How Do We Read 'Submit'?

Part 2: Analyzing the text of Romans 13:1-7

Andrew Meher

May 16, 2025

This passage is a touchy subject, especially with its opening, “submit to the governing authorities” line that leaves Christians with a lot of questions.

This text also has a checkered past, being used by the Nazi party to endorse totalitarian rule and in apartheid South Africa. It is not without its controversy!

In this series, I hope to shed some light on what Paul is trying to do here as well as point out some modern assumptions that get imported into the text that make it harder to understand.

May 2 - I shared a little background and my own motivation for writing this series.

May 16 - For you Greek nerds, this is when we will get into the nitty-gritty of the text itself.

May 30 - I’ll offer some contextual considerations and my own comments for helpful interpretation

In addition to the actual text of the essay I wrote, you will see addendums at the end of each part, which include some added elements I did not have space to discuss in the original paper.

Welcome to Part 2, where we will analyze the Greek text itself with a few New Testament scholars as companions.

First, I want to say that the questions we have deeply inform how we interpret scripture.

In Part 1, I discussed the background of Paul’s letter to the Roman church. I especially wanted to bring to attention the social location from which he was writing.

Paul’s social location and relationship to these readers and the wider Greco-Roman world meant he had a particular set of motivations and questions he was answering in his writing.

This means that the primary concerns and questions we bring to the text may not be the primary concerns that Paul and his readers brought to the text.

So, go read Part 1 if you have not done so, and ask, ‘What kind of questions did Paul want to answer?’ as we approach today’s entry.

Introduction

Following a robust description of all that has occurred because of God’s incursion into history in and through Jesus Christ,1 the latter half of Paul’s letter will turn to the outworkings of the Christ Event for the Christian community, calling them to “be transformed” (12:2) in ways that will change all categories of living together in the world. Categories that included how they related to government authorities.

Beverly Gaventa notes the importance of the structure of this section, beginning with the imperative in 13:1, followed by supporting material in 13:1b-4, before repeating the imperative in 13:5.

This, she contends, sets up the actual Christ-shaped behavior with which Paul is motivated in 13:6-7.2

Because of the abrupt nature of the beginning of these verses, at times it has been suggested that 13:1-7 is an “interpolation” into Paul’s greater argument.3 However, this argument fails to account for the fact that there are no manuscripts that lack 13:1-7.4

Conversely, Joseph Fitzmyer argues that it fits quite well with the preceding instructions,5 and James Dunn understands this as the entire point of the surrounding text, going further to say that the church’s newfound reality in Christ requires a reframing of their relationship with governing authorities.6

13:1-2

^13:1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. ^13:2So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment (NET)

While addressing Christians, Paul’s appeal to “everyone” describes the responsibility of all to live appropriately within the social order to which all, ruler and ruled, must submit.7

Fitzmyer sees “submit” (hypotassō) as an expression of acknowledgement that it is God who is in charge and ultimately the one to whom the church owes their obedience and submission, however society is ordered.8

Dunn notes that some have tried to diminish the strength of “submit” but in doing so, “import too much theological freight” into the Greek. However, he recognizes that Paul will limit the extent of the submission by his following words.9

Michael Gorman offers “submission” as distinct from “obedience”,10 yet Gaventa points out that “while the verb hypotassō is distinct from the verb for obedience…submission very often implies obedience.” (See the “appendix” at the end for more on submit/hypotassō)

Gaventa clarifies this statement in relation to the rest of the passage, noting that “it is God who puts the authorities in place,”11 implying there is a limit to how much God’s people submit to the authority in question.

This is consistent with Paul’s earlier example of Pharaoh in Romans 9:17: an unjust ruler who is resisted by God’s people and is used for God’s own purposes.12

“Authorities” (“Exousia”) is not used here of spiritual powers as Paul does elsewhere, but of human authorities.

Many scholars have refuted claims to the contrary,13 noting here that it is a very generic term not used as an official title nor synonymous with government.14 Rebelling (to whatever extent that would be inappropriate in Paul’s mind) against “exousia” is a direct violation of how God has ordered the present society.

13:3-5

^13:3(for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation, ^13:4for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer. ^13:5Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath of the authorities but also because of your conscience. (NET)

“For” (“Gar”) implies continuation of the previous statements.15 Paul is still defining his terms here and has not yet provided instruction.

