Be in subjection [therefore] to every human institution for the Lord's sake; whether to [the] king as supreme,
Peter writes to Christians scattered among the nations, and he tells them to submit to the rulers over them. He attaches one reason: the Lord. The verse raises three questions. What must I submit to? How far does it go? And what if the ruler is a bad man?
Does "human institution" mean religious rules? One writer says no, and shows that Peter defines his own terms in the next verse.
In 1 Peter 2:13 we have nothing to do with the rules of religion on earth. Colossians 2 declares that they were nailed to the cross and taken out of the way. The apostle urges the believing Jews to behave well among the Gentiles, and to be in subjection to every human creation or institution for the Lord's sake. This he explains as civil government: "whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good." Christian Jews must not be unruly like their unbelieving brothers.
Peter attaches one reason: "for the Lord's sake." Is that phrase about the ruler, or about the believer?
A republic had its claim no less than royalty. The only relation revealed for the believer is subjection. There is not one word here, or anywhere else in the New Testament, about the believer exercising authority in the present evil age. The grace of Christ is the pattern for every Christian. "For the Lord's sake" does not mean His relation to the human creation, though He is indeed Lord of all. It means His appeal to the saints themselves, that they obey Him in submission to the powers of the world.
What if the ruler is a bad man who never acknowledges God?
As honour is not at all based upon their personal character, we have nothing at all to do with their origin, how they got their power, or how they use their power. All that we have to do, as believers, is to own God and the magistrate. Perhaps the magistrate, or the king, does not own God himself. That is a serious thing for him, but it does not change our relation.
Believers hold the place of strangers in this world. That standing rules out one thing and requires another.
It would be wholly inconsistent for those who take the place of strangers in this world to attempt to form these institutions or appoint the authorities. We are, however, to be subject to them, and this with the highest motive, for the Lord's sake. We are to be subject to subordinate as well as to supreme authorities, and, again, for the reason that we view them all in relation to the Lord. Whether they exercise their authority in the fear of God or fail to do so, we are to view them as sent by God for the maintenance of the government of the world.
Subjection has a limit. One writer sets it from Peter's own words to the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council.
Are we, then, advocating a blind subjection to earthly rule? By no means. When human commands conflict with the word of God, this same apostle has taught us how to act. He, with the other apostles, told the Sanhedrin: "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).
Refusing to obey is not the same as fighting back.
It is our duty to obey and submit ourselves to them in all things. The one condition is that they do not call on us to disobey God, or do violence to conscience. If they do this, we must — what? Resist? No, but suffer.
Peter's readers had every natural reason to resent the foreign rulers set over them, and the verse cuts across that instinct.
These scattered Christian Jews might well resent the Gentile authorities over them, whether kings or governors. They might resent the many ordinances and laws and regulations that had been set up too. Still, they were to submit. Government, they had to recognise, was a divine institution. The Christian is of course free, for he stands in the liberty of Christ. Still, he must not use his freedom as "a cover-up for evil" — in any way to vent his anger on others. He must regard it as liberty to serve God, and the service of God demands the subjection to rulers laid down here.
- Scope. The command is about civil government — kings and governors — not religious rules. Peter defines his own terms in the next verse.
- Motive. "For the Lord's sake" is an appeal to the believer, not a statement about the ruler. Obedience to Him is the reason we submit.
- Reach. The ruler's origin, character and use of power are not the believer's business. We own the highest and the lowest authorities alike.
- Limit. Subjection is not blind. Where a human command conflicts with God's word, we obey God rather than men — and then suffer instead of resisting.
- Result. Freedom in Christ is real. But it is freedom to serve God, and that service shows itself in submission, not in venting anger.
or to rulers as sent by him, for vengeance on evildoers, and praise to them that do well.
Peter writes to believers scattered across the empire. He tells them how to live under rulers they did not choose. The verse names two things at once: who governors answer to, and what they exist to do.
The wording marks out a chain of authority. Governors are not sent straight from heaven. The king sends them. The ESV reads "sent by him"; older translations render the same phrase "sent through him," and that is the wording discussed below.
The Spirit makes a distinction, even while He commands subjection to all: the king is supreme, and the governors are sent through him to punish evildoers and to praise those who do well. "Sent through him" points to the king's authority as the higher one. If God had been meant here, the phrase would, I believe, have been "by," and not the in-between word "through." Anyone can see how odd the mistake would be. It would make the divine commission belong not to the king, but only to the governors he appoints.
The two aims named here did not start with Peter. One writer traces them back to what God said to Noah after the flood.
The aim of government stated in the last part of verse 14 is quite clear. It is to punish evildoers and to encourage those who do well. God laid this broad duty on Noah after the flood. We hear of neither king nor magistrate in the world before the flood... "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image" (Gen. 9:6) first laid the basic foundation of human government as it stands. Life belonged to God, and He gave this principle to Noah.
Peter covers the local official as well as the emperor. The believer's reason for obeying is not the ruler's personal godliness.
The exhortations that follow view the believer in relation to the institutions and authorities of this world. It would be wholly inconsistent for those who take the place of strangers in this world to try to form these institutions or appoint the authorities. We are, however, to be subject to them, and this with the highest motive, for the Lord's sake. We are to be subject to lower authorities as well as to supreme ones, and again for the reason that we view them all in relation to the Lord. Whether they use their authority in the fear of God or fail to do so, we are certainly to see them as sent by God to maintain the government of the world.
Nero ruled Rome, and he was capable of anything. A believer can still obey such a ruler, because the worst he can do cannot reach what matters most.
The place of the Christian is complete obedience to the governing authorities, even if Nero were king. Nero could not touch my portion, which is heavenly. So whatever the question is, unless it interfered with my obedience to God, I would not mind. He could only bring me into "the lion's mouth," and this might turn into a testimony. He could not touch my resurrection life... I take my example from Christ, who appealed to no one but God. Yet even in the darkest hour of wickedness, when God's priests were pressing the Roman authorities to crucify His Son, the Lord says, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above."
Doing good draws praise from rulers. One writer says that praise is worth having, then names the ambition it must never become.
There is also a praise that should never be taken lightly. Doing practical good, and submitting readily for the Lord's sake to human institutions, calls out this praise from the rulers of this world. It can be won with honour even from the very worst of human governments. On the other hand, someone who shares in the heavenly calling, whose name is registered above and whose rights as a citizen are there and not here, can never consistently seek the reputation of a social or political reformer.
Obedience is wide, but it is not unlimited. The order of Peter's own words settles which claim comes first.
Other Scriptures clearly show that the only limitation to our subjection to men is the fear of God. When men insist upon direct disobedience to God, we must set God first (Acts 4:19). So here the order is, "Fear God. Honour the king."
- Sent — the governor comes through the king, not straight from God. The chain is human, yet God stands behind the whole structure.
- Sword — government exists to punish wrong and praise right. God gave that charge to Noah after the flood and never withdrew it.
- Scope — obedience covers the local official as well as the emperor. It does not wait for a ruler to be godly.
- Safe — even a Nero can only reach the body. He cannot touch a believer's heavenly portion, so submission costs nothing eternal.
- Stop — the single limit is the fear of God: when men demand disobedience to Him, "Fear God" outranks "honour the king."