Romans 13:1–14: Governing Authorities and the Christian Conscience

About this episode

The episode discusses the Christian's relationship with governing authorities as outlined in Romans 13, featuring insights from Rev. Ryan Kleimola.

Every election cycle, Christians argue about what they owe the government and where that obligation ends. Paul wrote the original version of that argument. The governing authority is God's servant, he says, and you owe it taxes, respect, and honor. That was written under Nero, which means Paul is not talking about a government that deserves your admiration. He is talking about an office God established for your good. Then he turns to the Christian's own life: put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh. How you live under authority and how you live before God are both answered. The Rev. Ryan Kleimola, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Toledo, OH, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 13:1–14. To learn more about Trinity Lutheran Church, visit trinitylutheran.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ…

People in this episode

Host: Rev. Dr. Phil Booe

Guest: Rev. Ryan Kleimola

Topics covered

• Christian obligation to government
• Authority and conscience
• Living under authority
• Sin and forgiveness
• Justification by faith
• Role of baptism
• Life in the body of Christ

Keywords

• governing authorities
• Christian conscience
• Romans 13
• Rev. Ryan Kleimola
• Rev. Dr. Phil Booe
• Nero
• justification
• sin
• forgiveness
• baptism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Trinity Lutheran Church

Books & works: Romans

Places: Toledo, OH

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