Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible




A good action has nothing to fear from Rulers; a bad action has. Do you want to have no reason to fear the Authorities? Then do what is good, and you will win their praise. Verse ConceptsCommendationRulersSecurityTaxationMagistratesFear Is DueFearDoing The Right ThingBeing ScaredRespecting Authoritybehaviorterrorism

Let every one obey the supreme Authorities. For no Authority exists except by the will of God, and the existing Authorities have been appointed by God. Therefore he who sets himself against the authorities is resisting God's appointment, and those who resist will bring a judgment upon themselves. A good action has nothing to fear from Rulers; a bad action has. Do you want to have no reason to fear the Authorities? Then do what is good, and you will win their praise. read more.
For they are God's servants appointed for your good. But, if you do what is wrong, you may well be afraid; for the sword they carry is not without meaning! They are God's servants to inflict his punishments on those who do wrong. You are bound, therefore, to obey, not only through fear of God's punishments, but also as a matter of conscience. This, too, is the reason for your paying taxes; for the officials are God's officers, devoting themselves to this special work. In all cases pay what is due from you--tribute where tribute is due, taxes where taxes are due, respect where respect is due, and honor where honor is due.

Let every one obey the supreme Authorities. For no Authority exists except by the will of God, and the existing Authorities have been appointed by God. Therefore he who sets himself against the authorities is resisting God's appointment, and those who resist will bring a judgment upon themselves. A good action has nothing to fear from Rulers; a bad action has. Do you want to have no reason to fear the Authorities? Then do what is good, and you will win their praise. read more.
For they are God's servants appointed for your good. But, if you do what is wrong, you may well be afraid; for the sword they carry is not without meaning! They are God's servants to inflict his punishments on those who do wrong. You are bound, therefore, to obey, not only through fear of God's punishments, but also as a matter of conscience.










Let every one obey the supreme Authorities. For no Authority exists except by the will of God, and the existing Authorities have been appointed by God. Therefore he who sets himself against the authorities is resisting God's appointment, and those who resist will bring a judgment upon themselves. A good action has nothing to fear from Rulers; a bad action has. Do you want to have no reason to fear the Authorities? Then do what is good, and you will win their praise. read more.
For they are God's servants appointed for your good. But, if you do what is wrong, you may well be afraid; for the sword they carry is not without meaning! They are God's servants to inflict his punishments on those who do wrong.


Let every one obey the supreme Authorities. For no Authority exists except by the will of God, and the existing Authorities have been appointed by God. Therefore he who sets himself against the authorities is resisting God's appointment, and those who resist will bring a judgment upon themselves. A good action has nothing to fear from Rulers; a bad action has. Do you want to have no reason to fear the Authorities? Then do what is good, and you will win their praise. read more.
For they are God's servants appointed for your good. But, if you do what is wrong, you may well be afraid; for the sword they carry is not without meaning! They are God's servants to inflict his punishments on those who do wrong. You are bound, therefore, to obey, not only through fear of God's punishments, but also as a matter of conscience. This, too, is the reason for your paying taxes; for the officials are God's officers, devoting themselves to this special work. In all cases pay what is due from you--tribute where tribute is due, taxes where taxes are due, respect where respect is due, and honor where honor is due.

Tell us, then, what you think. Are we right in paying taxes to the Emperor, or not?" Perceiving their malice, Jesus answered: "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin with which the tax is paid." And, when they had brought him a florin, read more.
He asked: "Whose head and title are these?" "The Emperor's," they answered: on which he said to them: "Then pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and to God what belongs to God."


Submit to all human institutions for the Lord's sake, alike to the emperor as the supreme authority, and to governors as the men sent by him to punish evil-doers and to commend those who do right. For God's will is this--that you should silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing what is right. read more.
Act as free men, yet not using your freedom as those do who make it a cloak for wickedness, but as Servants of God. Show honour to every one, Love the Brotherhood, 'revere God, honour the emperor.'

Submit to all human institutions for the Lord's sake, alike to the emperor as the supreme authority, and to governors as the men sent by him to punish evil-doers and to commend those who do right.

Let every one obey the supreme Authorities. For no Authority exists except by the will of God, and the existing Authorities have been appointed by God. Therefore he who sets himself against the authorities is resisting God's appointment, and those who resist will bring a judgment upon themselves. A good action has nothing to fear from Rulers; a bad action has. Do you want to have no reason to fear the Authorities? Then do what is good, and you will win their praise. read more.
For they are God's servants appointed for your good. But, if you do what is wrong, you may well be afraid; for the sword they carry is not without meaning! They are God's servants to inflict his punishments on those who do wrong. You are bound, therefore, to obey, not only through fear of God's punishments, but also as a matter of conscience. This, too, is the reason for your paying taxes; for the officials are God's officers, devoting themselves to this special work. In all cases pay what is due from you--tribute where tribute is due, taxes where taxes are due, respect where respect is due, and honor where honor is due.

