Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
What does Romans 13:1 mean?
The grace of the gospel teaches us submission and quiet, where pride and the carnal mind only see causes for murmuring and discontent.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside its immediate passage and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Romans 13:1
Let every soul - Every person. In the seven first verses of this chapter, the apostle discusses the subject of the duty which Christians owe to civil government; a subject which is extremely important, and at the same time exceedingly difficult. There is no doubt that he had express reference to the special situation of the Christians at Rome; but the subject was of so much importance that he gives it a "general" bearing, and states the great principles on which all Christians are to act. The circumstances which made this discussion proper and important were the following: (1) The Christian religion was designed to extend throughout the world.
Key words
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Context in Romans 13
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Romans 13 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as Israel, mercy, and transformed life. Romans is Paul’s fullest sustained exposition of sin, grace, righteousness, faith, Israel, the Spirit, and transformed life in Christ. Read this chapter with the wider themes of justification, grace, and faith in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
Key passages on God's unmerited favour, the grace of Christ, salvation by grace through faith, and how grace transforms the way believers live.
Passages on lowliness, modesty, the contrast between pride and humility, and the way God exalts those who humble themselves.