Peter instructs believers to use our freedom to be effective servants of God. Rather than abuse God’s grace and live sinfully, we ought to dedicate our choices to God’s will. We can do this by treating all people, unbelievers and especially believers, with honor and love. We should live in submission to the highest human authority in our earthly life, but our ultimate king whom we should seek to please is God.
Although all believers are subjects under their governmental authorities, Peter instructs them to Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God (v. 16).
The free man was one free socially and politically. The term was used in contrast to being a slave (Ephesians 6:8Ephesians 6:8 commentary, commentaryColossians 3:11Colossians 3:11 commentary, commentaryRevelation 6:15Revelation 6:15 commentary, commentary1 Corinthians 7:221 Corinthians 7:22 commentary). To be free is to have the power of choice. Free people are allowed to make their own decisions, like where to live, when to travel, what occupation to select, and so forth. Conversely, bondslaves were not free to make such choices. Many such choices were assigned to them.
We can see this in the case of the slave Onesimus who apparently left the service of Philemon without permission. As a slave, he was not permitted to make his own choice about occupation, travel, or dwelling place. Therefore, even though Onesimus was of great assistance to the Apostle Paul, Paul sent him back to his master and asked permission for him to be released to minister to Paul (Philemon 1:13-14Philemon 1:13-14 commentary). Although Paul was a spiritual superior to Philemon, he did not want to compel him to provide his property to Paul for his use. Rather, he appealed to Philemon to do so voluntarily.
Similarly, all believers have spiritual freedom in Christ. As Philemon was free to make choices so believers are free (1 Corinthians 7:221 Corinthians 7:22 commentary, commentaryGalatians 5:1Galatians 5:1 commentary, 1313 commentary). Believers in Jesus are free to choose whether to walk in the flesh or the Spirit. This is made clear from Galatians 5:13Galatians 5:13 commentary, commentary which exhorts believers to choose to walk in the Spirit rather than the flesh.
This means that believers have the freedom to do either; it is their choice whether to walk in the flesh or the Spirit. Paul argues that believers should choose to walk in the Spirit because the fruit of that choice is love and harmony while the fruit of walking in the flesh is division and strife. Believers are free to choose, but choices have real consequences.
Peter uses the Greek word translated evil twice. In 1 Peter 2:11 Peter 2:1 commentary, commentary it is translated “malice.” This second usage is interpreted by translators to refer to wickedness in general. The usages are compatible though, because the core of wickedness is to take actions that are born of malice toward others. Inner hate leads to outer actions of assault and violence, for example (James 4:2James 4:2 commentary).
Here Peter makes the same basic exhortation that Paul makes in Galatians 5:13Galatians 5:13 commentary—he exhorts believers not to use your freedom as a covering for evil (v. 16b). That Peter exhorts believers not to use your freedom to choose evil means believers do have the power to choose to do evil. And believers can also make the choice to use their freedom as a covering for evil. However, Peter urges believers not to make such a choice.
The phrase do not use your freedom as a covering for evil can also be translated “not using liberty as a cloak for vice.” The idea of a covering is like a cloak that covers up what is underneath. Perhaps the idea of using freedom as a covering for evil is to rationalize our behavior along the lines of “What I am doing is actually righteous.”
Perhaps one application of using freedom to rationalize evil would be to condemn others rather than to love them and seek to bring them to the truth. It could be saying, “Because I have this capacity to make moral choices, I now have the right to sit in God’s seat of judgment and bring wrath upon this person who I perceive as having wronged me.”
As Paul states, fleshly behavior toward others leads to biting and devouring rather than mutual love (Galatians 5:14-15Galatians 5:14-15 commentary). We might rationalize a choice to condemn others as being “just and right” when it is actually manipulating and coercing. Perhaps that is an example of using our freedom as a covering for evil. We might be calling what is evil good (such as to condemn rather than seek their best).
Scripture insists that God is the true judge, and we are to give way to His judgment (Romans 12:19-20Romans 12:19-20 commentary). We should also reflect on the sobering warning Jesus gave to His disciples that God will use whatever measurement we apply in judging others as a measure for Him to judge us (Matthew 7:1-2Matthew 7:1-2 commentary). We want to discern what is right and wrong in truth but leave judgement and condemnation to God or governing authorities.
