Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sakeThis phrase emphasizes the motivation behind submission: it is done for the Lord's sake. The act of submission is not merely a social or civic duty but a spiritual one, reflecting a commitment to God's will. This aligns with the broader biblical teaching that believers are to live in a way that honors God (
Colossians 3:17). The concept of submission is rooted in humility and obedience, virtues highly esteemed in Scripture (
Philippians 2:3-8).
to every human institution
The term "every human institution" refers to the various structures of authority established in society, including government, legal systems, and other forms of leadership. This reflects the biblical understanding that all authority is ultimately instituted by God (Romans 13:1-2). The call to submit to these institutions acknowledges their role in maintaining order and justice, even when they are imperfect. Historically, the early Christians lived under Roman rule, which was often oppressive, yet they were encouraged to respect and obey the governing authorities.
whether to the king as the supreme authority
In the context of the first century, "the king" would refer to the Roman Emperor, who was the highest authority in the land. This phrase underscores the extent of the submission required, even to those in the highest positions of power. The call to submit to the emperor, despite his often tyrannical rule, highlights the Christian principle of respecting authority while maintaining ultimate allegiance to God. This is consistent with Jesus' teaching to "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Mark 12:17). The phrase also foreshadows the ultimate kingship of Christ, who is the true supreme authority (Revelation 19:16).
Persons / Places / Events
1.
PeterThe apostle Peter, one of Jesus' closest disciples, is the author of this epistle. He writes to encourage and instruct believers who are scattered and facing persecution.
2.
The RecipientsThe letter is addressed to the "elect exiles" scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, regions in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey).
3.
The KingRefers to the ruling authority or emperor of the time. In the context of Peter's writing, this would have been the Roman Emperor.
4.
Human InstitutionsThis term encompasses all forms of human governance and authority structures, including kings, governors, and other officials.
5.
The LordRefers to Jesus Christ, for whose sake believers are called to submit to human authorities.
Teaching Points
Submission as a WitnessBelievers are called to submit to authorities as a testimony of their faith and trust in God's sovereignty. This submission is not blind obedience but a conscious act for the Lord's sake.
Understanding AuthorityRecognize that all authority is ultimately under God's control. Submission to human institutions is a reflection of our submission to God.
Balancing Obedience and ConscienceWhile submission is important, it must be balanced with a conscience that is aligned with God's Word. When human laws conflict with God's commands, believers must choose to obey God.
Role of Christians in SocietyChristians are called to be exemplary citizens, showing respect and honor to authorities, which can lead to a peaceful and orderly society.
Impact of Submission on EvangelismBy submitting to authorities, Christians can silence critics and demonstrate the transformative power of the Gospel in their lives.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of 1 Peter 2:13?
2.How does 1 Peter 2:13 encourage submission to "every human authority" today?
3.What is the significance of submitting "for the Lord's sake" in 1 Peter 2:13?
4.How does Romans 13:1-2 support the message in 1 Peter 2:13?
5.In what ways can Christians practice submission to authorities in daily life?
6.How can submitting to authority reflect our obedience to God's will?
7.How does 1 Peter 2:13 align with the concept of divine authority versus human authority?
8.Why does 1 Peter 2:13 emphasize submission to human institutions?
9.How should Christians interpret "for the Lord's sake" in 1 Peter 2:13?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from 1 Peter 2?
11.1 Peter 2:13–14: How can we reconcile the instruction to submit to all human authorities with moral responsibility and examples of civil disobedience elsewhere in the Bible?
12.What is the relationship between state and church?
13.What does the Bible say about churches' tax-exempt status?
14.What does the Bible say about submission?What Does 1 Peter 2:13 Mean
Submit yourselves– Peter opens with an action: “Submit.” He is calling believers to place themselves under proper order, not to fight for personal supremacy.
– Cross-references remind us that submission is a normal Christian posture:
•Ephesians 5:21, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
•Romans 13:1, “Everyone must submit to governing authorities.”
– This is voluntary, conscious, and rooted in a transformed heart rather than forced compliance.
for the Lord’s sake– The motive behind submission is worship. We yield not to exalt people but to honor the One who saved us.
–Colossians 3:17 ties every action to Jesus: “Whatever you do… do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
– When rulers disappoint, remembering that we bow primarily to Christ keeps bitterness from taking root.
– Obedience here becomes a visible testimony; outsiders see a humble, orderly life and are pointed to the Lord (1 Peter 2:12).
to every human institution– Peter widens the circle. “Every” covers local, regional, and national structures—courts, councils, police, and tax systems.
–Titus 3:1 echoes this charge: “Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient.”
– Practical implications:
• Paying taxes honestly (Matthew 22:21).
• Respecting laws even when inconvenient, unless they command sin (Acts 5:29 shows the limit).
• Praying for those in office (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
whether to the king as the supreme authority– Peter highlights the highest civil office of his day—the emperor. If submission extends that far, it certainly reaches lesser officials.
–Proverbs 24:21 warns, “Fear the LORD and the king,” tying reverence for God and respect for sovereigns together.
– Even flawed rulers (Nero was emperor when Peter wrote) are to receive honor, though not worship.
