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1 Peter 2:13-16

13. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake:
whether it be to the king, as supreme;

13. Subditi ergo estote omni humanae ordinationi propter Dominum; sive
regi tanquam supereminenti;

14. Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the
punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

14. Sive praesidibus, tanquam iis qui per ipsum mittuntur, in vindictam
quidem maleficorum, laudem vero bene agentium.

15. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to
silence the ignorance of foolish men:

15. Sic enim est voluntas Dei, ut benefaciendo obstruatis ignorantiam
stultorum hominum:

16. As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness,
but as the servants of God.

16. Ut liberi, et non quasi praetextum habentes malitiae, libertatem;
sed tanquam servi Dei.


13 Submit yourselves He now comes to particular exhortations: and as
obedience with regard to magistrates is a part of honest or good
conversation, he draws this inference as to their duty, "Submit
yourselves," or, Be ye subject; for by refusing the yoke of government,
they would have given to the Gentiles no small occasion for reproaching
them. And, indeed, the Jews were especially hated and counted infamous
for this reason, because they were regarded on account of their
perverseness as ungovernable. And as the commotions which they raised
up in the provinces, were causes of great calamities, so that every one
of a quiet and peaceable disposition dreaded them as the plague, --
this was the reason that induced Peter to speak so strongly on
subjection. Besides, many thought the gospel was a proclamation of such
liberty, that every one might deem himself as free from servitude. It
seemed an unworthy thing that God's children should be servants, and
that the heirs of the world should not have a free possession, no, not
even of their own bodies. Then there was another trial, -- All the
magistrates were Christ's adversaries; and they used their own
authority, so that no representation of God, which secures the chief
reverence, appeared in them. We now perceive the design of Peter: he
exhorted the Jews, especially for these reasons, to shew respect to the
civil power.

To every ordinance of man Some render the words, "to every creature;"
and from a rendering so obscure and ambiguous, much labor has been
taken to elicit some meaning. But I have no doubt but that Peter meant
to point out the distinct manner in which God governs mankind: for the
verb ktizein in Greek, from which ktisis comes, means to form and to
construct a building. Suitable, then, is the word "ordination;" by
which Peter reminds us, that God the maker of the world has not left
the human race in a state of confusion, that they might live after the
manner of beasts, but as it were in a building regularly formed, and
divided into several compartments. And it is called a human ordination,
not because it has been invented by man, but because a mode of living,
well arranged and duly ordered, is peculiar to men. [27]

Whether it be to the king So he calls Caesar, as I think, whose empire
extended over all those countries mentioned at the beginning of the
Epistle. For though "king" was a name extremely hated by the Romans,
yet it was in use among the Greeks. They, indeed, often called him
autocrat, (autokratora) but sometimes he was also called by them king,
(basileus.) But as he subjoins a reason, that he ought to be obeyed
because he excelled, or was eminent or supreme, there is no comparison
made between Caesar and other magistrates. He held, indeed, the supreme
power; but that eminence which Peter extols, is common to all who
exercise public authority. And so Paul, in Romans 13:1, extends it to
all magistrates. Now the meaning is, that obedience is due to all who
rule, because they have been raised to that honor not by chance, but by
God's providence. For many are wont to inquire too scrupulously by what
right power has been attained; but we ought to be satisfied with this
alone, that power is possessed and exercised. And so Paul cuts off the
handle of useless objections when he declares that there is no power
but from God. And for this reason it is that Scripture so often says,
that it is God who girds kings with a sword, who raises them on high,
who transfers kingdoms as he pleases.

As Peter referred especially to the Roman Emperor, it was necessary to
add this admonition; for it is certain that the Romans through unjust
means rather than in a legitimate way penetrated into Asia and subdued
these countries. Besides, the Caesars, who then reigned, had possessed
themselves of the monarchy by tyrannical force. Hence Peter as it were
forbids these things to be controverted, for he shews that subjects
ought to obey their rulers without hesitation, because they are not
made eminent, unless elevated by God's hand.

14 Or unto governors, or, Whether to presidents. He designates every
kind of magistrates, as though he had said, that there is no kind of
government to which we ought not to submit. He confirms this by saying
that they are God's ministers; for they who apply him to the king, are
greatly mistaken. There is then a common reason, which extols the
authority of all magistrates, that they rule by the command of God, and
are sent by him. It hence follows (as Paul also teaches us) that they
resist God, who do not obediently submit to a power ordained by him.

For the punishment This is the second reason why it behoves us
reverently to regard and to respect civil authority, and that is,
because it has been appointed by the Lord for the common good of
mankind; for we must be extremely barbarous and brutal, if the public
good is not regarded by us. This, then, in short, is what Peter means,
that since God keeps the world in order by the ministry of magistrates,
all they who despise their authority are enemies to mankind.

