1 Peter 2:13 (KJV)

Passage

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

Nearby Context

1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

1 Peter 2:12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

1 Peter 2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

1 Peter 2:14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

1 Peter 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "submit", "yourselves", "ordinance", "lord", "sake", "whether", "king", and "supreme". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "submit" and "yourselves", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles..." into verse 14's "Or unto governors as unto them that...", so "submit" and "yourselves" belong inside that flow. In 1 Peter context, the local focus is hope in suffering, holy conduct, submission, and grace.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "submit" and "yourselves" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.