The Pulpit Commentary — Romans — Section 395

HOMILETIOS. Vers. 1-7.-LogaUy. There was danger, in the first age of Christianity, lest the nature of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus should be misunderstood even by its subjects, ana misrepresent.ed by those without.. A spiritual empire was a new conception, and carnal minds were prone to confound the dominion over souls with civil and political anthority. Hence the importance and appropriateness of the admonitions so emphati- cally addressed by the apostle to the Christians of Rome. L 'IllE IXBPIBED CONCEPTION OF CIVIL AUTHORITY. By this the apostle understood the actnally constituted power of the state. The Roman emperor was the head and chief of the greater part of the population of the then known world, and Rome was the centre of political rule and authority. The proconsuls and proprmtors represented in the provinces the imperial majesty and sway of senate and of emperor. But it is evident that the view of civil power taken by the apostle was equally applicable to monarchies and to republics. Whatever the form of government, whatever the designa- tion of the ruler, whatever the rank of the administrator of the law, authority was recognized as of Divine origin and right. It has sometimes been deemed a reproach to the apostle that he should have written thus when Nero was on the throne, But this fact rather emphasizes the principle that the authority is Divine, although the person or persons who wield it may be unworthy of the trust. Nero was at this time under the i.nfl.nence of the wise and moderate counsels of Seneca and of !3urrhus, yet this language which Paul employed would probably have been unaltered had the apostle been writing during th.e subsequent and infamous period of the tyrant's sway. h would be straining thiB passage to cfeduce from it "The right Dinn.e of kings to govern wrong," and it would be nnjUBt to argue from it that it is always unlawful to resist and to dethrone a tyrant. But we may leam to regard subordination, rule, subjection, loyalty, u all part of a Divine order imposed upon human society by the Lord of all. IL THE SOOPE OF LOYALTY, 1. Resped and honour are due from the governed to the governor. Even where there is a Jack of those qualities which command personal r88pect, honour may be rendered to the office which is held, and the duties of which are faithfully fulfilled. 2. The payment of taxc8 and tribute8 is required. In this prectpt Piiul. followed the tkaehing of his Master, "lten<ler unto Cresa.r the things t-J:111.t CJII, xm.1-14.J THE EPIS'l'LE or PAUL TO THE ROMANS. 11re Omear's." Subjects are not reeponeibl e for the l1ll8 maile of the moMy which 18 axa.oted from them by just authority. When a king who hae no constitntione.l right to levy te.xes without the consent of a parliament demands money upon bis own anthority, Buch a demand me.y be refused without disobedience to the injunction of the t,ext. 3. Obedience and subjection are enjoined. The extent and range of this injunction are very large. "Every soul "-very intelligent member of society-is under an obliuation to obey ; and resistance to the ruler is resistance to God, and entails jast pnnishment and retribution. 4. Virtue generally is commended as contribntive to the well-bein"' of society, Good works are to evince the sincerity of the Christian's faith. Th~ Roman law was the highest expression the ancient world attained of jmw~ in the relations subsisting between man and ma.n. It has been the foundation of the codes of many civilized Christian nations in modern times. Obedience to the law was the duty of every good nitizen, every well-wisher of society, every true member of the human family. For the law was the sanction of virtue and righteoasness. Doubtless there have been and are unjust laws; yet it is the duty of the citizen to obey them when obedience does not come into conflict with the higher dnty to God. III. THE GROUNDS OF LOYALTY, These, as adduced by St. Paul, are two. 1. Perwnal considerations a.re advanced. The wrath of the magistrate is to be feared; rulers are a terror to the evil; they that resist shall receive retribution; the ruler bears not the sword in vain. Such motives a.re almost the only motives to which the coarse and vicious are accessible. They a.re motives to which none a.re altogether superior. The consequences of injustice have t.o be borne in mind by those who are liable to the passions of cupidity or of revenge. 2. Religious motives are presented. Government is an ordinance of God, and rulers a.re the ministers of God. A bad subject, then, cannot be a good Christian. In our own days, individualism is carried to such an extent that authority is often disdained and defied, even by those who are by no means the dregs of society, who make pretensions to intelligence and virtne. It is well, therefore, that the inspired teaching shonld be pondered which attaches importance so great to order, patriotism, and loyalty.