1 Peter 2:13

Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well.

Be subject ... This means "submit, or obey"; and "It is the key word in this epistle, occurring here and in 1 Peter 2:18; 1 Peter 3:1,5,22, and in 1 Peter 5:5, six times in all."[37]

To every ordinance of man ... Macknight translated this "to every human creation of magistrates,"[38] making it clear that Peter rejected the sophistry of the zealots who maintained that obedience was due only to those magistrates appointed by God. Yes, it is human governments which Peter here commanded Christians to obey. This command is not absolute, as the next phrase indicates.

For the Lord's sake ... Jesus is still Lord; and under certain circumstances, Peter himself affirmed that "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).

Whether to the king, as supreme ... One might have expected Peter to say, "to the emperor, as supreme," but the meaning is the same.

By "the king" is meant the Roman emperor, who was frequently so described by the Greek writers. Nero was emperor when St. Peter wrote. Christians were to obey even him, wicked tyrant as he was; for his power was given him from above, as the Lord himself had said of Pilate (John 19:11).[39]

The existence of human governments is here revealed to be of God; and this is not hard to understand when the alternative chaos that would ensue without them is contemplated. Even the worst of governments is better than none at all. For full discussion of the Christian and the state, see in my Commentary on Romans, pp. 447-450.

Or unto governors, as sent by him ... Actually in Rome at the time of Peter's writing, the emperor was the only actual ruler, the many governors of the provinces being no more than deputies whose authority and tenure were subject absolutely to the whim of the current Caesar. Among such governors mentioned in the New Testament were Pilate, Felix, and Festus.

For vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well ... This states the general purpose of human governments and may not be understood as a declaration that the governors sent by Nero were scrupulous to observe such guidelines.

[37] C. J. Polkinghorne, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 590.

[38] James Macknight, op. cit., p. 459.

[39] B. C. Caffin, op. cit., p. 73.