The opposite of using freedom as a covering for evil is to use your freedom as bondslaves of God (v 16c.). Paul exhorted Philemon to voluntarily release Onesimus so he might minister to him. Paul did not want to compel Philemon but honored his right to choose. Similarly, Peter here is exhorting believers to use their freedom to choose to serve others in love.
Peter’s exhortation to use your freedom as bondslaves of God is similar to Paul’s encouragement to the Galatian believers to choose to walk in the Spirit rather than to walk in the flesh (Galatians 5:13Galatians 5:13 commentary). Peter exhorts his disciples to choose to walk as bondslaves for God even though God does not compel them to do so. Peter and Paul both argue that believers should make such a choice because it is in their best interest to do so.
It is in the believers’ best interest to walk in the Spirit and live as bondslaves of God, because to walk in obedience to God yields the fruit of life and benefit. Conversely, walking in obedience to sin and the flesh leads to slavery and death (Romans 6:15-16Romans 6:15-16 commentary).
Further, to walk in righteousness is to walk consistently with our true identity in Christ—that we are each a member of a royal family with a high calling, as Peter described earlier in this chapter (1 Peter 2:51 Peter 2:5 commentary, 99 commentary). There will also be great rewards for all who choose to follow Christ’s example and be bondservants of God, as Peter asserts in Chapter 4:
“but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.” (1 Peter 4:131 Peter 4:13 commentary)
If believers choose to live in sin, there will be adverse consequences. As Romans 1:24Romans 1:24 commentary, 2626 commentary, 2828 commentary states, sin has a progression. If we persist in sin, God’s “wrath” is to give us what we insist upon. He gives us over to our lust, which leads to addiction, then to loss of mental health (a “depraved mind”). This is the natural progression God gives anyone over to who persists in sin.
In addition to the natural consequences of sin, believers are promised to experience God’s discipline when they sin (Hebrews 12:5-6Hebrews 12:5-6 commentary, 10-1110-11 commentary). Therefore, it behooves believers to use our freedom wisely and make choices that yield the “peaceable fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11Hebrews 12:11 commentary).
Peter instructs Christians to use your freedom as bondslaves of God (v. 16c). As a believer in Christ, we have a spiritual freedom in Him. We are new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:172 Corinthians 5:17 commentary). We are born again into God’s forever family and given the free gift of eternal life (John 3:3John 3:3 commentary, 14-1514-15 commentary). But we also have a choice of whether to walk in our new, true identity or to revert back to our old nature and walk in obedience to sin.
In contrast to using our freedom to pursue self-seeking ambitions, God wants us to voluntarily use our freedom in Christ to obey Him as a bondslave. A bondslave is a slave who is totally committed to obey one person, his master. In this context, the master is God.
Believers who are free in Christ are exhorted to use their freedom to choose to be loyal servants of God. Paul argues that we ought to recognize this as the natural order since we are God’s possession, because we were ransomed from sin with the price of the life of Jesus, God’s Son (1 Corinthians 6:19-201 Corinthians 6:19-20 commentary).
Having established the believer’s total submission and commitment to God, Peter moves on to the proper responses we are to have toward others: Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. (v. 17).
Peter lists four attitudes and actions believers in the household of God are to show toward various people.
Honor all people—show high regard for the value and worth of all people regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, or economic status (Galatians 3:28Galatians 3:28 commentary). We are to do this because all people have equal worth, having been created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26Genesis 1:26 commentary, 9:69:6 commentary). We are not to show partiality, which God hates (Malachi 2:9-10Malachi 2:9-10 commentary, commentaryJames 2:9James 2:9 commentary).
Love the brotherhood—show “agape” (choice-based) Christ-like sacrificial love to all who have a saving relationship with Christ (John 13:34-35John 13:34-35 commentary, commentary1 Corinthians 13:3-81 Corinthians 13:3-8 commentary).