Two arguments are intertwined in these verses.

First, God put these authorities in place as God has done throughout history.

Second, not submitting to authorities leads to “fearful consequences.”16

To the first argument, Fitzmyer translates 13:4 as “he is God’s servant working for you,” which stresses these are delegated authorities accountable ultimately to God and that their expected role in society is for the common good.17

This means God’s definition of the common good, not the governing authorities. In light of this, the use of “if one does what is ‘wrong’” is generic language simply implying “doing wrong” in a way that harms the common good.18

To the second argument, regarding consequences to this type of wrongdoing, Paul reminds the church that the authorities “bear the sword” (13:4). Esau McCaulley describes this as a reference to police enforcement (though not in the modern sense) particularly to aid in the collection of taxes from those who lived in Rome.19

Similarly, Gorman states that this passage is referring to an ancient notion of policing and not “a blanket endorsement of any state violence.” Gorman argues that the point was to provide a warning of something that was all too real for these inhabitants of Rome: if they did not pay their taxes, they should be worried.20

Even, Origen in the 2nd/3rd century explains simply that, even though Christ is their Lord and everything has changed, if they were to act as though they owed no tax and did not need to give respect or honor to authorities beyond the church, the secular authorities would understandably “turn against them.”21

Thus, Paul encourages them not only to avoid “wrath” but keep a “clear conscience.” By appealing to conscience, Paul implies that the common good should be sought out by moral individuals as well as governing authorities.22

13:6-7

^13:6For this reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants devoted to governing. ^13:7Pay everyone what is owed: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. (NET)

This is the purpose and climax of the argument, not simply illustrative of Paul’s point.23 Up to this point, no specific kind of behavior has been described that would cause things to go well or badly for the members of the church.24

These “servants” are “of God” and are working hard to serve, according to Paul, and he is concerned that taxes be paid in light of this.25 Therefore, various types of taxes, honor, and respect should be given to all to whom they are owed.

Concluding Analysis

In addition to the questions of social location discussed in Part 1, interpretation is further affected by the meaning of the words and the construction of this section.

Though I have not been exhaustive with every word in 13:1-7, I’ve tried to target the “hotspots” that have been responsible for most of the use and misuse of this text. Of particular note, “submit” and “authorities” are particularly important.

I am convinced by Dunn and Gaventa, we cannot ignore the reality of “submit” by trying to make it less than it is. But at the same time, as Gaventa points out, the submission is couched in the context of ultimate submission to God. (See addendum for more on this.)

Similarly, the word “authority” cannot have more or less made of it than it is. (More on this coming in Part 3). The Greek text here is a generic word, not connected to any official role.

The nature of who Paul is describing submission should be given to become clear in the final section of his argument in vv. 6-7. Namely, that the church should submit to those who are collecting taxes by paying their taxes.

How one constructs this passage as a whole is extremely important for landing at this conclusion. I have used Gaventa’s framework for how this argument works, but she is not alone in seeing this entire section as a long explanation building up to the simple command “pay your taxes.”

Addendum - Alternative Translation for “Submit”?

A lot has been made of the word “submit” in the scholarship and theological writing. There are a couple of recent articles discussing interesting translation possibilities that I was not able to address in the paper itself.

Bruce Winter and Najeeb Haddad examine the word hypotasso in 1 Peter 2:14-15 and Romans 13:1-7,26 respectively.

To summarize, they claim that the word was used by others, such as Epictetus, in both a positive way (virtue) and a negative way (vice).

When used as a virtue, they argue, one is to “fit in” as best as one can with the surrounding culture and the governing authorities.

When used as a vice, a person who would “hypotassō” is one willing to give blind obedience to a leader.

They argue that both Peter and Paul are appealing to the virtuous sense of the word, wherein one would never blindly obey every instruction of a governing authority, as that obviously would not work in situations where the governing authority was asking you to do something that conflicted with a divinely ordered world.27

While I do not know if changing the language from “submit” to “fit in” is the appropriate move, it does help illustrate that the use of “submit” can only be understood in ultimate obedience to God over every human authority.

Any Greek scholars who want to weigh in on this one, I’d love to hear your thoughts!