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Submission to Rulers and Masters 13Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority,14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.15For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.18Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.19For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.20But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22“He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.25For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
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Matthew38978 - (eBible Novice) about 1 year ago.
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I struggle to understand this passage. I struggle to see how obeying laws that I find to be trivial brings God glory.
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NilezParker - (eBible Enthusiast) about 1 year ago.
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God really cares about the concept of authority. If you really believe God's ultimate power over the dealings of mankind on the earth, you will understand the Romans 13:1, "For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." If God puts authorities in place, and if Pharaoh (as an example) was as a toy thing in God's hand to accomplish His purposes, it becomes evident that God wants us to obey the authorities He has placed over us. He allows them to set up trivial rules for us - sometimes I think this is just a test for us in our submission to authority as a whole. What about not eating fruit from one of the trees in the Garden of Eden? That was definitely the most trivial and pointless rules of all I could compare to! EVERYTHING Adam and Eve knew was GOOD, why would this fruit be bad? The only reason God had this rule was so that in keeping it Adam and Eve demonstrated their continued submission to His Authority.
(It's obvious that once an authority asks us to do something directly contrary to God's Word, we know Who is the higher authority and Who we should obey.)
Obeying trivial laws is exactly what will silence the ignorance of foolish people because it shows so plainly that we are obeying authority, not leaning our own understanding. Prov. 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Trusting God would have saved Eve from following her own understanding and eating the fruit. Leaning on our own understanding is precisely the enemy of trivial laws, of God and of government.
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