Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Peter 2:17

"Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king." — 1 Peter 2:17 (ASV)

Peter next sums up the social obligation of Christian in four succinct commands. (1) “Show proper respect to [lit., honor; GK 5506] everyone.” Peter instructs us to recognize the value of each person in his or her place as a creature of God. (2) “Love the brotherhood.” Special love is due to others within the family of believers because they are brothers and sisters. (3) “Fear God.” (4) “Honor the king.” God is to be feared, but the emperor was only to be honored. Christ taught, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one [i.e., God] who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Normally duties to God and Caesar do not conflict, and Christians can obey both (Matthew 22:15–21); but in special cases their higher loyalty is clear: “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29).