Submission to governing authorities is one of the most countercultural commands in Scripture, especially in our current climate. We live in a time when distrust of institutions and leaders runs high, and the idea of submission feels like weakness or compromise. Yet Paul begins his instruction for how Christians should engage the world with this very command: be submissive to rulers and authorities.
Why does God command this? Because He is sovereign over all authority. Romans 13:1 makes this clear: “There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” When we submit to earthly authorities, we are ultimately submitting to God who placed them there. This doesn’t mean every leader is good or right. It doesn’t mean we agree with every decision or policy. It means we trust that God is sovereign even over difficult leadership.
However, submission has limits. When authorities command what God forbids or forbid what God commands, we must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). Peter and the apostles modeled this perfectly: they respectfully disobeyed unjust commands but accepted the consequences without rebellion or violence.
The deeper issue Paul addresses is our pride. We don’t like being told what to do. We take offense when people disagree with us. We want control. But God calls us to a different posture: ready for good works, not ready for a fight. Our response to difficult authorities should not be quarreling but gentleness, not speaking evil but showing courtesy.