Chapter # 13 Paragraph # 1 Study # 7
November 8, 2020
Humble, Texas

⁽⁰⁷⁸⁾

1769 Translation:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to [execute] wrath upon him that doeth evil.
5 Wherefore [ye] must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute [is due]; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

1901 ASV Translation:
4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.
6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for [rulers] are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax [is due;] custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

• I. The Rationale For The Soul's "Subjection" To "Higher Authorities".
  • A. The "issue" of "authority".
  • B. The actual nature of the "soul's" resistance to "authority.
  • C. The particular consequence, in this text, I have called "self-inflicted judgment" which will be enforced.
  • D. The divine intention regarding human authorities.
    • 1. "Human authority" is designed by God to be "a cause of fear" for those who do evil.
      • a. The term Paul chose to use to express this fourth major part of his argument for "submission to authority" ("rulers": archontes) is not a word that Paul used often (only four of the New Testament's 36 texts possessing this word were written by Paul).
      • b. These "rulers" are intended by God to be "fearful", but only by those who "do evil".
        • 1) The issue of "fear" is, at root, the attitude of apostasy: "fear" had its origin in Adam's selfish ambition that catapulted him into the kingdom of darkness. The issue is the inherent realization of catastrophic failure to do what is right so that the Only God has become The Adversary with the power to take away what is held as "most loved". Adam fled from the presence of God in fear as soon as the rebellion was "settled" in actual action.
          • a) All fear is rooted in the reality that those who fear are not perfected in "Love" and, thus, realize that their most precious benefits are forfeit to a more powerful Foe.
          • b) God intends for men to "be afraid" if "Love" is rejected, for there is no hope for any who set themselves in opposition to God.
        • 2) In Paul's focus of attention, this "fear" has to do with "doing evil".
          • a) No one who loves as God Loves and believes God's Truth has any cause for "fear" simply because the "Love of God" is rooted in Omnipotence.
          • b) Thus, even if it is the "evil" of those who are established by God as "authorities" and His "ministers" that is in view, those who Love and Believe have nothing to "fear".
          • c) But those who "do evil" are always "fearful" because their cause is lost before it ever even gets traction.
    • 2. "Human authority" is "of God a minister for you unto the good".
      • a. The "of God a minister" phrase incorporates the word diakonos for the first time in Romans.
        • 1) This word, according to Vine's Expository Dictionary, views "the laborer in view of the work being done" as opposed to the "slave" who is viewed in respect to his/her master.
        • 2) This is the word that describes the Kingdom of God as a "kingdom of servants"; i.e. persons who are charged with particular tasks to be pursued (from dioko).
        • 3) Paul's "point" is that God has established certain persons to be "in the pursuit of" the task of enforcing "law" for the sake of society without regard for questions of personal character or capability.
      • b. Paul's overall point is that there has to be someone who functions for God as a surrogate in society so that there will be "order" rather than "chaos". This "order" is that to which Paul points in his phrase "the good" (as lawful behavior for the sake of society in general).
      • c. Thus, if one does "the evil", he/she should "be afraid" because this "minister" has a sword which is not "vain" (i.e., only an empty threat).
        • 1) In this context, "the evil" is the rejection of the Love and Truth of God because it is "the ordinance of God" (13:2) that is in view.
        • 2) The "bearing" of the sword is declared by a verb used only in five texts of the New Testament with the general sense of "wearing" a garment as an adjunct to the "person", but having the ability to carry a characterization of that person.
        • 3) That the thing "worn" is a sword is indicative of "the power of death" held by the wearer.
        • 4) That this is the only thing mentioned as being "worn" signals the ultimate power of "authority"; the power to kill the body, i.e., the "legitimate" ability to execute offenders. Without this "sword", "authority" means nothing; commands which have no power of enforcement are of no use whatever in a fallen world. "Capital punishment" is a God ordained function of human authority, and, thus, those who oppose it are standing in strong antagonism to God: rebels.
    • 3. "Human authority" is "of God a minister, an avenger" in regard to those who practice evil.
      • a. Paul repeats his "minister" terminology ("For of God a minister" as in the first half of 13:4) here in the second half of 13:4. This repetition indicates emphasis: these human authorities are God's established "ministers" for "the good" and against "the evil".
      • b. In this repetition, the focus is upon the noun, "avenger", with the following phrase, "unto wrath to the one practicing the evil".
        • 1) The "avenger" terminology is only found in two texts in the entire New Testament (with 1 Thessalonians 4:6 being the other one).
          • a) Outside of the New Testament this word indicates the person who exercises the function of the law's demand for retribution upon lawless activity.
          • b) At issue is the root of "societal order": "action that arises out of righteousness".
          • c) God has established human authorities to force compliance to righteousness and has given them a "sword" to accomplish that task.
          • d) On this basis, "Christians" are to be the first to pursue righteous behavior at any cost to themselves, and to "live with" the absence of that pursuit in others, but, particularly when that absence exists in the one charged with the task. When lawlessness reaches its peak in those designated to enforce righteousness, "chaos" will rule until God decides to become an Unmediated Avenger (Note this tension in Isaiah 59:9).
        • 2) Paul's counsel is not for the "believer" to become cynical when unrighteousness pervades the culture, but to personally pursue "righteousness" even if it becomes illegal to do so.

(return to the top of the article)


This is article #077.
If you wish, you may contact Darrel as darrelcline at this site.