What does it mean that the government is God’s servant for your good (Romans 13:4)?

In Romans 13:1–7, the apostle Paul tells Christians to submit to the government. He reasons that because God has appointed civil authorities, disobeying them amounts to disobeying Him (Romans 13:1–2). After encouraging Christians to be law-abiding (Romans 13:3), Paul explains that civil authority is “God’s servant for your good” (Romans 13:4). Although all governments have faults—as Paul himself experienced—they do good by restraining evil and promoting justice.

Paul ministered at a time of intense persecution. The emperor Nero, who ruled the Roman Empire from 54 to 68 AD, was a ruthless enemy of the Christian faith, especially toward the end of his reign. Historians believe that Peter, James, and Paul died during the latter part of Nero’s reign, from 64 to 68 AD. Still, Paul recognized that despite the sins of human rulers, God established civil authorities for good reasons.

Paul’s conviction that God established human governments is evident in the Old Testament. The prophet Daniel, writing at the time of the Babylonian Empire, said, “[God] changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning” (Daniel 2:21). Like Paul writing Romans during the reign of Nero, Daniel wrote these words during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, whose pride God had to humble.

According to God’s purpose for government, one key responsibility of civil authorities is punishing criminals. Peter reflects this when he instructs Christians to “submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right” (1 Peter 2:13–14). In this way, civil authorities also promote justice, as the second half of Romans 13:4 reiterates, “…But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”

Even Jesus Christ himself, in a conversation with Pilate, acknowledged that government served God’s purposes. When Pilate asked where he was from, Jesus didn’t immediately answer (John 19:9). “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate then asked. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” (John 19:10). Jesus answered this question, correcting Pilate: “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above…” (John 19:11).

While civil authority has sometimes worked against God’s people, it has also helped them. For instance, when officials put Paul and Silas in prison, Paul told the Roman officers that they were beaten “publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison” (Acts 16:37). When the officers told the officials that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they “were alarmed” (Acts 16:38) and sought “to appease them” (Acts 16:39) because citizens had rights. Later, exercising his rights, Paul appealed to Caesar, which likely spared him from death (Acts 25:11).

God does not call Christians to obey civil authorities without condition. Believers should only give absolute allegiance to God (Exodus 20:3; Matthew 22:21). There are times when civil disobedience is the right decision, such as when authorities encourage believers to sin. For instance, when the civil authorities told the apostles to stop preaching about Jesus, they replied, “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:29). Knowing when civil disobedience is the right decision requires prayer, integrity, wisdom, and courage (Daniel 6:10).

According to Paul, Christians should not only obey civil authorities but also pray for them. He told Timothy: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1–2). Christians should pray that their civil leaders respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:15; John 3:16) and ask God to give them wisdom to restrain evil and promote justice.

Submitting to civil authorities requires Christians to trust God’s sovereignty. Proverbs 21:1 says, “In the LORD’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.”