Law-making is Illegal (12)

The authorities that Paul urges Christians to submit to in Romans 13 cannot include parliaments, congresses and other legislative bodies. Their reason for existence is to produce human laws. They have no other purpose.

Paul makes no reference to law-making, because God has already given his law. God is our law giver (Is 33:22) and he has not given that role to anyone else, so all human law makers are usurpers of this authority. The role of parliaments and congresses is to make human laws, so their authority is no legitimate. They are in rebellion against God’s law, so God’s people do not need to recognise their authority.

Paul gives no hint that we need human legislators. Later in the chapter, when he states that love fulfils the law, he lists some of the Ten Commandments, so he is clearly thinking of God’s law and not man-made law.

Paul summarises the law in Rom 13:9: The second table of the law forbids adultery, killing, stealing, giving false witness, coveting. These are the laws that judges apply. We have God’s law, so we do not need parliaments or legislators to decide what is right and wrong.

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