1 Peter 2:14 (WEB)

Passage

or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well.

Nearby Context

1 Peter 2:12 having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.

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

1 Peter 2:14 or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well.

1 Peter 2:15 For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you 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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "governors", "sent", "vengeance", "evildoers", "praise", and "well". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "governors" and "sent", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of..." into verse 15's "For this is the will of God...", so "governors" and "sent" 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 "governors" and "sent" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.