Romans 13:1-14

Paul continues from the end of chapter 12 teaching how holy-people (Christians) are to behave ourselves during the everyday living of our lives, so that we would live in agreement with what God has given to be believed (refer to Romans 10:8-10).

Romans 13:1-3(a):

^13:1You must subject-yourselves to all authorities being-superior for there is not an authority except by God, and the (authorities) being (authorities) are (those) having been arranged² by God, ^.2so-that the (person) arranging-himself-against the authority has stood-against² the arrangement of God, and the (people) having stood-against² will receive judgment to themselves, ^.3(a)for the rulers are not a fear for the good work but for the bad (work).

You must subject yourselves (cause yourselves to be in submission, to be arranged in the position of being underneath, under authority, submissive in the walk/behavior category by the freedom of your will [papyrus P46 reads as translated above, but some Greek texts read "every soul must be subject / subject-himself"])...

• to all authorities being-superior (all positions of authoritative power, every one of those who have the permitted right to exercise authority in accordance with God and the Lord Jesus Christ, those who are holding a position or rank of authority over you, who are being superior for the purpose of protecting you, like a rock projection jutting-out above and beyond what is under it and thereby sheltering what is underneath from rain or anything else coming downwards)
  • for there is no authority (authoritative power, permitted right)
    • except or unless by God (by the power of, from under the hand of, the instrumental and efficient agent being the only true God),
  • and the authorities who are presently and actively existing being authorities are those who have been arranged (put in order, set in rank as the military sense) and continue being arranged by God,

...with the consequence and result that...

• the person who is arranging himself against (putting himself in ordered opposition to) the authoritative power that God has put in order
  • has stood against/anti (withstood, resisted) and continues to stand against
  • the arrangement of God (God's ordered placement of that authority, how He put it fully in order, as arranging troops in the midst of battle so that God's people would overcome any enemies),
• and the people who have stood against God's arrangement and continue to resist it
  • will receive judgment to themselves (they will be given a pronounced decision, a sentence passed to/for themselves, they will take the consequences of their wrong behavior),
• for the rulers (the ones whom God arranged to be chiefs among His people, those in the first-place or dignified-hierarchical positions whether they be people or spirits in this arrangement)
  • are not a fear (a cause for fright, for being afraid)
    • for the good work (relative to the performance of work that issues from God Who is good and sets the standard for what is good, the good thing wrought, good deed, the effect-produced having acted expending energy in accordance with what is perfectly admirable from God's viewpoint, work that is according to His words and intention because He is the source of all true goodness)
  • but on the contrary, they are a fear
    • for the bad work (relative to the performance of work that does not issue from God and therefore there will be consequences for that wrong behavior).

The people who are authorities must carry-out their practice (function, duty) in accordance with the measure of belief that God gives to them because they also are limbs (members) in the one body of Christ, Christ himself being the head (refer to Romans 12:3-5; Ephesians 1:19-23, 4:15 and 16; Colossians 1:18, 2:10 and 19).

Only Godly leadership and authority have true reality since God raised Christ up giving him his spiritual body. All other leadership and authority have no effect spiritually to/with/against Christ, the head, and his body of holy-people (refer to Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:19-23; Colossians 1:13-19 and 27, and 2:9-12; Hebrews 1:1-4, 13:7; I Peter 3:22). However, as we await the coming of Christ to gather us together, all holy-people ought to behave ourselves in accordance with God our Father and with our Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what adverse things may come against us from the devil/satan via whatever means or method.

[Reference: Deuteronomy 17:15; Mathew 7:29, 9:6 and 8, 10:1, 28:18; Acts 4:18-20, 7:35 and 53; I Corinthians 2:6-10, 11:10; II Corinthians 10:8, 13:10; Ephesians 2:8-10; Colossians 1:15-17; Titus 3:1; I Peter 2:13-17, 3:22; Jude 1:25; Revelation 1:1, 5 and 20, chapters 2 and 3. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]

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