Be Subject to Government

13 Every ^[a](A)person is to be ^(B)subject to the governing authorities. For ^(C)there is no authority except ^[b]from God, and those which exist are established by God. ² Therefore ^[c]whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. ³ For ^(D)rulers are not a cause of fear for ^[d]good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; ⁴ for it is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a servant of God, an ^(E)avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.

²⁰ And He *said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” ²¹ They *said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He *said to them, “^(A)Then pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.”

Lawsuits Discouraged

6 Does any one of you, when he has a ^[a]case against ^[b]his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and ^(A)not before the ^[c]saints? ² Or ^(B)do you not know that ^(C)the ^[d]saints will judge ^(D)the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to form the smallest ^[e]law courts? ^3 (E)Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? ⁴ So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, ^[f]do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? ^5 (F)I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you anyone wise who will be able to decide between his ^(G)brothers and sisters, ⁶ but brother goes to law with brother, and that before ^(H)unbelievers?

⁷ Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. ^(I)Why not rather suffer the wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? ⁸ On the contrary, you yourselves do wrong and defraud. And this to your ^(J)brothers and sisters!