Higher Powers

What if Paul was not saying "obey Rome?" What if he was not saying that disobeying the state was resisting God Himself? Then what could Paul possibly be saying? Was Paul advocating obedience to the Roman civil authorities or was he advocating something else.

Paul made it clear that we are to subject ourselves to the higher powers or authorities. Would it be logical to assume that by this statement that there exists lower powers or authorities? Without even making a distinction in the translation of the Greek word exousia (which indicates authority), the use of the word higher implies that the opposite also exists.

Paul is advocating being subject to higher powers or authorities. The highest power and authority is God and His Son - the Christ. There is no power or authority greater than this. Not in heaven, nor on earth. He is. We exist because He is. He always was, and always will be. He has never abdicated His throne of power and authority. He has never jeopardized His jurisdiction. So a logical conclusion from what Paul is saying in Romans 13:1 is that we are subject ourselves to God. After all, He is indeed a higher power.

But that's not all Paul was saying in the statement that we are to subject ourselves to the higher powers or authorities. If you continue on in Romans 13, Paul is clearly talking about submitting to men. This is why it is imperative to understand the difference between lawful authority and unlawful authority. Paul is advocating submitting to lawful authority, or higher powers. Lawful authority is authority that has been received from God, not from power.

Paul is not however suggesting that we submit ourselves to every power and authority that exists. Paul would've been a hypocrite if this is what he was advocating, as scriptures show that Paul was beaten, imprisoned, and eventually killed for not subjecting himself to the governing powers.

I will later show, God judges His people harshly for subjecting themselves to the lower powers and authorities. We cannot serve two masters.