From the Amplified Classic edition: Be submissive to every human institution and authority for the sake of the Lord, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to bring vengeance (punishment, justice) to those who do wrong and to encourage those who do good service. For it is God's will and intention that by doing right [your good and honest lives] should silence (muzzle, gag) the ignorant and ill-informed criticisms of foolish persons.
Traffic laws, tax laws, community ordinances for order and peace. In verse 13, Peter urges God's chosen saints to submit to human authorities, not out of fear or blind obedience, but instead for the Lord's sake.
It is important to remember that our motivation to submit is not merely civic, but theological. God's chosen people honor authority because it reflects God's order in the world (Romans 13:1-2). The phrase every human institution (literally every human creation) itemizes the various social and political structures humans live under. Peter includes the emperor (who during Peter's time would have been Nero) reminding us that the submission should not be on condition of the ruler's character (as many of my former Ambassador students currently believe) but instead on the believer's commitment to God's sovereignty.
We should not suggest that Peter is endorsing tyranny, but rather it reflects a call to live peaceably within society, so the gospel is not hindered by unnecessary rebellion. When Peter wrote this letter (around 63-64 AD), God's people were living under the tyrannical Roman Emperor Nero.
Nero's reign (62‒64 AD) began with relative stability but ended with notorious cruelty and persecution of Christ's followers, especially after the Great Fire of Rome (64 AD) which Nero blamed for igniting.
Followers of Christ, God's chosen saints, were a minority, often misunderstood and viewed with suspicion. Because they refused to worship the emperor, the Romans considered them politically subversive and enemies of the state.
In this intense, tumultuous environment, Peter's command to God's people to be subject to every human institution was both radical and wise, showing that followers of Christ were not revolutionaries aiming to overthrow the empire, but instead they were citizens of integrity, obeying laws and serving the public good, even while acknowledging that Jesus alone was Lord.
Peter's words reflect a delicate balance: Submission to government is an act of obedience to Almighty God, but ultimate loyalty remains with Christ, not Caesar (Acts 5:29: We must obey God rather than men.) Historians claim that this teaching helped protect the early Christian community from unnecessary persecution, giving them a moral reputation that even pagan observers (like Pliny the Younger, in the early second century) later acknowledged.
What are we supposed to do when man's laws conflict with God's laws? Peter and the other apostles in Acts 5:29 declare, We must obey God rather than man.
All of us are familiar with the accounts in Daniel 3, where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego obeyed God even when they believed it would cost them their lives. Likewise, Daniel was thrown into the lion's den, which he assumed would be his imminent death. God's people must live responsibly by paying taxes, obeying civil laws, and honoring leaders (Romans 13:7), but we should never compromise our faith when man's law contradicts God's laws.
