We’ve been going through 1 Peter verse by verse. Now he starts a new topic – submission to authority.
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
1 Peter 2:13-14 NIV
Submission to authorities is a very important truth. As a matter of fact, you can’t serve God without learning submission. This verse tells us that we need to submit to all the authority structures of mankind.
To submit literally means to arrange under. It’s how we view ourselves in relation to others – both in the body of Christ and in society
The first thing we must see is that we’re to submit ourselves under authority. This tells me that submission is always voluntary. It cannot be forced from the outside. We must decide to arrange ourselves under all the structures of man.
In order for us to have a better understanding of this, Peter gives an example that he’s familiar with. He starts with the king, who is held above as the supreme authority. He adds this description so that you can replace king with whatever the highest authority is in your government.
But not that only, he goes on to mention the governors. These are the leaders or commanders. He explains that these are the ones who are dispatched through him (the one held above).
Their job is to punish “bad-doers” and to praise “good-doers.” So, there are two levels here. There is the one at the highest, and there is the enforcer.
Here in the USA, we do not have a king – but we have a supreme authority. You may be surprised to learn that it’s not the president, congress, or our judges. The supreme authority in the USA is the constitution. This means that our entire government is in the hands of dispatched people.
Paul also talks about this.
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
Romans 13:1-2 NIV
America allows us to choose those whose job it is to enforce the authority of the constitution. Once chosen, it’s then our job, according to Scripture, to submit.
But this verse goes on to explain the terms of our submission. The word for authority here is actually the word power, not a person. God does not establish the person, but the office.
God didn’t tell me who He wanted for president. But He established the office, so regardless of who I voted for, or my opinions, what people say – I submit to the office of president. Right now, this is Pres. Donald Trump.
The other choice is to rebel against the authority, not the person, God has established. That’s because submission is always to the power. That’s why as believers, we submit to the office, not the person.
In my next post we’ll continue with this subject.
Question: How do we see the issue of authority playing out in our society?
© 2025 Nick Zaccardi
The Spirit and the Word 