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statementVerified

Public Romans 13 prints obedience to governing authorities as a received political heading

Romans 13 in NA28 and public English tells readers to be subject to authorities as instituted. In the causal graph this event weakens Democratic Resilience, a driver that strengthens Having a say in government — a worsening welfare path.

Sources: [1][2]

Read the full account

Romans 13 in NA28 and public English tells readers to be subject to authorities as instituted. Later absolutists and quietists cited it. Twin of any later civil-rights uses of Galatians.

Context

A letter can limit zealots and can bless predators.

Paul the Apostle is not the sole author of every later object, law, or museum label that uses the name. Shared work with courts, excavators, printers, spouses, officials, and later states does not erase a documented role, and it does not make an ancient person the signer of a twentieth-century statute.

Who was responsible

Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.

  • Paul the Apostle

    Person

    Direct responsibility

    responsibility level 0.4 · verified

    Named letter-writer as heading of later collections. Editors, popes, reformers, and colonial missions publish the instrument.

What changed

Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.

    1. FactPublic Romans 13 prints obedience to governing authorities as a received political heading
    2. weakensDriverDemocratic Resilience
    3. strengthensIndicators (3)Having a say in government
    Worsening path

    impact weight 0.5 · Effect from 1 March 1979 · verified

    • Having a say in government

      via Democratic Resilience

      Worse

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.35 (weight 0.5 × strength 0.7)

      Observed

      29.8% of population aged 16-65 years · 8.13 below the normal line (2023)

      Worse than normal

      Two readings: 30.2% of population aged 16-65 years (2021) and 29.8% of population aged 16-65 years (2023).

      20212023

      Above normal = better

    • Clean elections index

      via Democratic Resilience

      Worse

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.23 (weight 0.5 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      0.53 score from 0 to 1 · 0.34 below the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      125 readings, 1900–2024: rose from 0.17 score from 0 to 1 to 0.53 score from 0 to 1.

      Above normal = better

    • WJP Rule of Law Index (global)

      via Democratic Resilience

      Worse

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.23 (weight 0.5 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      0.55 index score (0-1) · 0.26 below the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      Above normal = better

Evidence

The sources behind this fact and its verification state.

Verified2 sources on file
  1. 1.Bible Gateway — Romans 13 (NRSVue): Being Subject to AuthoritiesBible Gateway · High credibility · verified
  2. 2.New Advent — Romans (Douay-Rheims / Challoner)New Advent · High credibility · verified

Causal path

How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.

  1. ActorPaul the Apostle
  2. contributed toFactPublic Romans 13 prints obedience to governing authorities as a received political heading
  3. weakensDriverDemocratic Resilience
  4. strengthensIndicatorHaving a say in government

Cite this page

Factrail. (2026). Public Romans 13 prints obedience to governing authorities as a received political heading. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/pa-romans-13-authority

https://factrail.ai/facts/pa-romans-13-authority

Accessed 16 October 2026.

By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed

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