492 Romans Chapter 13

Romans 13 is one of the most controversial chapters in this letter because Paul writes about God empowering governments and our duty to submit to them. Not only did Paul wrote this letter while Rome ruled the entire area but given the traditional date of the composition of this letter Nero would have been on the throne. Nero murdered his own family members to obtain and keep power. He persecuted Christians and blamed them for the fire that ravaged Rome. He persecuted and forced political rivals to commit suicide but may Christians have interpreted Paul in chapter 13 as saying that Nero was God's chosen leader so we should obey any leader, no matter how evil they are. The Reformers and Parsons who fanned the flames of the American Revolution interpreted it differently. Which interpretation is correct?