General Considerations Enforcing the Duty of Obedience to Civil Rule (Civil Government: An Exposition of Romans 13:1-7 2 of 6)

The truth is, the apostle has no reference here at all to any thing but the institution of government; and designs to assert, and does assert, that there is no authority properly exercised over men, but that which God has established.

This is true in the largest sense: for man is God's creature and subject, and he who sets up claims to dominion over him must be prepared to show that he exercises an authority of that sort and of that character which bears the stamp and sanction of divine institution.

Had Paul, indeed, said no more, it might have been argued, with greater plausibility, that he designed in this passage to give the tyrants of the earth, what they have always claimed, the sanction of the Most High in their course of monstrous iniquity.

Even then, however, we would have endeavoured, and we think successfully, to vindicate the word of God against so abhorrent a conclusion.

But Paul did not stop with these general assertions. He proceeds, as will presently appear, to define, with great distinctness and brevity, his own meaning: to designate the sort of 'power' to which he alludes: not any and every existing government, but that which answers the end of its institution.

In short, the design of this clause: 'There is no power but of God,' is merely to assert the general principle that subjection is due to civil government, inasmuch as government is a divine institution.

Please visit SWRB's home page at the 'Outside Web Link' below.