Romans 13:6
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This is also why you pay taxes. For the authorities are God’s servants, who devote themselves to their work.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
For, for this cause pay ye--rather, "ye pay" tribute also--that is, "This is the reason why ye pay the contributions requisite for maintaining the civil government." for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing--"to this very thing."
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 ↗13:6 Pay your taxes: Jesus referred to paying taxes in his famous pronouncement about the disciples’ relationship to government (Matt 22:21). A tax revolt occurred in Rome at about the time that Paul was writing, so Paul’s whole discussion of the Christian’s responsibility to government might have been sparked by his knowledge that Roman Christians were participating in this tax revolt (see Tacitus, Annals 13).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding payment of taxes to Caesar, and proclaiming Himself to be Christ, a King.”
Thus David reigned over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness for all his people:
I hereby decree what you must do for these elders of the Jews who are rebuilding this house of God: The cost is to be paid in full to these men from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces west of the Euphrates, so that the work will not be hindered.
Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.
if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
And mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates; and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them.
When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand men.
Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.