Romans 13:5

f. διὸ ἀνάγκη ὑποτάσσεσθαι : there is a twofold necessity for submission an external one, in the wrath of God which comes on resistance; an internal one, in conscience. Even apart from the consequences of disobedience conscience recognises the Divine right and function of the ἐξουσία and freely submits to it. διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ φόρους τελεῖτε. διὰ τοῦτο seems to refer to the moral necessity to which appeal has been already made in διὰ τὴν συνείδησιν. It is because conscience recognises the moral value of the State as an ordinance of God that we pay taxes. φόρος is often used of the tribute paid by a subject nation: Nehemiah 5:4 1Ma 8:4, Luke 20:22; but here is probably used indefinitely of any imposts made for the support of the Government. λειτουργοὶ γὰρ θεοῦ εἰσίν : the use of λειτουργοί here instead of διάκονοι emphasises the official character of the service which they render. In the LXX λειτουργεῖν is the regular rendering of שֵׁרֵת, and therefore refers frequently to the service of the priests and Levites, a usage the influence of which is seen in chap. Romans 15:16 and Philippians 2:17; but this was by no means exclusively the case in the O.T. (2 Samuel 13:18; 2 Kings 10:5) nor is it so in the New (chap. Romans 15:27; Philippians 2:25; Philippians 2:30). It is not a priestly character that the word assigns to the magistracy, but only an official character; they are in their place by God's appointment for the public good. εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο means “to this very end” the end described in Romans 13:3-4. As προσκαρτεροῦντες is elsewhere construed with the dative (Acts 1:14; Acts 6:4, chap. Romans 12:12) it seems necessary here to take εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ with what precedes, and προσκ. by itself as, e.g., in Numbers 13:21 : spending all their time on the work.