Romans 13:2 – Authoritative Submission
Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
Truth to Learn
We are to submit ourselves to those in authority over us, or we will find ourselves resisting what God has put in place.
Behind the Words
The first occurrence of the word “resists” is translated from antitassō, which is made up of anti, meaning “against” and tassō, which we looked at in the previous verse meaning “to place in order.” Therefore, we see that antitassō means “to put in an orderly arrangement against.” It is the word that is used of an army put in battle formation against the enemy.
“Ordinance” is from the Greek word diatagē, which is made up of dia, meaning “through,” but which also implies thoroughness, and a form of tassō, “to arrange.” Hence, this word refers to something that is “thoroughly arranged” or “ordained.’
The second occurrence of “resists” and the word “resist” are both translated from the Greek word anthestemi, which is another compound word. This one is made up of anti, meaning “against” and histemi, meaning “to stand.” Thus we see that these two words both mean “to take a stand against” or “to resist.”
“Bring” is from a form of the Greek word lambanō, meaning “to take.” It is in the active voice in this verse indicating that it is something being actively taken as opposed to something being passively received.
Meaning Explained
Before we talk about this verse, notice the heavy use of the root word tassō (to set in an orderly arrangement) in both the previous verse and this one. It is as if the Apostle Paul is making a stark contrast between what God has put in place and what mankind tries to put in place. Paul is very fond of using such a “play on words” to emphasize the point he is making. This is especially poignant given the fact that he spent the entire last chapter teaching us to be living sacrifices, not seeking our own will, but God’s.
In the previous verse he warned us to submit ourselves to the authorities that are over us, whether religious, occupational, or civil. We are not to fight against authority, and in this verse he tells us why:
Therefore whoever opposes the authority is standing against the orderly arrangement that God has set in place, and those who take such a stand will take judgment on themselves.
In other words, if we are contemplating the resisting of any authority that we are under, whether it is religious, occupational, or civil, we had better make absolutely certain that we are not resisting what God has put in place. Remember, that the only example that God gives us where we are to resist authority is when that authority is asking us to act contrary to God’s specific instructions to us, such as an authority telling us not to witness concerning salvation through Jesus Christ.
Application
We do not have to respect or even like people who are in authority over us, but we are to respect their position of authority and submit to them. Otherwise, we are resisting what God has put in place.
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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