“And you’re supposing correspondence from a jail inmate wasn’t censored, edited or otherwise adulterated.”
You’ll have to provide evidence showing that that was case with Paul’s Roman letter or that he hid his real beliefs out of fear of that situation. The idea that Paul was writing satire reverses his apparent meaning. Occam’s Razor argues against you.
Paul’s satirical commentary would certainly have been known to and commented upon in the thousands of letters of the Ante-Nicene Fathers. That voluminous correspondence is always a problem for those attempting to make novel claims about the New Testament. If you can find one of the Apostolic Fathers making a satire claim then you would have an argument. Otherwise you’re just speculating without evidence.
Who can know for sure? I haven’t read many writings of Pre Nicene authorities, and defer.
I believe Romans 13: 1-7 is inconsistent with many other instances of behavior of heroes of the Bible (and Paul himself preaching in temples of Roman gods, which was against the law) to be suspect as satire or some sort of adulteration. You choose to take it as written. That’s fine
Unity where we agree.
Liberty where we disagree.
And Charity towards all.
Chuck Colson quoted that from a Saint I can’t recall, using it as an example of how Christians should relate to each other.