Submission to Government^(A)

^13 (B)Therefore submit yourselves to every ^[a]ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— ^16 (C)as free, yet not ^(D)using liberty as a cloak for ^[b]vice, but as bondservants of God. ¹⁷ Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear ^(E)God. Honor the king.

²¹ For ^(A)to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for ^[a]us, ^(B)leaving ^[b]us an example, that you should follow His steps:

^23 (D)who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but ^(E)committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; ^24 (F)who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, ^(G)that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—^(H)by whose ^[c]stripes you were healed.