– When civil commands clash with God’s clear commands, allegiance to Christ prevails, yet the believer still bears consequences respectfully (Daniel 3;Acts 4:19-20).
summary1 Peter 2:13 calls Christians to choose humble submission to government structures, motivated by loyalty to Christ, expressed toward every level of authority, and extending even to the highest ruler. Doing so makes the gospel attractive, preserves order, and shows trust that God remains sovereign over earthly powers.
(13)
To every ordinance of man.--Second prudential rule, subordination. Literally,
to every human creation, i.e.,to every office or authority which men have established. It is not only to ordinances of directly Divine institution that we are to submit. Mind that he does not say we are to submit to every
law that men may pass. This passage is most directly modelled on
Romans 13:1,
et seq.,where the reason assigned for submission is the same as that in
John 19:11, viz., that ultimately the authority proceeds from God Himself. Here, however, the thought is quite different. They are to submit, but not because of the original source from which the authority flows, but because of the practical consequences of not submitting. It must be done "for the Lord's" (
i.e.,Jesus Christ's) "sake,"
i.e.,in order not to bring discredit upon His teaching, and persecution upon His Church. This difference of treatment, in the midst of so much resemblance, shows that at the date of St. Peter's letter there was much more immediate cause for laying stress on political subordination. St. Paul, writing
to the Roman Church, urges submission to Claudius, because the Roman Jews (among whom the Christians were reckoned) were often in trouble and expelled from the city of Rome (
Acts 18:2); St. Peter, writing in all probability
from the Roman Church, urges submission to Nero and the provincial governors because "ignorant and foolish men" were beginning to misrepresent the Christian Church as a kind of Internationalist or Socialist conspiracy.
The king, as supreme.--First division of second prudential rule: subordination political. Of course it means the emperor. The name "king," though detested in Latin, was used without scruple by the provincial Greeks to express the sovereignty of the Caesars. When he is described here as "supreme," it is not intended (as our English version would convey) to contrast his supreme power with the inferior power of the "governors;" the word is only the same which is rendered "higher" inRomans 13:1. Huther rightly says, "The emperor was in the Roman Empire not merely the highest, but actually the only ruler; all other magistrates were but the instruments by which he exercised his sway." Of course all Asia Minor, to which St. Peter was writing, was in the Roman Empire; the language would have been different had the letter been addressed to, or perhaps had it even been written from, the geographical Babylon.
Verse 13. -
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man. The aorist passive (
ὑποτάγητε) is used, as often, in a middle sense. The word for "ordinance" is
κτίσις, which in classical Greek means "foundation," as of a city; but in the New Testament is used elsewhere only of the works of God, in the sense of "creation," or "a creature" (see
Mark 16:15;
Colossians 1:23, etc.). Hence some, as De Wette, translate the words, "to every human creature," supporting their view by
1 Peter 5:5. But on the whole this seems unlikely;
ἀνθρωπίνη κτίσις is a strange and awkward periphrasis for
ἄνθρωπος.
It is better to understand it as meaning a human creation or foundation. Certainly "there is no power but of God" (
Romans 13:1); but the form which that power assumes is a human institution. St. Peter bids his readers to submit themselves to the
de facto form of government.
For the Lord's sake. Not from human motives, as fear of punishment; but for the Lord's sake, because "the powers that be are ordained of God," and in obeying them we obey the ordinance of God. Christians were commonly accused of insubordination, of doing "contrary to the decrees of Caesar" (
Acts 17:7); they must show by their conduct that these accusations are false, that the progress of the gospel be not hindered.
Whether it be to the king, as supreme. By "the king" is meant the Roman emperor, who was frequently so described in the Greek writers. Nero was emperor when St. Peter wrote. Christians were to obey even him, wicked tyrant as he was; for his power was given him from above, as the Lord himself had said of Pilate (
John 19:11).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
Submit yourselvesὙποτάγητε(Hypotagēte)Verb - Aorist Imperative Passive - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 5293:From hupo and tasso; to subordinate; reflexively, to obey.for theτὸν(ton)Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.Lord’sΚύριον(Kyrion)Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962:Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.sakeδιὰ(dia)Preposition
Strong's 1223:A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.to everyπάσῃ(pasē)Adjective - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3956:All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.humanἀνθρωπίνῃ(anthrōpinē)Adjective - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 442:Belonging to human beings (especially as contrasted with God), human (as contrasted with divine). From anthropos; human.institution,κτίσει(ktisei)Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2937:From ktizo; original formation.whetherεἴτε(eite)Conjunction
Strong's 1535:And if, whether. From ei and te; if too.to [the] kingβασιλεῖ(basilei)Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 935:A king, ruler, but in some passages clearly to be translated: emperor. Probably from basis; a sovereign.asὡς(hōs)Adverb
Strong's 5613:Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner.the supreme [authority],ὑπερέχοντι(hyperechonti)Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5242:To excel, surpass, be superior. From huper and echo; to hold oneself above, i.e. to excel; participle superior, superiority.
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NT Letters: 1 Peter 2:13 Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance (1 Pet. 1P iP i Pet) 
