Romans 13 – No Contradictions

Romans 13:1-7 

1. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers: for there is no power but of God: and the powers that be, are ordained of God. 2. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist, shall receive to themselves condemnation. 3. For Magistrates are not to be feared for good works, but for evil. Wilt thou then be without fear of the power? Do well: so shalt thou have praise of the same. 4. For he is the minister of God for thy wealth: but if thou do evil, fear: for he beareth not the sword for naught: for he is the minister of God to take vengeance on him that doeth evil. 5. Wherefore ye must be subject, not because of wrath only, but also for conscience sake. 6. For, for this cause pay also tribute: for they are God’s ministers, applying themselves for the same thing. 7. Give to all men therefore their duty: tribute, to whom ye owe tribute: custom, to whom ye owe custom: fear, to whom fear: honor, to whom ye owe honor.  [1599 Geneva Bible]

Here I am back at Romans 13. You may ask, ‘why does this guy keep writing about this same passage’? How much can be left to say? Well, plenty is left to say, part of which is that it is Romans 13 that draws the most responses from my readers. With the growing size of Leviathan and the continuing advancement of its all consuming appetite for power, a whole lot of us little people are wondering what our relationship to the beast ought to look like.

The on-going confusion on the part of many American Christians over this passage is understandable. After all, we have been taught from our youth that the only doctrine that counts in the Bible is what we find in the New Testament. All other Scripture has been relegated to the ash heap of history according to the pervasive dispensational theology of the current evangelical church. So, our theological eyesight is myopic. We see what we can and we can see only what we have been trained to look for. This does not mean we can just make up unsupportable doctrine and throw it out there whilst calling our opponents blind. But it does mean we can be helped by having some of our blind spots pointed out to us.

I have been told that the first two verses of this passage are so instructive, so able to stand on their own, that no other consideration on the topic need be pursued. So, I just want to observe one more point relating to that assertion.

I agree the Romans passage does naturally divide into two parts with verses 1-2 seeming to stand apart from verses 3-7. However, I do not agree that the two sections are in conflict with one another. We can gain good insight on the correct interpretive method here by observing how conservative scholars understand an Old Testament passage with the same construction. Remember with me the opening two chapters of Genesis. In that case the first chapter describes the general creation including the creation of man. The second chapter also describes the creation of man but has different information. Liberal ‘scholars’ have used this difference in content to try to create a wedge between the two parts of early Genesis. They tell us the two chapters, supposedly by differing authors, contradict one another and therefore the text must not be taken seriously, or at least not as history. Conservative scholars more correctly insist that this is a single text by a single author. Rather, they say, it is simply a case where the first chapter is general and the second chapter gives greater detail. Therefore the two chapters complement rather than contradict each other.

I am suggesting here, more than suggesting really, that the two parts of our Romans passage need to be treated in the same way. The first section is general, ‘the powers that be are ordained of God…’ The second section adds details that ought to be used to flesh out and more fully understand the short statements made previous. So, even though the powers are ordained of God it is also true that we are to ‘give honor to whom honor is due’ not to just anybody who happens to occupy an office. We have a rich mine of examples and teaching in the broader Biblical text to help us figure out to whom we owe honor. The second part of the Romans 13 passage is filled with specific wording and examples that should engender much thought on our parts in how it might temper or illuminate the first statements.

I am encouraging my readers then, to use the same basic methods of interpretation we would use on similar passages. Romans 13 gets a lot easier to start figuring out if we remain consistent in this way.

For liberty and Christian culture,

Don Schanzenbach

Related Articles

Romans 13: Part 1, Dispensational Disconnect?

Romans 13: Part 2, Meaning of “Minister”

Romans 13: Part 3, Paying What You Owe

Romans 13: Part 4, Trading Liberty for Chains