In 1 Peter 2:17, the apostle says: “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”

First, the word “honour” means “ascribing worth to someone—honour, revere, respect.”*

Second, “the brotherhood” refers to the church, including both men and women.

Third, “fearing God” is a posture of “reverential awe” (to use the phrase coined by Billy Graham).** I personally prefer the idea of “volcanic reverence.”

Fourth, when Peter said to honour the Emperor, the man in question was Nero. This is where it gets really interesting. 

Nero was not nice. He ruled from 54-68 A.D. In the year 64, he blamed the Christians for a fire in Rome. As punishment, he hoisted them up on poles and burned them alive. He made human torches to light his garden for parties! 

The reason I tell you all this is to show the force of Peter’s teaching. It’s one thing to honour the Emperor when there’s peace and calm—it’s another when there’s pain and intimidation. 

Does this mean Peter and the disciples should be blindly obedient? No, it doesn’t. In fact, when Peter was in trouble with the authorities in Acts 5:29 he said: “We must obey God rather than men.” Clearly, there are times when human rulers are not to be heeded. 

So, how do we honour rulers today, especially when we disagree with them, whether they are local, national or global?

Here are a few ideas:

First, we pray for them. We pray for God to give them his wisdom and justice.

Second, we remember that the office of a leader is always bigger than the leader themselves. Leaders come and go, but the office they represent endures long after they are gone.

Third, we advocate for change, but do so in a way that is legal.

Fourth, we don’t perpetuate falsehood and unhelpful gossip.

When Peter said to honour the Emperor, he wasn’t being naïve. In fact, a few years later he would be crucified under Nero! Yet he always had his eyes fixed on the God who was bigger than any temporary human ruler.

As followers of Christ who acknowledge that the people around us are made in God’s image, let’s honour everyone.

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Notes:

-*This is from the standard Friberg Greek lexicon of the New Testament.

-**Billy Graham, Nearing Home (Thomas Nelson: Nashville, 2011), 80.

-New podcast episode and blog: “What Jonathan Haidt just said about A.I. and the next generation.” Click here, or find it on ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan’ wherever you listen (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.)

-“Honour everyone–emperors, slaves, masters, husbands, wives (1 Peter 2:13 – 3:7)” Sermon. Click here.

-Bible quotes are from the ESV.