off thought on government, nor is it a license for government to do whatever it deems right. In fact, Paul’s comments in Romans 13 don’t endorse any particular government at all.

Remember, Paul wrote this under the rulership of Nero. Nero wielded a violent sword, unleashing one of the worst periods of persecution the Christian church has ever endured. He killed his stepbrother out of fear that his stepbrother might claim the throne. He also killed his own mother, supposedly because of a power struggle between the two of them. Nero also used burning Christians to light his candle at night.

This crazy, violent man is the one Paul is now going to tell Christians in Rome to be subject to.

But why? Why should Christians “be subject to” such a dreadful leader?

As Americans, we have lived under governing authorities that favored the Christian faith. We don’t know what it’s like to have a President who doesn’t give his inaugural vows with his hand on the Bible. American Presidents have all had some sort of Christian faith, and have passed on a tradition of having their denomination’s pastors come and pray over them as they lead.

For us, it’s easy to read this passage as if we honor governing authorities because they are honorable.[2]

When Paul says, “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God,” we assume that we honor the man because God has placed the man in the position of “governing authority” because he is honorable. In our context, reasonably honorable men have held the position, so we can unknowingly conclude that Paul’s exhortation to honor is because the men holding the position are honorable. We might even find ourselves thinking this passage is Paul’s endorsement of the particular individuals serving as our “governing authorities.”

And since we get to choose our governing authorities, they may very well be “our guys.”

“Yes! Honor our guys! Do not resist them!”

Paul goes on to say that if we do right, we have nothing to fear in our governing authorities (13:3). If we do wrong, however, we have everything to fear. They do not “bear the sword in vain” (13:4).

It has been interesting to watch how people use this passage in light of recent events. When it came to George Floyd or Jacob Blake, many Christians felt those men had something to fear because they had “done wrong.” When it came to Donald Trump and the storming of the U.S. Capitol, many of those same Christians…well, were silent. Some clung to the hope that Biden had indeed committed fraud and therefore had “done wrong” and therefore had something to fear from Trump (who was the current governing authority).

Or consider how some Christians condemned BLM protests, but marched down their state capitol’s streets protesting COVID lockdowns. Some Christians insist that gay marriage or abortion be outlawed across the board, but then refuse to follow other laws that are across the board, such as wear a face mask.

It seems to me that a lot of the way we approach how we respond to our governing authorities has had to do with whether or not they were “our guys.”

And whether they were “our guys” has typically determined whether or not we deemed them “honorable.” And whether we deemed our governing authorities “honorable” has impacted whether or not we actually honored them.

But a closer look at what Paul says in Romans 13 shows us that we are not to honor our governing authorities because they hold a position or because they are honorable; we honor them because God has appointed them.

God is the reference point of honor, not the stamp of approval for something or someone else to be the reference point of honor.

We honor governing authorities not because they are worth honoring, but because God has said to honor them.

Those who resist the authorities God has appointed “incur judgment” (13:2). Paul says nothing about whether or not the authority is acting honorably or whether or not he actually is being a “terror to evil” and a true servant for our good.

God has appointed governing authorities to in fact be terrors to evil and servants for good, but the particular individuals governing over us may be “Neros.”

God does not necessarily bless Nero, but the Christians in Rome were to honor him anyway.

Paul goes on to say we must honor governing authorities not only to avoid God’s wrath (for resisting the appointed authority), but “also for the sake of conscience” (13:5).

For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Romans 13:6-7

Question: “For because of what we also pay taxes?”

Answer: “The sake of conscience.”

It seems as though Paul is saying that God has appointed authorities and we are to honor them. As we honor them, such as paying our taxes and showing respect, they are then responsible for actually honoring God in how they govern. It appears as though God’s design for accountability is built two way: (1) we are terrorized by governing authorities if we do evil, and (2) they are “terrorized” by God if they do evil. On the flip side, (1) we are blessed by governing authorities if we do good, and (2) they are blessed by God if they do good.

God holds his appointed authorities accountable for rightly stewarding his creation by putting His body in their empires to honor them.

We honor governing authorities not because they hold a position or are doing what God has designed governing authorities to do, but because God designed that by our honoring them they are held accountable to His Word.

If they govern well, they will be praised. If they do not govern well, they will be shamed.

Our honor of governing authorities pricks their conscience about how faithful they are governing.

But here’s why the context of chapter 12 is so important: to live this way in the empire will likely bring about suffering. That’s what it meant to Paul’s original audience. That’s what it means to us today, even though we’ve had it really nice in the “American empire” for all of our lives.

By honoring our governing authorities even when it means we may suffer, we present our bodies as living sacrifices (12:1). Therefore, we must hold fast to what is good (12:9), outdo one another in showing honor (12:10), be patient in tribulation and constant in prayer (12:11).

To live in the empire as Jesus calls His people to live in the empire is not to live a life of guaranteed national security or retirement plans. Living in the empire as Jesus calls us to live in the empire will not always mean it is easy to raise our kids according to His values. We may not always have governing authorities assisting us in the process.

But we honor them as we can—worshiping and praying as we do—for the sake of their consciences. After all, they are the ones who give account to Him who appointed them.

How does understanding the responsibility of being honored shape your view of how you respond to the governing authorities in your life? Share in the comments below.

[1] Scot McKnight’s book, Reading Romans Backwards, provides key insight into the historical/cultural setting of Paul’s letter to the house churches of Rome. These people lived in the capitol of the Roman empire. They dealt with the economic struggles Nero attempted to help with. They also faced most directly the shame and isolation of Nero’s persecution of Christians. Understanding the empire aspect of the setting in which this letter was written helps us properly understand the letter itself.

[2] You will notice I switched from the use of “be subject to” to “honor.” I believe our understanding of “honor” more accurately captures the intent behind the Greek word ὑποτάσσω (hypotassō) which gets translated, “be subject to.” In military use, this term meant to “arrange in a military fashion under the command of a leader.” In non-military use, hypotassō meant “a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden.” Since Paul is using this term in a non-military way, I believe the latter definition applies, which we might think of as “honor” in the English language.

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