Fear God—Care more about what God thinks of us than what others do. We should remember that we are accountable to Him rather than fear what other people can do to us. Proverbs asserts that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of both knowledge and of wisdom (Psalm 111:10Psalm 111:10 commentary, commentaryProverbs 1:7Proverbs 1:7 commentary, 8:138:13 commentary, 9:109:10 commentary, 23:1723:17 commentary).
Honor the king—Show a special regard for governing authorities because their position of authority is given by God (Romans 13:1Romans 13:1 commentary).
As believers in Christ, we have a special relationship with God as a royal priesthood, assigned to represent God to others (1 Peter 2:51 Peter 2:5 commentary, 99 commentary). Peter exhorts us to steward well our capacity to make moral choices and choose to act as bondslaves to God in our behavior toward others.
Set to dark mode
1 Peter 2:16-17 meaning
Although all believers are subjects under their governmental authorities, Peter instructs them to Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God (v. 16).
The free man was one free socially and politically. The term was used in contrast to being a slave (Ephesians 6:8Ephesians 6:8 commentary, commentary Colossians 3:11Colossians 3:11 commentary, commentary Revelation 6:15Revelation 6:15 commentary, commentary 1 Corinthians 7:221 Corinthians 7:22 commentary). To be free is to have the power of choice. Free people are allowed to make their own decisions, like where to live, when to travel, what occupation to select, and so forth. Conversely, bondslaves were not free to make such choices. Many such choices were assigned to them.
We can see this in the case of the slave Onesimus who apparently left the service of Philemon without permission. As a slave, he was not permitted to make his own choice about occupation, travel, or dwelling place. Therefore, even though Onesimus was of great assistance to the Apostle Paul, Paul sent him back to his master and asked permission for him to be released to minister to Paul (Philemon 1:13-14Philemon 1:13-14 commentary). Although Paul was a spiritual superior to Philemon, he did not want to compel him to provide his property to Paul for his use. Rather, he appealed to Philemon to do so voluntarily.
Similarly, all believers have spiritual freedom in Christ. As Philemon was free to make choices so believers are free (1 Corinthians 7:221 Corinthians 7:22 commentary, commentary Galatians 5:1Galatians 5:1 commentary, 1313 commentary). Believers in Jesus are free to choose whether to walk in the flesh or the Spirit. This is made clear from Galatians 5:13Galatians 5:13 commentary, commentary which exhorts believers to choose to walk in the Spirit rather than the flesh.
This means that believers have the freedom to do either; it is their choice whether to walk in the flesh or the Spirit. Paul argues that believers should choose to walk in the Spirit because the fruit of that choice is love and harmony while the fruit of walking in the flesh is division and strife. Believers are free to choose, but choices have real consequences.
Peter uses the Greek word translated evil twice. In 1 Peter 2:11 Peter 2:1 commentary, commentary it is translated “malice.” This second usage is interpreted by translators to refer to wickedness in general. The usages are compatible though, because the core of wickedness is to take actions that are born of malice toward others. Inner hate leads to outer actions of assault and violence, for example (James 4:2James 4:2 commentary).
Here Peter makes the same basic exhortation that Paul makes in Galatians 5:13Galatians 5:13 commentary—he exhorts believers not to use your freedom as a covering for evil (v. 16b). That Peter exhorts believers not to use your freedom to choose evil means believers do have the power to choose to do evil. And believers can also make the choice to use their freedom as a covering for evil. However, Peter urges believers not to make such a choice.
The phrase do not use your freedom as a covering for evil can also be translated “not using liberty as a cloak for vice.” The idea of a covering is like a cloak that covers up what is underneath. Perhaps the idea of using freedom as a covering for evil is to rationalize our behavior along the lines of “What I am doing is actually righteous.”
Perhaps one application of using freedom to rationalize evil would be to condemn others rather than to love them and seek to bring them to the truth. It could be saying, “Because I have this capacity to make moral choices, I now have the right to sit in God’s seat of judgment and bring wrath upon this person who I perceive as having wronged me.”
