| Geneva Study Bible {20} {d} Honour all men. Love the {e} brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. (20) He divides the civil life of man, by occasion of those things of which he spoke, into two general parts: that is, into those duties which private men owe to private men, and especially the faithful to the faithful, and into that subjection by which inferiors are bound to their superiors, but so that kings are not made equal to God, seeing that fear is due to God, and honour to kings. (d) Be charitable and dutiful towards all men. (e) The assembly and fellowship of the brethren. Zec 11:14 People's New Testament 2:17 Honour all men. Respect men of every station. Love the brotherhood. As Christ loved us. Fear God. With reverential fear. Wesley's Notes 2:17 Honour all men - As being made in the image of God, bought by his Son, and designed for his kingdom. Honour the king - Pay him all that regard both in affection and action which the laws of God and man require. King James Translators' Notes Honour all: or, Esteem all Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary 17. Honour all men-according to whatever honor is due in each case. Equals have a respect due to them. Christ has dignified our humanity by assuming it; therefore we should not dishonor, but be considerate to and honor our common humanity, even in the very humblest. The first "honor" is in the Greek aorist imperative, implying, "In every case render promptly every man's due" [Alford]. The second is in the present tense, implying, Habitually and continually honor the king. Thus the first is the general precept; the three following are its three great divisions. Love-present: Habitually love with the special and congenial affection that you ought to feel to brethren, besides the general love to all men. Fear God . the king-The king is to be honored; but God alone, in the highest sense, feared. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 2:13-17 A Christian conversation must be honest; which it cannot be, if there is not a just and careful discharge of all relative duties: the apostle here treats of these distinctly. Regard to those duties is the will of God, consequently, the Christian's duty, and the way to silence the base slanders of ignorant and foolish men. Christians must endeavour, in all relations, to behave aright, that they do not make their liberty a cloak or covering for any wickedness, or for the neglect of duty; but they must remember that they are servants of God. | 
