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Romans 13:1–7, King James Version
Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.
Romans 13:1–7
Civil Authority Is Accountable to Its God-Given Good-Serving Function
Civil authority is accountable to a God-given servant-for-good function, not to unlimited obedience.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Rulers are not a terror to good conduct but to bad; the authority is God's servant for your good, and a servant who bears the sword as an avenger. Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but because of conscience. Pay taxes, revenue, respect, and honor to whom they are due.
The command is ordered civic life under an authority defined by doing good and restraining harm. It does not authorize political absolutism, tyranny, genocide, slavery, abuse, or obedience to commands that require evil. It is not unlimited state obedience, and it is not a ban on resisting abuse. When a ruler becomes a terror to the good, the text's own job description no longer fits that ruler.
How this should shape us
Pay what you honestly owe and honor the public good where it is real. Refuse any sermon that uses this paragraph to bless tyranny or to tell an abused person to obey. If the state requires evil or protects harm, you may resist without pretending Paul wrote a blank check.
Teach it back
Explain Romans 13:1–7 in your own words. Include its place in Romans, its movement, one material uncertainty, and one misuse the context rules out.
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Go deeper
The explanation above is meant to stand on its own. Open these notes only if you want language, history, disagreements, or source locations.
Where careful interpreters disagreeThe strongest options and their difficulties
Where do careful interpreters disagree?
Best judgment: Interpreters debate circumstantial or universal scope, submission versus obedience, interpolation, anti-imperial undertones, taxes, sword, and resistance to unjust rule. The passage addresses government but never says rulers are morally infallible.
How certain? probableResearch trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Romans 13:1–7, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, and base text for original-language discussion.
Faithlife SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/Rom.txt, 13:1–7
Supports: Verse-level syntax, KJV-era wording, material variants, and interpretive alternatives.
NET Bible official Romans chapter print view, 13:1–7, translation and attached translator, study, and textual notes
Supports: Complete evangelical Protestant whole-letter exposition, historical setting, argument flow, and theological synthesis.
Mathis, 'Romans,' introduction and commentary section covering 13:1–7, with bibliography and endnotes
Supports: Catholic exegetical orientation, salvation-history frame, concise verse notes, and faith-new-life synthesis.
USCCB, Romans introduction and chapter notes covering 13:1–7
Supports: Jewish historical context, Paul-within-Judaism alternatives, diatribe restraint, and anti-supersessionist controls.
Nanos, Jewish Annotated New Testament, first edition print pp. 253-286, introduction and annotations on 13:1–7
Supports: Romans 13:1-10 readings and the rhetorical controls of doing good, avoiding harm, conscience, and love.
Granados Rojas, 'From Submission to Love,' Isidorianum 33.2 (2024), journal pp. 207-233
Supports: Independent morphology, form, and lexical-range cross-check for material Greek claims.
STEP Bible Data repository, Greek morphology and lexical records for Romans 13:1–7
Sources for This Section
These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: Romans 13:1–7, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, and base text for original-language discussion.
Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/Rom.txt, 13:1–7
Open the Romans Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible - Romans with translators' and textual notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005-2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-level syntax, KJV-era wording, material variants, and interpretive alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible official Romans chapter print view, 13:1–7, translation and attached translator, study, and textual notes
Open NET Romans 13 notesmodern open commentary
Romans
Donny Ray Mathis II
The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, 2023
Supports: Complete evangelical Protestant whole-letter exposition, historical setting, argument flow, and theological synthesis.
Exact location: Mathis, 'Romans,' introduction and commentary section covering 13:1–7, with bibliography and endnotes
Open source ↗modern catholic translation notes
The Letter to the Romans: introduction and chapter notes
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2010-2026 online edition
Supports: Catholic exegetical orientation, salvation-history frame, concise verse notes, and faith-new-life synthesis.
Exact location: USCCB, Romans introduction and chapter notes covering 13:1–7
Open source ↗modern jewish annotated new testament
Romans introduction and annotations in The Jewish Annotated New Testament
Mark D. Nanos; edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler
Oxford University Press, 2011
Supports: Jewish historical context, Paul-within-Judaism alternatives, diatribe restraint, and anti-supersessionist controls.
Exact location: Nanos, Jewish Annotated New Testament, first edition print pp. 253-286, introduction and annotations on 13:1–7
Open source ↗peer reviewed rhetorical exegetical article
From Submission to Love: Understanding the Motivations in Romans 13:1-10
Juan Manuel Granados Rojas, S.J.
Isidorianum 33.2, 2024
Supports: Romans 13:1-10 readings and the rhetorical controls of doing good, avoiding harm, conscience, and love.
Exact location: Granados Rojas, 'From Submission to Love,' Isidorianum 33.2 (2024), journal pp. 207-233
Open source ↗Lexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: Independent morphology, form, and lexical-range cross-check for material Greek claims.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data repository, Greek morphology and lexical records for Romans 13:1–7
Open source ↗