[A] 13:1 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. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
[B] 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.
[C] Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority?
[D] Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good.
[C’] But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.
[B’] For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
[A’] 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.