1 Peter 2:17 17Honor everyone, love the fellowship, fear God, honor the emperor.
Verse 17 summarizes the paragraph with four short exhortations about practical ways to live out one’s witness. Honor(timēsate) was a significant motivator and relational force in the ancient world. We show honor in how we respect others and their positions and ideas. We show this respect by listening, showing consideration, and in many cases, obeying them (see verse 13). Showing honor is not always easy, especially when we disagree with people’s opinions, how they work or lead, or their personalities. Showing respect is a response of love in reflection of God’s love. Love is the required ingredient to show respect to all people.
Peter next encourages his readers to love (agapate) the family of believers. Those who believe in Jesus are as close as brothers and sisters. The word used for fellowship contains the word “brother” in it (adelpho – tēta). Often this family is closer than physical family. We share a common Father who loves us all equally. We must learn to live as family, which requires patience and forgiveness. When siblings disagree, they either learn new people skills of getting along or they plant seeds of bitterness and unforgiveness that can grow into enmity.
Fearing (phobeisthe) God is crucial to having a right perspective about life, love, and holiness. This fear can be interpreted in two ways. One is the awe all creation shares in coming before the Holy God. We bow in worship because of God’s awesomeness and holiness. The other is fear of God because of the conviction that results from the presence of sin and the realization that it will be punished in God’s justice. This type of fear should keep us away from sin and help us say no to temptations. Both types of fear can lead to new life and spiritual growth. As we grow closer to God, the fear of punishment is replaced by the awe of worship as the dependency on self and the world is replaced by dependency upon god.
Peter finally exhorts his readers to honor (timate) the emperor. The same word for honor is repeated but uses the present tense, which does not seem to be a significant factor in interpretation. If the traditional time frame for the letter is accepted, the emperor at that time was Nero, who was known as an oppressive and impulsive ruler. He was the very one who would later have Peter executed. Honoring a leader like this would be difficult for most people, especially the early believers who faced persecution. We face a similar challenge today with bad politicians. We may disagree and should seek to vote them out of office, but we should never resort to violence or threats. God is in control and allows humans to choose their leaders. Sometimes bad people rise to powerful positions and bring along with the other bad people. When we disagree who our country has chosen as its leaders, we must still pray for them (1 Timothy 2:1-3), respect them (Romans 13:1-7), and trust our future to God.