God knew that so much of our lives would involve other people — not just fellow believers but family members, coworkers, bosses, and even governments. We are living in relationship with other people all the time, and it is vital that we understand how to do it well, no matter what the situation.

Peter gives clear instructions on this in his first epistle: 

Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

—1 Peter 2:17 KJV

In four very simple statements, Peter references a wide range of relationships that most of us deal with on a regular basis. In fact, he actually begins this verse by referencing our relationship to “all men.” You might look at those words and wonder, “Does he really mean I’m supposed to honor all men, every single person?”

The answer is that “all men” is a translation of the Greek word pantas (πάντας), which is an all-inclusive word that refers to everybody with no exceptions. The word “men” actually doesn’t appear in the original Greek, but it is implied or understood in the context. The RIV translates this part of the verse like this:

Esteem, honor, and value everyone — and that really means everyone, with no one excluded.

—1 Peter 2:17 RIV

You have to remember that Jesus gave His life for everyone. He gave His life for those of us who honor Him as our Lord and Savior but also for those who crucified Him — He gave His life for those who tried to sabotage His ministry. He did not just love people who loved Him — He loved everyone. In the same spirit, Peter says here that we are commanded to honor all men, no matter who they are or how they treat us.

Again you may ask yourself another question: “What does it mean to really honor someone?” This is the word that the RIV interprets as, “esteem, honor, and value.” It is the Greek timao (τιμάω), which means to honor or to hold something or someone so valuable that it is cherished, precious, prized, treasured, valuable, and very dear. In this verse, it is in the direct form, which makes it a command to do all these things. Peter is not lightly saying that we should do this — he is commanding us to esteem, honor, and value everyone!

Friend, this is a command that is really going to take us to our knees, because there are some people with whom we have difficult relationships. There may be people who oppose you and are aggressively against you, but they are still a part of “all men,” so you are commanded to honor them too. If we are going to do this, we really need to pray and ask for grace and mercy to help us esteem, honor, and value even the people who are against us.

All of that is packed into just that first little phrase, but then Peter adds onto it, and he says, “Love the brotherhood” (1 Peter 2:17 KJV).

The word “brotherhood” is a translation of a Greek word that was popularized in the time of Alexander the Great to depict comrades in battle. It is also derived from the word adelphos (ἀδελφός), which refers to a natural-born brother. In this context, it speaks of believers as being brothers in Christ but also comrades in the fight of faith. With this word, Peter reveals that believers are related to each other in Christ and share a special brotherhood with a bond unlike any other — therefore a special commitment is required.

Peter depicts this special commitment with the word agape (ἀγάπη), which describes the highest level love. This is a profound love that holds its object in the highest admiration. When we look at our fellow believers, we are not just expected to have affection for them but to truly admire them as amazing, Spirit-filled, brand-new creations in the Lord.

Then after all this, Peter adds, “Fear God” (1 Peter 2:17 KJV). Sometimes when people hear that they are to fear God, they think it means that they are to quake and tremble. There is certainly a time to quake and tremble in the presence of God, but this word actually has a much greater range of meaning. It is a form of the Greek word phobos (φόβος), which can be interpreted as amazement, as alarm and fear, or as respect or reverential fear. It can also indicate fear that results from a threatening or alarming circumstance.

What is important to understand is that this is not the spirit of fear that we read about in Second Timothy 1:7, which is described with the word deilias (δειλίας). Instead phobos talks about a healthy dose of respect and reverence for God. As believers, we need to have a healthy dose of reverential fear for God so that we do not forget who He is — the all-powerful Ruler of the world who can create or destroy with just a puff of His breath.

The RIV summarizes it all like this:

You must fear God, always holding Him in awe, respect, and reverence.

—1 Peter 2:17 RIV

So we see in this verse that we should honor and esteem all men without exception, that we should have a special love and admiration for our fellow believers, and that we need to carry a healthy dose of respectful fear for God, but then Peter adds yet another relationship that we need to be intentional in: “Honor the king” (1 Peter 2:17 KJV).

The word “honor” here is a form of the same word used to say, “honor all men,” so we already know that it means to esteem, honor and value someone, and it is still in the direct form, which again tells us that this is not questionable or optional — it is a command. The difference is that this time, the person Peter is commanding believers to honor is “the king.”

At the time that Peter wrote this, believers would have understood that he was referring to the man who was currently ruling over them — Emperor Nero. That must have been a difficult message for them to swallow, because so many people were suffering at the hands of Nero. He was just a horrible, cruel man. In fact, he was the man who would eventually have both Peter and Paul executed, yet in this verse, Peter says to honor him.

Friends, Nero was a horrible man, but he was also the established authority over those believers. This is essential — Christians are never called to rebel or to be disrespectful of authority. Whether it is a government official or a boss at work, we need to honor those people.

Sometimes I am amazed by the horrible things that Christians say about those that are in authority just because they don’t like them. I want you to understand this right now — it is acceptable to disagree with those in authority, but friends, Christians are never, ever called to be rude. In fact, Peter tells us the opposite earlier in this very passage: 

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

—1 Peter 2:1 KJV

As the RIV puts it, “In light of all of this, it is essential for you to be continually taking off, laying down, and pushing away from you — so far out of reach that you’ll never pick up again — all destructive, evil, foul, vile actions and malignant, malicious thoughts that are harmful, hurtful, and injurious and that produce damage or ruin in your life or in others” (1 Peter 2:1 RIV).

Any person who is indwelt by the Spirit of God should not denigrate another human being. Even if you don’t agree with them, you are never sanctioned by God to speak rudely about someone else.

Peter continues this idea in verse 18, saying, “Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward” (1 Peter 2:18 KJV).

Of course, most of us aren’t literal slaves or servants, but this verse is still important to all of us. The RIV says it like this: 

Household servants, it is essential to recognize those with authority over you and to respectfully align yourselves under them with a submissive attitude. And in this right, respectful attitude, you must demonstrate reverence for your masters whose legal authority over you is real and unquestioned.

—1 Peter 2:18 RIV

Notice that Peter says that this doesn’t just apply to good and gentle masters, which means masters who are good, equitable, fair, gentle, just, kind, mild, and moderate, and who celebrate your service to them. This verse says that you must also be submissive and respectful to masters who are “froward.” This is a translation of the Greek word skolios (σκολιός), which means bent, crooked, perverse, unfair, or warped.

Maybe you are not a slave, but maybe you find yourself stuck in an employment situation that is really difficult or a marriage where you feel that you are being abused. For the slaves at that time, there was no legal recourse if they had a malicious master, but the Holy Spirit spoke through Peter to give them advice on how to thrive in that difficult situation, and He can do the same for you.

Whatever your difficult situation looks like, I urge you to get on your knees and pray, and just as the Holy Spirit instructed the believers back then, He will give you instruction now through His Word. No matter what difficult relationship you are in, you can always come back to these verses and be reminded that no matter what, God never tolerates a Christian who is disrespectful. We are called to the very highest level as believers, and that means honoring and valuing not only those who love us or who share our beliefs but also those who are against us, who cheat us, mistreat us, and betray us. That’s what Jesus did, and my friends, we are called to walk in the steps of Jesus.