Romans 13:4 meaning and explanation
For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.
Romans 13:4, Berean Standard Bible
Explanation preview
Paul writes to the Christians in Rome, a church living under the Roman Empire, and in this verse he explains why governing authority exists. The ruler, he says, is God's servant (Greek diakonos, a minister or attendant) working for the good of those who do right.
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