A good action has nothing to fear from Rulers; a bad action has. Do you want to have no reason to fear the Authorities? Then do what is good, and you will win their praise. Verse ConceptsCommendationRulersSecurityTaxationMagistratesFear Is DueFearDoing The Right ThingBeing ScaredRespecting Authoritybehaviorterrorism

Let every one obey the supreme Authorities. For no Authority exists except by the will of God, and the existing Authorities have been appointed by God. Therefore he who sets himself against the authorities is resisting God's appointment, and those who resist will bring a judgment upon themselves. A good action has nothing to fear from Rulers; a bad action has. Do you want to have no reason to fear the Authorities? Then do what is good, and you will win their praise. read more.
For they are God's servants appointed for your good. But, if you do what is wrong, you may well be afraid; for the sword they carry is not without meaning! They are God's servants to inflict his punishments on those who do wrong. You are bound, therefore, to obey, not only through fear of God's punishments, but also as a matter of conscience. This, too, is the reason for your paying taxes; for the officials are God's officers, devoting themselves to this special work.

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or are we like some who need letters of commendation to you, or from you? You yourselves are our letter--a letter written on our hearts, and one which everybody can read and understand. All can see that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, a letter written, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God, not on 'tablets of stone,' but on 'tablets of human hearts.' read more.
This, then, is the confidence in regard to God that we have gained through the Christ. I do not mean that we are fit to form any judgment by ourselves, as if on our own authority; Our fitness comes from God, who himself made us fit to be ministers of a New Covenant, of which the substance is, not a written Law, but a Spirit. For the written Law means Death, but the Spirit gives Life.


You have heard that it was said--'Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thy enemy.' I, however, say to you--Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, That you may become Sons of your Father who is in Heaven; for he causes his sun to rise upon bad and good alike, and sends rain upon the righteous and upon the unrighteous.


Slaves, obey your earthly masters, with anxious care, giving them ungrudging service, as if obeying the Christ; Not only when their eyes are on you, as if you had merely to please men, but as slaves of Christ, who are trying to carry out the will of God. Give your service heartily and cheerfully, as working for the Master and not for men; read more.
For you know that every one will be rewarded by the Master for any honest work that he has done, whether he is a slave or a freeman.


For, if you show kindness only to those who show kindness to you, what thanks will be due to you? Even the outcast do that! If you lend only to those from whom you expect to get something, what thanks will be due to you? Even the outcast lend to the outcast in the hope of getting as much in return! But love your enemies, and show them kindness, and lend to them, never despairing. Then your reward shall be great, and you shall be Sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the thankless and the bad.

Let every one obey the supreme Authorities. For no Authority exists except by the will of God, and the existing Authorities have been appointed by God. Therefore he who sets himself against the authorities is resisting God's appointment, and those who resist will bring a judgment upon themselves. A good action has nothing to fear from Rulers; a bad action has. Do you want to have no reason to fear the Authorities? Then do what is good, and you will win their praise.

Let every one obey the supreme Authorities. For no Authority exists except by the will of God, and the existing Authorities have been appointed by God. Therefore he who sets himself against the authorities is resisting God's appointment, and those who resist will bring a judgment upon themselves. A good action has nothing to fear from Rulers; a bad action has. Do you want to have no reason to fear the Authorities? Then do what is good, and you will win their praise. read more.
For they are God's servants appointed for your good. But, if you do what is wrong, you may well be afraid; for the sword they carry is not without meaning! They are God's servants to inflict his punishments on those who do wrong. You are bound, therefore, to obey, not only through fear of God's punishments, but also as a matter of conscience. This, too, is the reason for your paying taxes; for the officials are God's officers, devoting themselves to this special work. In all cases pay what is due from you--tribute where tribute is due, taxes where taxes are due, respect where respect is due, and honor where honor is due.

They sent their disciples, with the Herodians, to say to him: "Teacher, we know that you are an honest man, and that you teach the way of God honestly, and are not afraid of any one; for you pay no regard to a man's position. Tell us, then, what you think. Are we right in paying taxes to the Emperor, or not?" Perceiving their malice, Jesus answered: "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? read more.
Show me the coin with which the tax is paid." And, when they had brought him a florin, He asked: "Whose head and title are these?" "The Emperor's," they answered: on which he said to them: "Then pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and to God what belongs to God."

These men came to him and said: "Teacher, we know that you are an honest man, and are not afraid of any one, for you pay no regard to a man's position, but teach the Way of God honestly; are we right in paying taxes to the Emperor, or not? Should we pay, or should we not pay?" Knowing their hypocrisy, Jesus said to them: "Why are you testing me? Bring me a florin to look at." And, when they had brought it, he asked: "Whose head and title are these?" "The Emperor's," they said; read more.
And Jesus replied: "Pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and to God what belongs to God." And they wondered at him.

These men asked Jesus a question. They said: "Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, and that you do not take any account of a man's position, but teach the Way of God honestly; Are we right in paying tribute to the Emperor or not?" Seeing through their deceitfulness, Jesus said to them: read more.
"Show me a florin. Whose head and title are on it?" "The Emperor's," they said; and Jesus replied: "Well then, pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and to God what belongs to God."

Let every one obey the supreme Authorities. For no Authority exists except by the will of God, and the existing Authorities have been appointed by God. Therefore he who sets himself against the authorities is resisting God's appointment, and those who resist will bring a judgment upon themselves. A good action has nothing to fear from Rulers; a bad action has. Do you want to have no reason to fear the Authorities? Then do what is good, and you will win their praise. read more.
For they are God's servants appointed for your good. But, if you do what is wrong, you may well be afraid; for the sword they carry is not without meaning! They are God's servants to inflict his punishments on those who do wrong. You are bound, therefore, to obey, not only through fear of God's punishments, but also as a matter of conscience. This, too, is the reason for your paying taxes; for the officials are God's officers, devoting themselves to this special work.