Honor All People -- What Does That Mean?

In I Peter 2:17, the apostle writes, "Honor all people." As followers of God's word, we might ask, "what does that mean?" I suppose that one could answer this question by saying that it's self-explanatory. Yet, it's prudent for us to be reminded that there are many people (and things) which deserve the respect and honor of which God speaks.

First, we should honor and respect our elders. In his same letter, Peter says that younger people are to "submit" themselves to older, more experienced individuals. Paul also acknowledges this important commandment by saying that younger individuals should look at older men, for example, as being like fathers (I Timothy 5:1). Older church members should be valued as sources of great wisdom, training, and experience which the rest of us can turn to for guidance and direction. Consequently, they are to be honored.

Second, we should honor our parents. When Moses received the initial Ten Commandments of the law which would bear his name, he received one which specifically stated, "Honor your father and your mother" (Exodus 20:12). Throughout the proverbs, Solomon points out the value of respecting one's parents (Proverbs 23:22). And in the New Testament, the apostle Paul highlights the seriousness of how we view and treat our parents by saying that those who are disobedient to their parents are sinners in the eyes of God (Romans 1:30). There's no way to really describe how valuable parents are, yet our efforts to honor them appropriately is a key part of pleasing our God.

Thirdly, we are to honor God's church. The church was built and founded by Jesus Christ, God's Son (Matthew 16:18). It was Jesus Christ who paid for the church with the terrific price of His own blood (Acts 20:28). It makes perfect sense as to why the Ephesian Christians received a letter in which the writer, the apostle Paul, spoke of the perfectness of the Lord's church (Ephesians 5:23-27). God's church should be prized and honored in how we teach others about it and how we worship as members of it.

Finally, it is imperative that we honor and respect the authority of God, His Son, and His holy word. Jesus said, "all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). If the Son of Man has all authority, that means that each of us have zero authority. In matters of church organization and doctrine, you and I have no authority to make decisions separate from the scriptures which came from Christ Himself and the inspired writers who penned His word (II Peter 1:21). The moment we forget the importance of honoring God's authority is the very moment we begin substituting our own ideas for scripture and relying on our own wisdom.

Giving honor to whom (and where) it's due isn't necessarily easy-- but it's very worth it because these things which receive our honor and respect most certainly deserve it.