1 Peter 2:13-14

‘Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king, as supreme; or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well.'

Christians are to set their objectives (the aorist imperative suggests a once for all decision) in such a way as to intend to obey every ordinance laid down by the properly instituted authorities, not for their sakes but for the Lord's. By this they will be obeying God and not men. He wants it to be clear that their ‘religion' affirms the importance of loyalty to the state. And this includes ordinances laid down by Caesar, by all ruling monarchs, and by local governors set up by those ruling monarchs.

But the more mundane reason is so that they can ensure the maintenance of the fabric of society, both because it is pleasing to the Lord, and because it will best help forward His purposes. Those who have basically been set up by God to bring law and order, even if imperfectly, are to be seen as preferable to lawlessness, and it is better that they think well of Christians than otherwise, while at the same time a stable society favours the spread of the Gospel. At this stage Peter clearly has no awareness that one day such monarchs and governors will actively make ordinances for the persecution of Christians. It suggests therefore a date for the letter before the Neronic persecution of Christians in Rome (c. 64 AD).

And the reason given for this is that, on the whole, authorities control and punish evildoers and praise those who do what is right, something in which they are to be supported. For if good men do not support the authorities then evil men will soon take over. It may be that ‘ordinance' (ktisis) suggests ‘divine ordinance' which is its usual meaning in LXX, but others favour the idea of political and social ordinances. The former would be supported by Romans 13:1. But either way such ordinances are to be obeyed.