Romans 13:3
A plain-spoken deep dive on this verse. Read the chapter →
For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
For rulers are not a terror to good works--"to the good work," as the true reading appears to be but to the evil.
Open source ↗There are three good lessons taught us in this chapter, where the apostle enlarges more upon his precepts than he had done in the foregoing chapter, finding them more needful to be fully pressed. I. A lesson of subjection to lawful authority (Rom 13:1-6). II. A lesson of justice and love to our brethren (Rom 13:7-10). III. A lesson of sobriety and godliness in ourselves (Rom 13:11 to the end).
Open source ↗13:3 the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right: Paul presents a positive picture of the governing authorities, describing them in terms of what God has appointed them to do. He does not touch on situations where leaders punish those who do good and reward those who do evil, although he was certainly aware of such situations from Old Testament and Jewish history, from the experience of Jesus and the other apostles, and from Greco-Roman affairs. Here, Paul confines himself to discussing the appropriate response to governing authorities who live according to their calling.
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion; whoever provokes him forfeits his own life.
A king delights in a wise servant, but his anger falls on the shameful.
If there is a dispute between men, they are to go to court to be judged, so that the innocent may be acquitted and the guilty condemned.
For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.