In his support for obedience, to the governing authorities, Paul's view was such that authorities were exercising

In his support for obedience to the governing authorities, Paul's view was that the authorities were exercising power consistent with Christ's rule. Paul believed that all authority ultimately comes from God, and that those in positions of authority have been put there by God for a specific purpose. Therefore, to resist those in authority is to resist God's appointed order. Paul did not believe in absolute power or repressive or discriminatory authority, but rather in the principle of submitting to those in positions of authority as a way of submitting to God. However, Paul did not mean that Christians should obey authorities if they were commanding things that were contrary to God's laws or principles. In those cases, Christians should obey God rather than man.