Now he assumes these two things, which belong, as Plato says, to a
commonwealth, that is, reward to the good and punishment to the wicked;
for, in ancient times, not only punishment was allotted to evil-doers,
but also rewards to the doers of good. But though it often happens that
honors are not rightly distributed, nor rewards given to the deserving,
yet it is an honor, not to be despised, that the good are at the least
under the care and protection of magistrates, that they are not exposed
to the violence and injuries of the ungodly, that they live more
quietly under laws and better retain their reputation, than if every
one, unrestrained, lived as he pleased. In short, it is a singular
blessing of God, that the wicked are not allowed to do what they like.

It may, however, be objected here and said, that kings and magistrates
often abuse their power, and exercise tyrannical cruelty rather than
justice. Such were almost all the magistrates, when this Epistle was
written. To this I answer, that tyrants and those like them, do not
produce such effects by their abuse, but that the ordinance of God ever
remains in force, as the institution of marriage is not subverted
though the wife and the husband were to act in a way not becoming them.
However, therefore, men may go astray, yet the end fixed by God cannot
be changed.

Were any one again to object and say, that we ought not to obey princes
who, as far as they can, pervert the holy ordinance of God, and thus
become savage wild beasts, while magistrates ought to bear the image of
God. My reply is this, that government established by God ought to be
so highly valued by us, as to honor even tyrants when in power. There
is yet another reply still more evident, -- that there has never been a
tyranny, (nor can one be imagined,) however cruel and unbridled, in
which some portion of equity has not appeared; and further, some kind
of government, however deformed and corrupt it may be, is still better
and more beneficial than anarchy.

15 For so is the will of God He returns to his former doctrine, lest an
occasion should be given to the unbelieving to speak evil, though he
expresses less than what he had said before; for he says only that the
mouths of the foolish ought to be stopped. The phrase which he adopts,
"to stop up ignorance," though it may seem harsh on account of its
novelty, does not yet obscure the sense. [28] For he not only calls the
unbelieving foolish, but also points out the reason why they slandered,
even because they were ignorant of God. But inasmuch as he makes the
unbelieving to be without understanding and reason, we hence conclude,
that a right understanding cannot exist without the knowledge of God.
How much soever, then, the unbelieving may boast of their own
acuteness, and may seem to themselves to be wise and prudent, yet the
Spirit of God charges them with folly, in order that we may know that,
apart from God, we cannot be really wise, as without him there is
nothing perfect.

But he prescribes the way in which the evil-speaking of the unbelieving
is to be restrained, even by well-doing, or, by doing good. In this
expression he includes all the duties of humanity and kindness which we
ought to perform towards our neighbors. And in these is included
obedience to magistrates, without which concord among men cannot be
cultivated. Were any one to object and say, that the faithful can never
be so careful to do good, but that they will be evil-spoken of by the
unbelieving: to this the obvious answer is, that the Apostle here does
not in any degree exempt them from calumnies and reproaches; but he
means that no occasion of slandering ought to be given to the
unbelieving, however much they may desire it. And lest any one should
further object and say, that the unbelieving are by no means worthy of
so much regard that God's children should form their life to please
them, Peter expressly reminds us that we are bound by God's command to
shut up their mouths.

16 As free This is said by way of anticipation, that he might obviate
those things which are usually objected to with regard to the liberty
of God's children. For as men are naturally ingenious in laying hold on
what may be for their advantage, many, at the commencement of the
Gospel, thought themselves free to live only for themselves. This
doting opinion, then, is what Peter corrects; and he briefly shews how
much the liberty of Christians differed from unbridled licentiousness.
And, in the first place, he denies that there is any veil or pretext
for wickedness, by which he intimates, that there is no liberty given
us to hurt our neighbors, or to do any harm to others. True liberty,
then, is that which harms or injures no one. To confirm this, he
declares that those are free who serve God. It is obvious, hence, to
conclude, that we obtain liberty, in order that we may more promptly
and more readily render obedience to God; for it is no other than a
freedom from sin; and dominion is taken away from sin, that men may
become obedient to righteousness.

In short, it is a free servitude, and a serving freedom. For as we
ought to be the servants of God, that we may enjoy this benefit, so
moderation is required in the use of it. In this way, indeed, our
consciences become free; but this prevents us not to serve God, who
requires us also to be subject to men.
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[27] The words literally are, "Submit ye to every human creation:" but,
as Calvin says, the Greek verb means sometimes to form, to construct;
and so does vr' to create, in Hebrew. The noun may hence be rendered
"institution," what is formed. As in the second verse, so here, the
Apostle, in a way almost peculiar to himself, and the reverse of what
is commonly done in Scripture, uses an adjective for a noun, "human"
for "of man;" and he does the same in 1 Peter 3:7, "the womanish weaker
vessel," instead of "the woman (or wife) the weaker vessel." We may
then render the words, "Submit ye to every institution of man." The
reference is clearly to government. The ostensible agent in the
formation of all governments is man; but God is the overruler of all
things. -- Ed.

[28] The word properly means to muzzle; "that ye, by doing good, should
muzzle the ignorance of foolish men;" according to what is done to
savage animals, in order to prevent them to do harm. -- Ed.