Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.  Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgement.  (Romans 13:1-2)

The word translated ‘subject’ is ὑποτάσσω hypotassó from hypo, ‘under’ and tasso ‘arrange; thus, under (God’s) arrangements.  Paul is unequivocally saying that God institutes earthly governance and all governments must be respected by God’s people.  Within ten years after this letter to the Roman church was written, the Emperor Nero unjustly blamed Christians for having starting a fire that devastated some two thirds of Rome.  One of the emperor’s capricious punishments was to position Christians on poles and set them alight, as so called ‘Nero’s torches’.  

And of course, while not every government is a despotic, corrupt regime, even the very best governments are hardly perfect – so why is the follower of Christ told subject themselves to inevitably flawed, if not tyrannical governance?  Paul explains:

For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore, one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.  (ibid 13:3-5)

God wants law and order.  While He alone is perfectly just, God desires that humanity is governed by rulers dispensing justice, however imperfectly.  Indeed, Jesus tells us to not seek justice on a personal level, for example through retaliation (Matthew 5:38-42).  Rather the opposite, extending mercy by loving your enemies and praying for those the persecute you, (ibid 5:44).  Preceding the head quotation from the Epistle to the Romans comes this:

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”  (ibid 12:18-19)

Christians are to leave the prosecution of justice to earthly governors, trusting that God’s perfect justice will in due course, albeit at the final judgment, right all wrongs.  This requires forgiveness.  We derive the verb to forgive from the Anglo Saxon, forgiefan, which literally meant to away-give; therefore, to forgive is to give away our right to retribution – we leave restitution to God.  Without law and order, states of anarchy would ensure, not only make forgiveness almost impossible, but it would not be unconducive for the proclaiming of the Gospel.  The Roman Empire brought centuries of stability to much of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and within just a few years of Jesus’ death, the Gospel was universal, as converted officials, soldiers and slaves were dispatched and assigned to every remote outpost, garrison and major city.

Paul, of course, is taking his authority from Jesus, who taught on the subject of respecting earthly authorities, here civic:

…they (the chief priests and the scribes and the elders – 11:27) sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marvelled at him.  (Mark 12:13-17)

But the in religious matters, the Jews were self-governing. The chief priests and the scribes (lawyers) and elders (mostly Pharisees) were collectively known as the Greater Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council.  They consistently opposed Jesus, but whatever the form of their provocation, Jesus was careful to never undermine their authority; quite the reverse, he upheld it:

…Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practise and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practise. (Matthew 23:1-3)

It follows that Paul did likewise.  While Jesus used a simile to highlight the behaviour of the hypocritical behaviour of those of the Sanhedrin, by saying they were like ‘whitewashed tombs’, (‘outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So, you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness’ – Matthew 23:27-28); Paul was forced to apologise when he used the same expression disrespectfully:

…the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”  (Acts 23:2-5)

Whether earthly authorities are with you or against you, when you go up against them, disparage or resist them, you are actually opposing God and his will.  Earthly insurrection is spiritual mutiny, also.

But Scripture does give an example of how and when such disobedience is permissible.

In the period following Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came on the disciples, the apostles began preaching the good news of Jesus Christ in the precincts of the Temple and on the streets of Jerusalem with dramatic results.  The Sanhedrin became concerned and summoned the apostles to a hearing:

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”  

…they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

(Acts 5:27-32 & 40-42)

God is the higher authority, leaving the disciples with a clear conflict with the Great Commission that had lately received to preach and teach the Gospel.

This shows that in narrow, limited and specific circumstances, only when a Government sets law that directly countermands God’s commandments, then and only then, can any break that law.  Jesus is the model.

Brought before the Roman governor, Jesus recognised his authority over him: 

So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?”Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. (John 19:10-11)

Only God the Father had authority over his Jesus, yet Jesus submitted himself to the Roman punishment of crucifixion because Pilate governed Judea not on behalf of Roman Emperor, Tiberius, but by the will of God.

Just as Jesus recognised the God given authority, the follower of God must also.  

This suggests that God creates dilemmas in order to test, refine and strengthen faith.  

What if Jesus had decided to resist Pilate?  His words of submission to his Father would have been hollow and his prayer insincere:

“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”  (Luke 22:42)

When a Christian feels convicted to disobey edicts of God’s appointed government, Scripture suggests it can be only done so in these circumstances:

• When compliance means expressly breaking a specific commandment Jesus gave.
• Only after exhaustive prayer and consideration has no alternative be found to non-compliance.
• That there is no attempt to broaden non-compliance into other issues, making this a principle, or worse a matter of political policy.
• That any action undertaken is done so in a manner that does not denigrate or undermine the authorities.

Moreover, like the Apostles, the Christian fully accepts and pleads guilty to any prosecution and subsequent punishment of the non-compliance, accepting that this is also part of God’s will.

Even so, God promises to bring any involved into eternal judgment.  The conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus serves notice on any that would attempt to justify their actions, merely by the mention of Jesus’ name:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

It is safer to infer that included in this number shall be people who took the law into their own hands using the pretext of Godliness.  Thus the cautionary from Paul to submit for the avoidance of God’s wrath and for the sake of our good conscience.