Romans 13.3b-Obedience To The Law Results In No Fear Of The Governmental Authority And Commendation From The Same
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday December 16, 2009
Romans: Romans 13:3b-Obedience To The Law Results In No Fear Of The Governmental Authority And Commendation From The Same
Lesson # 436
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 13:1.
This evening we will continue with our study of Romans 13:3 and in this passage Paul resumes the discussion from verse 1 as to why the Romans believers are to obey the command in verse 1 to continue to voluntarily subjecting themselves to the governmental authorities.
The statement presents an additional reason why they should obey his command in verse 1 indicating that the Roman believers must continue to voluntarily subject themselves to the governmental authorities because governmental rulers are a cause of fear for those whose conduct is evil.
Then, as we will not this evening he poses a rhetorical question that follows as a logical consequence of the previous statement.
Thus, Paul is saying that since governmental rulers are a cause of fear for law breakers consequently or as a logical consequence to this if you do not want to live in fear of the authorities, then obey the laws of the land.
The command that presents the logical consequence of the rhetorical question requires that Paul’s Christian readers in Rome continue practicing that which is good, i.e. obedience to the laws of the Roman government.
Lastly, this command is followed by a result clause indicating that if Paul’s readers continue making it their habit of practicing that which is good in character, i.e. obedience to the governing authorities, the result will be that they will receive praise from the governing authorities.
Romans 13:1, “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”
Romans 13:2, “Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.”
Romans 13:3, “For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same.”
Not translated is the “sequential” or “logical” or “consequential” use of the conjunction de (deV) (deh), which introduces a rhetorical question that follows as a logical consequence of the previous statement in verse 3.
In Romans 13:3, Paul presents another reason why Paul’s readers must obey his command in verse 1.
Therefore, with this word de Paul is saying that since governmental rulers are a cause of fear for law breakers “consequently” or “as a logical consequence” to this if you do not want to live in fear of the authorities, then obey the laws of the land.
“Do you want to have no fear of authority?” is a rhetorical question, which demands that Paul’s readers respond to his command to obey the laws of the government.
“To have no fear” is composed of the present active infinitive form of the verb phobeo (fobevw) (fob-eh-o), “to have fear,” which is negated by the negative particle me (mhv) (may), “not.”
The verb phobeo means “to be terrified, frightened of, to live in a state of fear or dread of” and is used with those who break the law as its subject and the governmental authority as its object.
Therefore, it refers to criminals who “live in a state of fear or dread” of the governmental authority as a result of opposing them by breaking the laws of the land.
The word refers to the utter sense of dread or fear of the governmental authority that is experienced by criminals because the authority threatens them with punishment and even their life for capital offenses.
The verb’s meaning is negated by the negative particle me, “not.”
Paul employs me and not ouk since the latter is much stronger than the former and would indicate that his readers were living in fear of the governmental authorities due to opposing the Roman government by breaking their laws.
Thus, by employing me instead of ouk, he does not believe that his readers were doing this, which ouk would indicate.
Therefore, the particle me indicates that this has not taken place but is used with the verb phobeo to prohibit Paul’s readers in the future from opposing the Roman authorities by breaking the laws of the land.
“Of authority” is the articular accusative feminine singular form of the noun exousia (e)cousiva) (ex-oo-see-ah), which refers to any civil governmental authority on the earth who has been delegated authority by God as His servant to govern the affairs of men and to exercise justice against law breakers.
The word speaks of the power or right to govern and to exercise authority over the citizens of the Roman Empire.
In Rome, the Latin word imperium referred to the right to rule or govern.
“Do what is good” is composed of the second person singular present active imperative form of the verb poieo (poievw) (poy-eh-o), “do” and the articular accusative neuter singular form of the adjective agathos (a)gaqov$) (ag-ath-os), “what is good.”
The verb poieo means “to practice” and is used with Paul’s Christian readers in Rome as its subject and agathos as its object.
The adjective agathos denotes obedience to the laws of human government or in other words being a law abiding citizen of the nation.
Therefore, Paul is commanding his readers to continue making it their habit of “practicing” obedience to the laws of the Roman government.
Agathos denotes that obedience to the laws of the Roman government is good in the sense that it is “intrinsically valuable, intrinsically good, inherently good in quality but with the idea of good which is also profitable, useful, benefiting others, benevolent.”
It is “intrinsically valuable, intrinsically good, inherently good in quality but with the idea of good which is also profitable, useful, benefiting others, benevolent” since obedience to human governmental authorities is in accordance with the Father’s will according to Romans 13:1.
It is good in the sense that it is “intrinsically valuable, intrinsically good, inherently good in quality but with the idea of good which is also profitable, useful, benefiting others, benevolent” since human government has been established by God for His benefit, the Christian and the entire human race.
Without human government, the human race, which is enslaved to the devil and the sin nature and thus totally depraved, would destroy itself.
Therefore, human government benefits God in that it helps to perpetuate the human race so that He can save some of them and it provides freedom for the gospel to be proclaimed.
It benefits the Christian in that it enables them to grow to spiritual maturity and it benefits the unbeliever in that it provides him the opportunity to either accept or reject Jesus Christ as Savior.
The present imperative form of the verb poieo is a “customary present imperative” whose force is for Paul’s Christian readers in Rome to simply continue practicing that which is good, i.e. obedience to the laws of the Roman government.
Paul’s statements in Romans 1:8 and 15:14-15 indicate that the Roman believers’ were practicing obeying the laws of Rome.
Therefore, the present imperative form of the verb poieo indicates that Paul’s command is simply giving his readers a reminder to continue doing what they were doing and was designed to protect their fellowship with God and their testimony among the unsaved.
Romans 13:3, “For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same.”
“And you will have praise from the same” presents the result of Paul’s readers obeying his command to continue making it their habit of practicing that which is good in character, i.e. obedience to the governing authorities.
The result of obeying his command is that they will receive praise from the governing authorities.
“Praise” is the accusative masculine singular form of the noun epainos (e&paino$) (ep-i-nos), which means “approval” or “recognition.”
Outstanding, law abiding citizens in the Roman Empire commonly received commendations from the magistrates.
This word actually indicates that Paul wants the Roman believers to be outstanding citizens since only those who were so were recognized by the Roman authorities.
It is related to the second command that appears in Romans 12:17.
Romans 12:17, “All of you continue to make it your habit to never repay evil in exchange for evil to anyone. All of you continue to make it your habit to take into careful consideration words and actions, which are considered by all men to be virtuous for the purpose of manifesting them through your conduct.”
He is commanding the Roman believers to continue making it their habit of taking into careful consideration that which would be in the opinion or judgment of all men as virtuous words and actions for the purpose of manifesting them before all men through their conduct.