In 1 Peter 2:17, believers are instructed to “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” That last part can be especially challenging in a modern democracy when the person in office may not align with your values or convictions.
In Peter’s time, “the emperor” wasn’t a godly leader—yet Christians were still called to show respect. Today, the concept raises big questions: Does honoring leaders mean agreeing with them? Staying silent on injustice? Can we criticize policies while still showing honor?
How do we apply this verse in an age of social media, political polarization, and freedom of speech?
Honouring and respecting a person does not mean agreeing with them.
In biblical times Christians honoured a pagan and hostile emperor by obeying his laws.
Christians today in countries that are hostile to Christianity still obey the laws of that country pray for the government, except for those laws that would cause them to disobey God.
Honoring the emperor means, in the case of the US now, means to respect the Presidency. All Presidents (for all intents and purposes) have been elected by a majority of voters and so are due respect. That has nothing to do with the character of the person holding the office, which in this case, is severely flawed.
To put this in proper context, we’d first have to acknowledge that it’s not written to citizens-- but to those who are non-citizens, living temporarily elsewhere, outside their home country.
Peter is telling those Israelite/Jewish converts to Christianity – those living outside of Israel in named places like Pontus (Black Sea region of Turkey), Galatia (Turkey) Cappadocia (Turkey), the province of Asia, and Bithynia (Greek/Roman province in Asia) to “honor” the ruler of whichever place they were temporarily calling home.
Peter then is telling these emmigrant/missionaries living abroad to honor Roman rulers -primarily Caesar Augustus.
All of these regions had once been conquered by the Greek Alexander the Great, who triumphed over Celtic tribes and kingdoms, subsequently falling to later be ruled as part of the expanded Roman Empire. Asia, and all of what is now modern day Turkey was governed by Rome, it’s Emperor, and various appointed regional Governors. Peter says-- if you live in any of these places— live there peacefully, and as a people set apart (holy) not for the sake of Rome, but for the sake of the Father, His name that you bear and as members of His family. Even when doing so brings hardship.
Be subject to every human institution for the Lord’s sake, whether to a king as supreme or to governors as those he commissions to punish wrongdoers and praise those who do good.
That was not written for a democracy for the people, by the people, of the people…
It was written in lands ruled by kings who embodied destructive forces whose choices could cost the people everything if those kings chose to do evil, like rounding up Christians to execute.
So it means everything to us now. We should play nice and not question those in power!!!
Matthew 22:19-21 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
KJV
This is the passage I thought of reading the OP.
Nobody likes paying taxes.
But we pay them.
I don’t like some of the things on which Congress spend my money.
But we live in a majority rules republic.
So I accept that I am in the minority on a particular subject.
I believe the way we are currently treating Canada is a huge mistake.
They are our best friend.
This is not how you treat your best friend.
You talk, and you don’t give up.
Find a way.
Do not treat them like they are same as Cuba or Venezuela.
We, the USA, need to admit we made a mistake, and make this right..
This would restore our honor.
Will we?
Time will tell.
