In Romans 13, Paul exhorts his audience to obey the governing authorities because...

• A. Obey the Roman government, because the time before Jesus' return was short.
• B. Resist the Roman government, because the time before Jesus' return was long.
• C. Obey the government only when it is just.
• D. Rebel against the Roman authorities.

Answer: (A)

In Romans 13, the key idea is that civil authority is established by God and serves His purposes in the world. Paul argues that rulers exist to reward what is good and punish what is evil, and therefore believers are to submit to the authorities as part of living under God’s order. Obedience follows from recognizing that governing powers are divine instruments meant to maintain public peace and integrity, not from an eschatological timeline or from a conditional view of justice.

The suggested reason that obedience is tied to the shortness of time before Christ’s return isn’t the basis Paul gives here. He emphasizes that authorities are God’s servants for good, and resisting them is resisting what God has appointed. The idea of rebellion or only obeying when the government is just isn’t how Romans 13 frames submission; it presents submission as the default stance toward established authority, unless faced with commands that directly oppose God.