GIVE EVERYONE WHAT YOU OWE HIM

Passage: Romans 13:1-7

Key verse: 7

NIV

Submission to Governing Authorities

13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities,(A) for there is no authority except that which God has established.(B) The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted,(C) and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.(D) 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. 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.(E) 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.(F)

6 This is also why you pay taxes,(G) for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes;(H) if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Submission to the Authorities

13 Let every person (A)be subject to the governing authorities. For (B)there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you (C)will receive his approval, 4 for (D)he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, (E)an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also (F)for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 (G)Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Submit to governing authorities (1-5) We have a responsibility as God's people to not only submit to Him, but also to governing authorities. This is because God has placed them in those positions. So, when we refuse to obey the authorities, we are disobeying God. We should obey for two reasons. First, if we don't we might undergo punishment. If we obey authorities, they hold no terror for us. But if we disobey them, they might punish us. We also obey them because of matters of conscience. It is the right thing to do in God's sight. 2. Pay what you owe (6,7) Paying taxes of all kinds is a drudgery. No one likes to pay taxes. No one likes to pay any kind of revenue. But we do so. It is right to do so because God established all those in authority over us. They are God's servants and are in full time service of Him. So, if we owe the government taxes, we should pay it. We should pay anyone what we owe them, whether it is money, respect, honor or whatever. Jesus, who paid our debt to God is our example here.

Prayer: Lord, Jesus has paid our debt to you. Help us pay the debts we owe to each other, whatever that debt might be.

One Word: Give to everyone what you owe them