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Scripture Analysis

Romans 13:4

This verse is examined in more than one Scripture Analysis section. Each lens is shown on its own terms, in the section's own words; GEBible reaches no verdict of its own.

Contradictions
1 entry

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WEB

for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil.

World English Bible

Read Romans 13:4 in context

Examined in Scripture Analysis

Contradictions (1)

Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.

  • Should we obey human or divine law?

    Acts 5:29 has Peter and the apostles declaring before the Sanhedrin that they must obey God rather than men. 1 Peter 2:13 commands believers to submit to every human ordinance, and Romans 13:1-4 escalates: every governing authority is ordained by God, resisting them resists God, and they bear the sword as God's ministers to execute wrath.

    Critical scholarship: Leans toward a genuine contradiction.

    More on this question

    The proposed answers and sources for each reading are on the question page.

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Each section sets the viewpoints side by side; you weigh the evidence. Here, "critical scholarship" means academic study, not a value judgment. How this is built

Within each section, grouped by shared field or question type — not a cross-section comparison.

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This citation refers to this GEBible page — the verse and the analysis gathered here. To cite the underlying scholarship, cite those sources directly.

"Romans 13:4 — Scripture Analysis" GEBible, https://gebible.app/analysis/verse/romans/13/4?version=WEB (retrieved 26 August 2026).