Romans 13:3–4

Context

This passage belongs to the hortatory section of the letter Paul wrote to the church in Rome, within the unit of Romans 13:1–7, which begins "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers." Immediately before it, Romans 12:17–21 urges believers not to avenge themselves but to "give place unto wrath." This passage then says that the magistrate, that is, the ruler, is "a revenger" against those who do evil. The unit continues into the commandment of love in Romans 13:8–10.

The Greek word diakonos, rendered "minister" in the KJV, means "one who serves, a servant or worker." The New Korean Revised Version renders it "minister" (sayeokja), and the New Korean Standard Version renders it "worker" (ilkkun). The "sword" is generally understood to refer to the coercive force and penal authority held by the ruler.

Interpretation

• Lutheran and Reformed readings: Martin Luther and John Calvin regarded civil government as an order established by God and appealed to this section in support. The Westminster Confession of Faith likewise cites this section as a proof text in its chapter on the civil magistrate.
• Anabaptist reading: This reading acknowledges that the sword is ordained by God. However, because the sword serves to maintain order in the world outside the church, it holds that Christians do not take up the sword. The Schleitheim Confession of 1527 is a representative example.
• Conditional reading: This interpretation holds that the passage describes the proper role of authority, which is to promote the good. Accordingly, there is no duty of unconditional obedience to a power that abandons that role and punishes the good. This interpretation reads the passage in contrast with Revelation 13, which portrays a beastlike power.

Debates and Issues

• The sword and capital punishment: Some cite this passage as the biblical basis for the state's authority to impose the death penalty. Opponents hold that "the sword" refers only to coercive force in general and is not a command to impose death (Capital punishment and the church).
• Citation out of context: Some have pointed out that this passage has historically been cited to justify colonial or dictatorial power. This criticism stresses that verses 3–4 presuppose an authority that praises good and punishes evil, and that the passage must be read together with the surrounding exhortations to love and nonretaliation.

In the Korean Church

This passage is among the texts most frequently cited in debates over the church and politics. During the period of military rule, those who emphasized compliance with the government invoked it. By contrast, those who took part in the democratization movement reportedly countered by citing Acts 5:29: "We ought to obey God rather than men." During the COVID-19 pandemic, in disputes over restrictions on in-person worship, both those who argued for cooperation with public health measures and those who argued for freedom of worship cited this passage as well as texts that stand in tension with it.

Related Passages

• 1 Peter 2:13–17
• Titus 3:1
• Acts 5:29
• Revelation 13:1–10
• Mark 12:13–17