Last week we began our consideration on whether Romans 13 or 14 are passages that help us navigate through COVID-19 and the questions we are facing now. I asked you to read Romans 12 through 14 to get familiar with the contents of those chapters. Today, I’m considering Romans 13 in context and asking: Does this passage address the issues of our day?
To begin we must remember that the chapter numbers “13” or “14” were not put there by the apostle nor inspired by the Spirit of God. We must be mindful as we look at chapter 13 not to miss the reason why he addresses civil authorities. We do better to start in chapter 12 where an new section of the letter begins. Romans 1–11 makes much of doctrine (indicatives), before chapter 12 and onward makes much of instruction (imperatives). That is, as common in Pauline letters, we see a foundation of truth laid and then the instructions compelling proper actions built on that foundation. The same holds true here.
So chapter 12 begins, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1–2). This urging—including what the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God looks like—fills much of the remaining chapters.
Further in Romans 12, we see a litany of commands. This is the will of God that we are called to be conformed to.
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:9–21).
In this barrage of commands, you’ll notice that the last number of them have to do with not taking revenge. Vengeance belongs to the Lord. We are called to be at peace, not repay evil for evil, but rather to do good to those who persecute us or who are our enemies. Rather than avenging ourselves, we are to “leave it to the wrath of God.”
But, we may ask, when is the evildoer repaid? When is God’s wrath meted out? Do we have to wait for God’s final judgment for his wrath to bring justice to those who are evil? The answer, in short, is: No! Romans 13 continues the same thought of the wrath of God and how God deals with evildoers who are enemies of the righteous.
Romans 13:1–5 says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.”
Do you see the connection to Romans 12? We see the discussion concerning God’s wrath continue. This portion of Scripture doesn’t just float down from heaven to call on obedience to the government as if these early church goers were so unlawful, rebellious, and deviant. This portion of Scripture addresses how God’s wrath will vindicate the righteous and punish the wicked. That is, God’s vengeance will be carried out—at least in part—through the justice of civil government who carries the sword to punish the evil doer. The civil magistrate “is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” Remember how many times Paul was rescued and vindicated by the civil authorities?
So, if we bring Romans 12 and 13 together we get a clearer picture. Don’t take revenge against evildoers, for God has appointed the state to be an instrument of his wrath against them. You do what is right and you’ll have nothing to fear. This includes paying taxes, being a good citizen, and working for the betterment of the city (Jeremiah 29:7).
When Paul commands Christians here to do what is right, the very idea of “right” implies a law or standard. That standard is not established by the government, but by the law of God.
Romans 13 continues and says, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:8–10).
That is, the standard of righteousness the government ought to use in rendering judgment and meting out justice is the law of God which expresses true righteousness and true justice.
Is the point of Romans 12 and 13 clearer now? Christians are called to not take revenge. God’s wrath will be meted out through the civil government he has established for that purpose (cf. Gen 9:6). Christians should not be seeking revenge, rather they must concern themselves with acting righteously, fulfilling the law of God and avoiding his wrath.
Understanding Romans 13 in context helps us see that there is not a clear parallel between the original intent and our current situation. But can we apply this to today? Are government restrictions on the church and Christians due to COVID-19 a Romans 13 issue? I would answer no for two main reasons.
1) Romans 13 does not give the authority to the state that the state is exercising now.
By no means does Romans 13 give power to the state that requires obedience in all circumstances. There is nothing in Romans 13 that teaches that the government is responsible for the common good. There is nothing in Romans 13 that teaches that the government is responsible for keeping people safe from a virus such that they even command what takes place in the church and in the home. There is nothing in Romans 13 that says the church must obey the government in matters of public safety or health. Rather, Romans 13 teaches that the government is God’s servant for carrying out his wrath in accordance with his law.
For those who appeal to Romans 13 must consider how it applies. Is the government, as an instrument of God’s wrath, punishing the evil doers today? Is James Coates an evil doer? Did he violate the law of God by allowing people to freely assemble in worship, understanding the risks of doing so? Is he under the wrath of God for his actions? A child molester who is likely to reoffend has been released while a pastor sits in jail. Is this Romans 13?
Romans 13 defines the authority of the state to uphold justice and mete out God’s wrath according to God’s standards. It does not give power to the state to define justice or what is good and evil. It does not give authority to the state to outlaw gathering freely in worship, and then bring the punishment of the sword upon those who do.
2) Romans 13 does not command that Christians must always be obedient to the state.
The constant appeal today to Romans 13 is that Christians must be obedient to government and thus avoid their wrath (unless they forbid the preaching of the gospel). But there is a long history of conflict, imprisonment, torture, and execution by the state against Christians for their unwillingness to heed the wishes of the state (and it’s rarely for preaching the gospel).
Jesus was crucified as an enemy of the state. Paul was beheaded for his defiance to the state—and he’s the one who penned these words! In fact, almost all the disciples were seen as defiant to the state and were executed for it. The early Christians in Rome (who knew these verses) were crucified and killed by beasts in the arena. Why? Because they defied civil authorities and would not say “Caesar is lord” or offer incense to the gods as a good citizen would. They were a public nuisance, disturbers of the peace, and were dealt with as obstinate and defiant fanatics. They were free to preach the gospel, they just had to do it as good citizens of the state—it was a matter of the common good.
To be clear, Christians have often been punished by the state where fulfilling the law of God contradicts the laws of the state. At that point, Christians must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). (Of course, like today, early Christians disagreed over whether or when to submit to the state or not.)
In sum, there is nothing in Romans 13 to suggest that the war between the governments of godless men (the beast of Revelation) and the people of God does not exist. We must always remember that that war is about authority and loyalty—it’s not only about preaching the gospel.
Conclusion
While Romans 13 is often appealed to, we must understand it in its context before we rush to apply it to our present situation. Unless one is willing to say that God’s wrath is against those who gather for worship in violation to current public health orders (that differ from province to province and state to state), we cannot hold this as a Romans 13 issue.
Next week we’ll consider Romans 14 and see if it’s principles help us for today’s issues.
Please remember, while we navigate these issues where disagreements abound, I’m seeking to get us to a point where we are forced to examine the passages in question so that unity of mind can be achieved.