1 Peter 2:17 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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

1 Peter 2:16 as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.

1 Peter 2:17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

1 Peter 2:18 Servants, [be] in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

1 Peter 2:19 For this is acceptable, if for conscience toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "honor", "love", "brotherhood", "fear", and "king". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "honor" and "love", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "as free and not using your freedom..." into verse 18's "Servants be in subjection to your masters...", so "honor" and "love" 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 "honor" and "love" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.