As Paul states, fleshly behavior toward others leads to biting and devouring rather than mutual love (Galatians 5:14-15Galatians 5:14-15 commentary). We might rationalize a choice to condemn others as being “just and right” when it is actually manipulating and coercing. Perhaps that is an example of using our freedom as a covering for evil. We might be calling what is evil good (such as to condemn rather than seek their best).
Scripture insists that God is the true judge, and we are to give way to His judgment (Romans 12:19-20Romans 12:19-20 commentary). We should also reflect on the sobering warning Jesus gave to His disciples that God will use whatever measurement we apply in judging others as a measure for Him to judge us (Matthew 7:1-2Matthew 7:1-2 commentary). We want to discern what is right and wrong in truth but leave judgement and condemnation to God or governing authorities.
The opposite of using freedom as a covering for evil is to use your freedom as bondslaves of God (v 16c.). Paul exhorted Philemon to voluntarily release Onesimus so he might minister to him. Paul did not want to compel Philemon but honored his right to choose. Similarly, Peter here is exhorting believers to use their freedom to choose to serve others in love.
Peter’s exhortation to use your freedom as bondslaves of God is similar to Paul’s encouragement to the Galatian believers to choose to walk in the Spirit rather than to walk in the flesh (Galatians 5:13Galatians 5:13 commentary). Peter exhorts his disciples to choose to walk as bondslaves for God even though God does not compel them to do so. Peter and Paul both argue that believers should make such a choice because it is in their best interest to do so.
It is in the believers’ best interest to walk in the Spirit and live as bondslaves of God, because to walk in obedience to God yields the fruit of life and benefit. Conversely, walking in obedience to sin and the flesh leads to slavery and death (Romans 6:15-16Romans 6:15-16 commentary).
Further, to walk in righteousness is to walk consistently with our true identity in Christ—that we are each a member of a royal family with a high calling, as Peter described earlier in this chapter (1 Peter 2:51 Peter 2:5 commentary, 99 commentary). There will also be great rewards for all who choose to follow Christ’s example and be bondservants of God, as Peter asserts in Chapter 4:
“but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”
(1 Peter 4:131 Peter 4:13 commentary)
If believers choose to live in sin, there will be adverse consequences. As Romans 1:24Romans 1:24 commentary, 2626 commentary, 2828 commentary states, sin has a progression. If we persist in sin, God’s “wrath” is to give us what we insist upon. He gives us over to our lust, which leads to addiction, then to loss of mental health (a “depraved mind”). This is the natural progression God gives anyone over to who persists in sin.
In addition to the natural consequences of sin, believers are promised to experience God’s discipline when they sin (Hebrews 12:5-6Hebrews 12:5-6 commentary, 10-1110-11 commentary). Therefore, it behooves believers to use our freedom wisely and make choices that yield the “peaceable fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11Hebrews 12:11 commentary).
Peter instructs Christians to use your freedom as bondslaves of God (v. 16c). As a believer in Christ, we have a spiritual freedom in Him. We are new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:172 Corinthians 5:17 commentary). We are born again into God’s forever family and given the free gift of eternal life (John 3:3John 3:3 commentary, 14-1514-15 commentary). But we also have a choice of whether to walk in our new, true identity or to revert back to our old nature and walk in obedience to sin.
In contrast to using our freedom to pursue self-seeking ambitions, God wants us to voluntarily use our freedom in Christ to obey Him as a bondslave. A bondslave is a slave who is totally committed to obey one person, his master. In this context, the master is God.
Believers who are free in Christ are exhorted to use their freedom to choose to be loyal servants of God. Paul argues that we ought to recognize this as the natural order since we are God’s possession, because we were ransomed from sin with the price of the life of Jesus, God’s Son (1 Corinthians 6:19-201 Corinthians 6:19-20 commentary).
Having established the believer’s total submission and commitment to God, Peter moves on to the proper responses we are to have toward others: Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. (v. 17).
Peter lists four attitudes and actions believers in the household of God are to show toward various people.
As believers in Christ, we have a special relationship with God as a royal priesthood, assigned to represent God to others (1 Peter 2:51 Peter 2:5 commentary, 99 commentary). Peter exhorts us to steward well our capacity to make moral choices and choose to act as bondslaves to God in our behavior toward others.