John Calvin Commentary Romans 13:3

"For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And wouldest thou have no fear of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same:" — Romans 13:3 (ASV)

For princes, etc. He now commends to us obedience to princes on the ground of utility; for the causative γὰρ, for, is to be referred to the first proposition, and not to the last verse. Now, the utility is this — that the Lord has designed in this way to provide for the tranquillity of the good, and to restrain the waywardness of the wicked; by which two things the safety of mankind is secured. For unless the fury of the wicked is resisted, and the innocent are protected from their violence, all things would fall into entire confusion. Since then this is the only remedy by which mankind can be preserved from destruction, it ought to be carefully observed by us, unless we wish to avow ourselves as the public enemies of the human race.

And he adds, Will you not then fear the power? Do good. By this he intimates that there is no reason why we should dislike the magistrate, if indeed we are good; indeed, that it is an implied proof of an evil conscience, and of one that is devising some mischief, when anyone wishes to shake off or to remove from himself this yoke. But he speaks here of the true, and, as it were, of the native duty of the magistrate, from which however those who hold power often degenerate; yet the obedience due to princes ought to be rendered to them. For since a wicked prince is the Lord’s scourge to punish the sins of the people, let us remember that it happens through our fault that this excellent blessing of God is turned into a curse.

Let us then continue to honor the good appointment of God, which may be easily done, provided we impute to ourselves whatever evil may accompany it. Hence he teaches us here the end for which magistrates are instituted by the Lord; the happy effects of which would always appear, if so noble and salutary an institution were not marred through our fault. At the same time, princes never abuse their power by harassing the good and innocent to such an extent that they do not retain in their tyranny some kind of just government: there can, therefore, be no tyranny which does not in some respects assist in consolidating human society.

He has here noted two things, which even philosophers have considered as part of a well-ordered administration of a commonwealth: that is, rewards for the good, and punishment for the wicked. The word praise has here, after the Hebrew manner, a wide meaning.