Ep 243: Government is God’s Servant? Romans 13, Isaiah 10, and Jeremiah 25

In this episode I discuss Paul’s statements in Romans 13:1-7 that governing authorities “are established by God” (Rm. 13:1) and that “rulers are servants of God” (13:6). I explain the need to understand the function of Romans 13 before drawing any conclusions regarding its meaning, and how it must correspond with the rhetorical context of Romans and Paul’s thought generally. I then explore the promises of a coming Messiah made in the Old Testament, particularly 2 Samuel 7, and argue that Paul...